The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-06-06
EXISTING RATES ID
 REMAIN IN EFFECT BY ORDER OF THE
 POSTOFF|CE HEAD
Postoffice Department Will Retain Measure of COntrOl~ Over Services Pending
 Final Legislation
 by Congress
By Associated Press

Washington, June 5.-Tele- graph and telephone companies whose lines have been con- trolled and operated by the government since last August 1, were ordered tonight to resume immediate operations for their own account by Postmaster General Burleson. The post office department, however, under terms of Mir. Burleson s order, retains a measure of con trol of the service, pending final legislative action by Con- gress.
 Regulations prohibiting dis
 criminatiOn against wire employees
 because of union affiliations,
 maintaining existing rates and
 charges and instructing companies
 to keep special accounts to facii-
 itate cost settlement between
 themselves and the government
 are retained in effect under the order issued by the Postmaster
 General.
 Mir. Burleson accompanied the order with a statement giving the reasons which impelled him to take the ac- ton. He asserted that the President having recommended the return of the properties, the Senate interstate com nerce committee having indicated that immediate return was advisab le and the House committee having, through hearings. manifested a desir. for action toward that end, he felt it his duty to return operative control to the various private owners.
 The President having recommended the return of the wire systems and the control of the owning companies, with certain legislation designed to stabilize their operation" MT. Burle- i son said. and the Senate committee having taken action looking to their i immediate return and the House com ] mittee, in it's hearings on the proposed legislation having indicated concur renee in the suggested immediate re- 1 turn with or without legislation 50 recommended, I feel it my duty to now return the actual control of operations to the companies
 Some days ago I directed the nec- essary orders to be prepared to ac- complslF this and have today issued same. These orders do not affect questions of rates and finance, with which the Congress may determine 10 deal. The rates now in force and the finaEcial relations between the gov ernmcnt and the companies and the order of october ?, 1918 prohibiting discrimination because of union af- | filiation. will continue unless the Con- gress, in it's wisdom, may decide to n or haf nr ha fnr1 orc nn-rs iu terminated by the proclamation u' peace.
 By the action now taken, however, | the wire companies resume actual con | troi of operations of their respective | property and are free to formulate and put into effect their own policies unrestricted by government control which is to continue in any case but | a few weeks. and thus will be able l to prepare themselves for a complete ! resumption of the management of l their property. It will be necessary 1 for each company to so keep it's ac- | counts during the continuance of gov ernment control that it's bopks may be lclosed on the day the government or 1 ders, so that full and accurate state men. may be promptly madeswhen iL is called on for same"
 | Strikes threatened by telephone and telegraph employees unions had no | bearing on the uepdTtIHent $ dCIlOn, officials said The order issued by
 the Postmaster General abolishes tie | wire operating board, of which Union 1 N. Bethel of New York is chairman, but the wire control board, consist
 ing of John A. Rooms. first assistant postmaster general; w. H. Lamar, and 1.-the statistical and legal staff will l continue to exercise the control re- l tained by the order until the govern ment's connection with the wire sys- | tems is ended
 i Contracts for compensation and | awards by state commissions remain | in effect under the order. as well as | the increased toll rates. service con- nections charges and special exchang e rates recently authorized by the Post
 master General. Special arrangements
 are provided for compensating mutual
 and cooperative companies.
 Members of Congress who have been interested in wire control. especially members of the Senate and House ia- terstate commerce committees, ex- pressed great surprise when they learned of the Postmaster Genera 5 action. Congressional leaders had been tContinued on Page 1hree)