The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-01-18
THE REGULATING POWER.

It is difficult to harmonic in the increase of
telephone toll rates. and recent expressions of Mr..
Burleson, in connection with the more economic
management of the telephone companies, under
government control Mr.. Burleson, in recent ar
ticle, says "The operation Of these companies
under government control will not admit of as
broad policy would apply to government
ownership, but many advanced steps can be
taken by the government which could not be
taken by the private owners"
Are increased toll rates one of these advances?
Mr.. Burleson is not and has never been, any
too popular with the great mass Of people, and
will not make himself any more so by raising
the price of telephone tolls. In the Review of
Reviews, Mr.. Burleson is quoted follows
Every argument in favor of the government
monopoly of the postal service applies with equal
force to electrical means of communication
The telephone and telegraph are much part
of the development of postal communication as
the railway postal cars in their succession to the
stage coach and the pony express. This has
been recognized by legislation and by decision
of the Supreme Court of the United States
To prove this, Mr.. Burleson takes the case of
the Pensacola Telegraph Company VS.. Western
Union Telegraph company, in which the Supreme
Court unanimously held:
Since the case of Gibbons vs.. Ogden, it has
nver been doubted that commercial intercourse
is an element of commerce which comes within
the regulating power of Congress. Post Offices
and post roads established to facilitate the
transmission of intelligence Both commerce
and postal service placed within the powers
of Congress, because, being national in their
operation, they should be under the protecting
control of the national government. The pow
ers thus granted not confined to the instru-
mentalities of commerce, or the postal service
known in use when the Constitution was
adopted but they keep pace with the progress
of the country and dapt themselves to the new
developments of time and circumstance They
extend from the horse woth the rider to the
steamboat from the coach and the steam boat to
the railroad and from the railroad to the tele-
graph"
'The contention" continues Mr. Burleson
that there is constitutional barrier to govern
ment monopoly of the electrical means of COM
munication has never been seriously entertained.
When the telegraph system then owned and con-
trolled by the government was transferred to
to private ownership in 1847, it was not upon the
theory that this means of communication be-
longed to private enterprise, but because it was
deemed inexpedient for the government then to
enter upon the expenditures essential to the de-
| veopment of service the economic utility Of
which was held by some to be still in doubt.
| 1t seems, from the injunction of the railroad
| commission, that there are some who are still
| in doubt,-particularly where Mr.. Burleson is
concerned. Mr.. Burleson, in quoting the Su-
preme Court decree in the case of the Pensacola
| Telegraph Company VS.. the Western Union Tel
graph Company, admits that electrical means of
communication are the direct outcome of rail-
road administration, and that commercial inter-
course is an element of commerce within "the
regulating power of Congress-" Mr.. Burleson
| evidently forgot about the regulating power"
| of the railroad commission, also government
agency for control of public utilities, and the
/ fight between the Postmaster General and the
| commission will be watched with int est
| The public is hardly ready as yet to give any
verdict in regard to the government control of
| Electrical means of communication" but the in
crease in toll rates is not apt to recommend gov
eminent control, particularly now thatiwar is at
an end, and the people of the state will await
| the outcome of the contest with interest.
Sixty percent of the Red Cross chapters of the
country announce membership of nearly fifteen
million for the drive