New-York tribune., 1919-01-29


of Illinois
Confusion Worse Confoundcd"
"lf | were willing to ride a hobby, If
were desrous of forcing government
ownership by plunging the telegraph
and telephone systems into confusion
worse confounded | would say turn
them back to their owners at the end
OF such q short period" Mr.. Burleson
replied.
But we are going through a serious
period of transition, from war to peace
The telephone companies, for example
nave not kept pace with other indus
trial lines. Their employees arc de
manding higher wages They are con
fronted with q complex, confusing ant
overlapping method of fixing rates by
lorty-elght different states and hun
Creds of different municipalities. Tn
der present conditions | believe the
government is in a better position to
determine rates than any other agency
Representatives of the telephone
companies tell me that there is urgent
necessity for granting an extension OF
government control, from a business
STANDPOINT alone; that period of de-
terloration and confusion will ensue if
the telegraphs and telephones are sud
denly thrown back into the hands OF
private ownership without any hnan-
clal guarantees or other safeguards.
Would End Competition
These same representatives tell me
they favor the elimination of compe-
tltlon between telephone systems. |
believe every intelligent man recog
nizes that the elimination of such com
pettion would be a good thing, would
90 away with vexations and annoy
hp-fp b.+
tions for the companies.
believe" the Postmaster General
continued, "a definite date should be
fixed. So far as the length of time is
concerned, there is great diversity of
opinion, some wishing one year, others
i've. Mr.. Vail, whom | regard as the
best wire man in the country, says
1t should not be less than two years ,"
Chairman Moon asked Mr. Burleson
what ne thought about fixing December
81, 1920, as the time for ending con-
troll. The Postmaster General replied
that the danger" would be that the
new Congress would convene Just Il
north previous.
"But don't you think extension to
January 1920. would give plenty Of
time to solve the problems 90 inquired
representative Black. of Texas.
great many of the companies do
not believe So was the answer
II regard it as a question of great
est Importance to the public" he con-
tinued Manufacturers and others are
greatly concerned as to the character
of the service. In order TO develop their
businesses they must have proper ser
vice.
Business interests First
If | wished to insure government
-f1Di-l .ts 4
once. But think the interests of the
business men should ae looked after"
Some members of the committee
asked if it would be necessary to raise
rates, and the Postmaster General re-
piled measuredly:
"My duty is to see that the service is
adequate. And if it is necessary to
raise rates, however much might re
gret It. would not hesitate to do So
Continuing, he said there We're some
100000 telephones in the United
states, States, and the normal increase was
from six to seven per cent, which. he
continued, had been "held up for two
years. Mr. Burcson said during the
period of uncertainty" the manufac-
turers of equipment were being delayed
of YOU want the responsibility Of
flying IN the face of these gentlemen
whose money is tied atp you can do
So ne told the committee. "But I
appeal this Is no time for partisan
shiP:'
den, an9 Representative Stcenerson
snapped out: "Youre the only one
who's said anything about thatl'
"Oh, nothing was SAID, but anybody
can see" put in Chairman Moon.
calgmatlcally, while Mr. Burleson said
mildly:
"lf do mention it. I hope it's in
the right spirit"
Competition Called Wasteful
Replying. to d suggestion that he
wished to further his ideas of govern
ment control, he declared:
"t uniformly stated that it's not nv
purpose to conduct the experiments so
as to force government ownership If
the experiments create public senti-
ment either way cannot help it,"
"You admit the experiment will
eliminate competition and aid concen-
tration.' put in Mr.. Black
"i think competition should be elini
mated. The period for competition has
passed and every intelligent man ad-
mits it" replied the Postmaster Gen
eral.
He said he understood that there
had been only two attempts in the last
few years to compete with Che Bell
system and that the public has
reached the conclusion" THAI competi-
tion is undesirable. ''Hundreds of let
ters," he said, had asked that "wastc
full service be discontinued"
Representative Steenerson took up
the questioning, and when he asked
about the origin of the wire control
law Mr.. Burleson said:
81 know what you want; you want to
know whether | instigated the resolu-
ton. Well, I did not"
Not Mind Reader
Mr.. Steenerson suggested that Mr..
Burleson might know the reasons act
uating the resolution, as he was a Cab
met member, but the witness said he
was not mind reader and had no
power of omniscience" and that the
first ne knew about the resolution was
when Representative Aswell, of Louisi-
ana, introduced it,
Mr. Steenerson-Well, it was for war
purposes
Mr.. Burleson-You must ask the
President: l don't know.
Mr. Siecnerson - Can't you say
whether it was for the national Sc
curi,y?
Mr. Burleson---I am quite sure it was
or the President would not have taken
over the wires.
Mr. Steenerson-In what way was it
=.