New-York tribune., 1919-05-31
Newcomb Carlton, Before
Senate Committee, Accuses
Edward Reynolds of Try
ing Undermine Burleson
Talks of Secret Methods
Postal Officer, on Stand, Says
We're Not Through With
Postmaster General Yet
New York Tribune
WCehinntOu Rtfren,l

dence of the bitter feeling between
the Postal Telegraph Cable Com
pany and the Wire Control Board of
the Post Office Department cropped
out at today's hearing by the Senate
Interstate Commerce Committee on i'm
mediate release of government control
of wires.
Edward Reynolds. dismissed by Post
master General Burleson as general
manager of the Postal system, was ac-
cused by Newcomb Carlton. president
by secret methods, to undermine the
Postmaster General. At the same time,
Mr. Carlton said, Reynolds maintained
an outward appearance of friendliness
to the Postmaster Generals plans
Mr.. Reynolds took the stand when
Carlton had finished. Carlton, he said
was a partisan Of the Postmaster Gen
eral and had aided him in putting his
plans into effect. He bitterly attacked
both the Postmaster General and the
Western Union.
MOI lnIOuSn w ltn Hin ct
We are not through with Burleson
yet,' he exclaimed, when the hearing
concluded.
The charges against Reynolds to-day
were repetition of similar charges
made before the House Committee on
Post Offices and Post Roads, when the
Moon resolution for continuing the au-
thority Of the Wire Control Board in
definitely was under consideration. At
that time Reynolds was charged with
treason" by Representative Moon,
chairman of the committee, to which
Reynolds replied with Indignation
The suggestion by Postmaster Cen
eral Burleson that there be included
in any legislation for the return of
the wires some scheme that would per
nit mergers in whole or in part by the
land line companies was endorsed by
Mr. Carlton in his testimony.
Congress should eliminate that part
of the Sherman Anti Trust law max
ing mergers illegal, in so far as it
would apply to consultations of wire
systems, he said. The Interstate
Commerce Commission on the other
hand, should be given authority to
approve wire mergers. The Western
Union, he said, does not need any
remedial legislation, for it is in a
position to carry on it's business sue
cessfully whenever the wires are re-
turned.
Two Sets Of Figures
Mr.. Carlton accounted for the
antagonsm between the Postal officials
and Postmaster General Burleson on
the ground that radically different sets
Of figures as to earning power were
submitted by the campany TO the wire
control board and the Interstate Com
merce Commission. The postmaster
general, during the controversy, called
attention to these figures
Postmaster General Burlcson was in
no way to blame for the deterioration
of the wire services, Mr.. Carlton said.
The telegraph systems were in such con-
dition when they were taken over, he
said, that the same deterioration would
have followed under private control
THE Postmaster General was al
ways constructive" he testified "He
never has advocated anything destruc-
tive. hold no special brief for his
management, but | state this out of
fairness TO him."
Mr. Carlton said he differed with the
Postmaster General in his views as to
government ownership. Under govern
ment control, he pointed out, there
was no Improvement whatever in the
service
Trying to Cause Failure
While Mr. Reynolds told the Post
master General that the scheme for
consolidation of all the wire systems
was great idea" Mr.. Carlton said,
he was busy trying to make govern
ment wire control failure" by send
ing out letters to all Postal supern-
tendents and managers attacking the
idea.
"One of these letters he testified,
"fell into the hands of a representa-
tive Of the Western Union in Wash
lngton, who commented that this was
a dreadful thing to do when our coun-
try is at war.-and is perilously near
treachery.'"
When the Postmaster General saw
copy Of one Of the letters heated
interview between Mr.. Burleson and
Mr.. Reynolds followed, the witness
said, and the differences between the
two eliminated in the dismissal of the
Postal official.
Echolng previous statements by the
Postmaster General MIR. Carlton as
serted that the Postal had attempted
to escape carrying government mes
sages, which are sent at half rate during
the war, and had tried instead to get
the "cream of the business
Denied by Reynolds
Replying to Mr.. Cartoons praise Of
the Postmaster General, Mr.. Reynolds,
when he took the stand, said Mr. Burle-
son was striving to fasten government
ownership of the wire systems on the
country. He Indignantly denied that
the Postal had declined to aid the gov
! crnment during the war and asserted
that the real cause for his dismissal
was a letter he wrote TO Postal
representative in California. in which
he used the words: Thank God for 81
Republican Congress"
Postmaster General Burles0n failed
10 appear to-day before the fiouse In
terstatc and Foreign Commerce Com
lnittee, where he was scheduled to tes-
tify on the Steenerson rcsoi ltion for
the immediate tervni ination OF govern
meat supervision. However, lie sent his