Evening star., 1919-01-26

none can be manufactured here with
out large initial expenditure of time
and money.
with regard to this matter we have
been shortsighted. My efforts toward
bringing this to the attention OF the
public began long ago, and have been
diligent but unavailing. Long ago
realized the necessity for the develop
ment not only of an international.
but of an International system OF
communication. When the American
Telephone and Telegraph Company
bought the Western Union It's first
attempt was to round out it's service
by laying one transatlantic cable and
leasing several, but, unfortunately,
this was not countenanced by the
government.
Now is the time when all these
and considered in the light of the new
knowledge afforded by international
experience during the great war. The
Postmaster General of the United
States has declared himself in favor
of one system of land wires CO.
aside the question of government
ownership, there can be no doubt Of
the real wisdom of Mr.. Hurleson's 8
suggestion.
"If tho nation is to progress at the
maximum of speed it's wire systems
must annihilate distance and time In
the transmission OF thought by means
of electrical facilities for the trans
mission OF Intelligence from any per-
son in any place to every person in
every place.
"lf this is to be accomplished will,
the utmost effectiveness and with the
utmost economy there must be COM
bination into one system under one
management of every kind of electri
cal communication. There must be one
control and one plant, and the latter
must be utilized to the greatest pos
Sible extent.
1T is possible to raise only one OBJ
lection against. this idea; the plea
that such a combination would be u
monopoly destructive of competition.
As matter Of fact in this lies the
chief argument for the plan IL there
Is abundant control and stringent
regulation for the protection Of the
public.
'isear this in minds Effective reg
ulation and control cannot go hand
In hand with competition.
why? For various very simple
reasons. One of them is that really
effective regulation would not admit
Of profit on operation sufficient,
after division. to keep two companies
alive. Right service for the. public
precludes the possibility of such
profits. The competition at the pres
ent time existing, or under the old
system in existence. is and was not
real because 1t did not affect the
whole business of electrical trans
mission, but was confined to those
fields of electrical transmission
which were commercially profitable.
ANY system of communication
utilities truly and competently sery-
ing all sections of the United States
must be operated in some territories
at loss. These unprofitable Sec
tions are both contributory and de-
pendent, but that does not alter the
fact that the public there resident Is
entitled as much as any public is or
CO. :" ~ tho utilities Of necessity.
communication is prime neces-
sity v. IAoue,n life. Therefore II must
e unfair to residents of such sec
tions and detrimental to the public
veal If they are not reached and
competently served.
"Under our present regulation and
control exists more or less obliga-
tion to supply lean sections, yet il
- ec"tior becomes fat and desir-
able after having been lean and un-