Republican farmer., 1918-12-13

Washington, Dec. 6.---Telephore and telegraph lines of the country, now under government control, should pe- come government owned at the con- clusion of peace and the expiration of the provisions of the act und9G which the utilities are now controllesa, Post master Burleson declares in his an- nual report made public today. The war has shown that government own ership of telephones and telegraphs lis not only sound but practicable, the Postmaster General says, in re- beating the recommendations which he has made in previous reports but which he makes for the first time as head of the government agency con- trolling the land communication lines.
 ''The experiences as a result of the present war have fully demonstrated that the principle of government own ershio of the telephones and tele- graphs is not only sound but pract1- cal," MT. Burleson says. Tt has been necessary as a war measure for Con- gress to consider legislation authoriz- ing the President to assume control of the telegraph and telephone sys- tems of the country. While such con- trol is temporary, and will exist only until the ratification of the treaty of peace, yet the best results can be ob- tained only when these systems are owned by the government. made part of the postal establishment, and 1 operated solely with a view to serv- 1 ing the public and not making profits or guaranteeing returns on the in iun R the telegraphs and telephones should of Congress in this matter is urgently recommended"
 P. o. Department Receipts.
 Operations of the Post Office De- partment for the fiscal year ending last June 30 resulted in a surplus of receipts over expenses of SIS, ,979, 798y according to the report. Approxi- mate1y $44, 550,OOO additional was paid over to the Treasury from the in creased postal charges imposed for war revenue. Total revenues of the department from all sources during the year are given as $388, 975, ,962, against $929, ,115 for the 1917 fiscal year. Total expenditures ara reported at $324, ,833, FPS, against $319 9,83S,718 in 1917. Disregarding the increased pos tai rates effective November 2 under the war tax bill, the actual increase
 in postal service business during the year is placed at 4.47 per cent, while
 expenditures increased 1.56 per cent.
 AirpIanes for Mail Service.
 MT. Burleson for the first time off,
 cially reports upon the use of air r1opac for hra pe7,7ieSioy, OF voai1 ord
 government trucks for the op-
 eration of rural parcels-post routes,
 disclosing plans for wide extension of
 previously made recommendation
 that postmasters now appointed by
 the President should be selected un-
 der competitive civil service examin-
 ations, and that the four assistant postmasters general and the purchas-
 ing agent should be likewise selected
 The volume of mail carried during the year was greater than ever be-
 fore, says the report, in commenting
 upon the surplus earned, which it places at more than double the great est profit ever found by the depart iment previously War activity in pri- vate business not alone grew, but the . government itself put. a tremendous
 burden of matter into the mails from } the new efforts which it built up Postmasters and post office facilities
 alike were used for war service that
 ranged from the registration of aliens
 to the sale of thrift stamps and gov
 ernment bonds.
 [ Among new facilities the report asks is an appropriation of $1,5OO0 0Ot
 for the construction of a subway be- tween the Grand Central Station ir , New York and the Pennsylvania Ter mina1 office, replacing the discarded f system of pneumatic tubes, and de- , vised to relieve congestion. Authority | is also asked for the establishment o1 , a guaranty fund within the depart ment, with which to bond employees & handling money and valuables. This