The sun., 1918-07-14
CONTROLOF WIRES
IS GIVEN BY SENATE


Gratis voted In favor OF the amendment
and only three Republicans-senators
Colt. Poindexter (wash.) and Jones
wash. )--voted against It.
The United States Railroad Admins
tration was assaied by Senator Hard
ing (Ohio. Rep). who charged that ex-
listing Generalization was convincing
evidence OF what the public utilities OF
the country would come to In the event
Of Government control. The results, he
said, were being put on political rather
than a war basis.
This war time, when we are making
failures OF many undertakings. Is no
time TO initiate a half digested plan
which will ultimately lead to Govern
ment ownership" said Senator Harding.
Senator Reed characterized the silt
uation as badly mixed since McAdoo
took control.
I'VE shall never be able to unscramble
the railroads." said Senator Reed. They
are now in Government control and let
us not delude ourselves into thinking
they will ever go back to private owner
ship. They will not. Exactly the same
thing applies to the wire control. Once
1t passes to the Government 1t will per-
manently leave private ownership. We
are voting for this control for all time.
"Out OF all this j hope may be evolved
a system of control OF public utilities
that will be Of advantage to the people
but am afraid that the working out of
that problem Is long way of. I hope
that this Government control Of rail
roads, wires and all the rest of 1t. will
be removed as far as possible from
politics.
There IL coming day when another
party will be IN power. 1his Admins
tration must make sure that it does not
allow the early control of all these
great public utilities to be governed
by any political exped;ency. 1t must set
up high standard OF control"
Insists on Knowing Reason why.
1.-The Administration has failed to give
Congress any reason why wire commu.
nication ought to be put In the hands
Of the Government" said Senator Wads-
worth On. ". I'VE have passed wal
legislation here that the President
wanted and have been content to do 4
when the reason was explained to us
| This IL the only measure put before u!
in which We have been asked merely t
pass 1t without knowing the reason why
THE Secretary of War, the Secretar.
! VI Navy INC
bursting with ignorance on the subject
appeared before the House committee
and failed to give any reason why thu
resolution should be passed. They as
sumed the attitude that Congress did no
need to know; that II was unnecessar!
for Congress to inform itself.
II say there IL a mystery surrounding
the genesis OF this resolution for Gov
| eminent control OF the wire communica
| ton. No man in Congress has been abb
to point out any emergency that exist
| for 1t or that may confront the Countr!
in the future. What. then, IL the motiv
behind it, I want to say that ] believ
there are men In high places in our Gov
eminent who are determined that tn
| railroads taken over in war time shol
be conducted after the war as Govern
| ment property and who are bound tina
they shall be politically controlled"
But does not the Senator believe tina
the Government. after testing this con
troll in war time, Will be able to form
Judgment as to Its practicabil!ty in peac
timeo' asked Senator Hitchcock tNeb).
WadswOrth Fears Bureaucracy.
II fear that bureaucracy, once it is es
tablished. will not let CO. answered Sen
ator Wadsworth.
81 would like to ask the Senator IL h,
does not know that Industrial enter
| prises throughout the country hav
| found themselves Handicapped by tn