The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1919-05-03
MR.. BURLEsON'S FAILURE.

MR.. BJRLESON'S FAILURE.
TIE Postmaster General, sick Of !
his JOB. has advised President Will !!
son that it would be in the interest !
companies to their private owners. |
His recommendation came as shock |
to the advocates of public ownership,
for it was only in a recent issue of
the Review of Reviews that Mr.
Burleson presented an excellent ar
gunlent in favor of the permanent
operation and ownership Of the tele-
graph and telephone systems
He declared that if no other rea-
son existed for the Government
monopoly of the wire systems, "a
very substantial reason would be
found in the desira bility that this
necessary public service should be
extended, as in the postal service, to
every household in the land He
continued:
Such extensions could never be had
and could not be expected under pri-
Eate ownership. Private corporal ions
provide a public utility for profit, nee
esSsarl!y as q business proposition: linn
are profitable Or give promise of profit
In the immediate future. The Govern
ment, as an illustration, in the postal
system. does not aim to make a profit
out Of the service Of communication
hut extends the service to the entire
public, drawing it's "divijends' from
the increased wealth, enlightenment
progress and happiness of the nation.
What idealism is here expressed.
From the business standpoint Mr.
Burleson declared that it would be
unnecessary for the Government to
support these utilities of commune
cation by taxation as they can be
self-sustaining through a very rea-
sonable charge, but as in the postal
service, they should never be more
than self-sustaining. Here are some
gems on public ownership taken from
Mr.. Burleson's sound and convincing
article:
A public utility under private owner
ship taxes the public both for service
and for dividends. The Government
makes nothing but a service charge
an" where in one field of opera ton
there is a profit this goes to liuuidate
any deficiency of revenues in some
"ti'Sr branch of the service. An eff
Gent postal service cou!! not be main
tanned if every unprofitable branch
were eliminated. The burden of sus-
timing the entire system as Il whole
IS placed upon that part Of it which is
profitable and in consideration of the
value OF the service received can bear
the burden
The economies possible with all the
telegraph and telephone systems under
nne control, and cooperative. are ma nj
fest. Service instead Of profit being
the object of such Government mOnop-
oily, tne public would be given the ben
eft Of every economy, and the unproF-
tia BILE branches OF the service would be
sustained by the profits OF the service
elsewhere.
The compensation to the present own
CTS OF the properties contemplated in
the agreements during Government
control. would meet the interest on ITS
bonds and pay the principal in 70 years
Meanwhile the increased va:ue OF the
properties. through extensions and I'M
provements. would belong to the Toy
eminent and Increased earnings due to
such extensions wpull go wholly to
the credit Of the Government. After
the redemption Of the purchase bonds
the earnings WOlllQ 20 10 the VI lHcl
Improvement and lower cost OF serv-
ice to the public.
But what becomes Of all this
logic now? If what Mr.. Burleson
said in the Review of Reviews is
true why does he. recommend that
the wire systems be returned to the
private owners? Why this "change
Of hearth There is reason.
The Postmaster General is the
"sick man Of Washington" From
the beginning of his administration
he failed to recognize the human
quantity in the postal service. Ma
man ever entered the public services
with greater desire to mshe good
Under his direction great economies
in administration have been affected
postoffice organization has been ia
cilitated and greatly improved, but
in almost every instance the econ
omy was brought about and the i'm
proJement made at the expense o.
the sweat and blood of postal EN-
ployes.
He lodged his hope in the judg
ment and experience of postoffic'
inspectors. He made an inspector
his first assistant. Others wer
made bureau chiefs, and these un
dertook to reorganize the postoffice
and railway mail service on "dollar
and cents" plans without giving
proper attention to the human sid
of the question. AS result tn
morale of the postal force through