The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-03-23
POSTAL TELEGRAPH
OFFICIALS OUSTED
BY Mr.. BURLESON
\. +. ADAMS OF KANSAS CITY Is
MADE MANAGER OF
ENTIRE SYSTEM
TAKES MACKAY'S PLACE
Summary Action Taken Because of
Failure or Refusal OF Efforts TO
Follow Instructions and Efforts to
Discredit Government Control
"MOst Outrageous, Says Secretary.

Washington, March 22.-Ditferences
between the management of the Pos.
tai Telegraph and Gable Company and
Postma1 General Burleson, which
have been acute ever since the govern
ment assumed control Of thetelegraph
and telephone systems, eliminated to-
day in an order by the postmasterg gen
oral summariy relieving the chief Of
Icers, directors and owners of the pos.
! company from all duties in CON
u.ction with government operation Of
.Cir system
In the place of Clarence II. Mackay,
president of the company, the order
appointed A. +. Adams. president of the
Kansas City Home Telephone Company
and member Of the governments gener-
Jl telephone and telegraph operating
board, to take over management Of the
entire Postal Company system. In an
nouncing the action, postoffce depart.
ment officials said Mr.. Adams present
ed the order at the cOmpany's head
quarters in New York today and took
over control Mr.. Mackay was not
In the office at the time.
W. w. Cook, general counsel and
William j. Dcegan, secretary, were
named specifically with Mr.. Mackay
in the removal order.
The departments announcement
said the action was made necessary by
failure or refusal of the Postal Com
pany officials to follow instructions
efforts to embarrass and discredit gov
ernment control and failure promptly
to put a new wage schedule and the
,eighthour day into operation
Court Fight Expected
Officials said informally that they
assumed that the Postal Company
would seek to interfere with exception
of the order by some court action
though they did not know what form
il might take. The officers relieve,
of their duties under the government
retain their connection only to tn,
company's properties.
Last January Mr.. Burleson removed
Edward Reynolds, vice.president anC
general manager Of the Postal, on tn,
ground that he was obsJructing opera
tion under the government.
An announcement by the postoffic,
department says that the order remoy
ing Messrs. MacEay, Cook and Dee
gan from the operation of the Posta
companies and lines under government
control was made necessary" by tn,
fact that since the postoffice depart
ment refused to grant the compan.
the compensation asked for it has fail
ed to to ,ow cat the instructions o
the department in the management o
the properties and failed to put int
operation promptly the wage schedul
and the eight.hour day, and i'm variou
ways endeavcred TO embarrass an,
discredit the government operation o
the wires.
The reason for the refusal Of tn
department to grant the compensation
asked for was that the sworn state
ment, submitted to the Interstate Con
merce Commission in behalf of tn
company, placed the net income for 1871
at $177 ,264, while the sworn statement
they made to the wire control board a
q basis for compensation placed the ne
income for the same year at SASS
593.34."
The announcement adds that tn
value Of the plant ana equipment q
the Postal Telegraph Gable Companie,
sworn to in the company's return {
he Interstate Commerce Commissio
\ for 1916, was S6,647, ,472, but the off
cials of the company declined to max
any statement of valuation to the wiz
control board, although repeatedly y,
quested to do So
Legislation Is Cited.
Today's order cites the legislation an
the proclamation of the president und,
which the government assumed contr
Of the wire systems, and the order
the postmastergeneral directing that a
of the officers operators and employ,
of the telegraph and telephone compa
les continue in the performance of the
existing duties, and announcing it to
the purpose Of the department to c
ordinate and unity these services
that they might be operated as a n
tional system having regard for the /
terest Of the public and owners of II
properties, The order continues:
Now therefore, it is ordered: Thi
Clarence H. Mackay, president; w. V
Cook, general counsel; William j. DE
gan, secretary, and the board of tru
tees, or directors. and the owners n