Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-01-16
VAIL DISCUSSES BILL
ON WIRE PROBLEMS
Sees Chance for Benefit
Through Combined
System

letter of Theodore y. Vail, Of the
American Telephone and telegraph
Company, written IN response to a re-
quest OF John A. Moon, chairman of
the Committee on Postoffices and Post
Roads, House OF Representatives, was
today made public. Mr.. Wallis letter is
plea for the unifcation and proper
control and regulation of utilities, par
ticularly the wire system, and a plea
for worldwide cable system centerinr
In and controlled in the United States
az an essential to the extension OF
American commerce. Here are two
things in which the public is interested:
A wire system that will give them all
the service at the best rates possible and
one that can maintain standard service,
and the extension of American COM
merce.
The letter refers to House Bill ass.
II is not Mr.. Wallis understanding that
this bill is Government ownership and
operating measure, but rather that Ii
has definite purpose TO allow sufficient
time TO prepare and present to Congress
specific proposition for the reorganiza-
ton which will work for the efficiency
and economy OF the international and
International wire systems operated
and controlled from the United States.
He does not think n thoroughly con-
sidercd. well thought out solution can
be prepared under pressure or in
the present short session Of Congress,
ana says II is recognized that in the,
interest of the public the utilities should
not be returned TO the owners without
some correction OF the existing deficien-
| cies In regulation and control: hence
1t would seem highly desirable for the
| country and for the proprietors that
time should be given for such a solution.
In short, Mr.. Wallis plea is a strong ar
gument against the immediate return
| or the utilities without any remedial
| legislation to cure the evils which now
exist in the multiplicity of uncorrelated,
irresponsible. complex, contradictory and
overlapping forms of control or regula-
I ton.
Mr.. Vail says. There is without doubt
, an oppotunity for a great piece of bene-
| nClal and constructive work by combin-
| ing and co-ordnating all the various
existing utility services or those that are
Complementary and supplementary into
one or more well-balanced systems. the
| extent of which should be determined
by the nature Of the service, by the ex-
tent or the service rendered and by COM
mercial geographic and economic rea-
sons, and by combining in direct man
ner and as far as possible divorced from
political or partisan or class influence,
the requisite power and authority of
the Federal Government expressed in a
! mandate to equlibrate revenue oper-
ating costs and capital charges, with an
operating organization, adapted TO the
requirements of the service. and based
on the methods which experience enter
prise and operation in the industrial
world have shown to he effective, eff.
cient and economical"
In order TO prove his points, Mr.. Vail
treats in a thorough manner the whole
art of the electrical transmission of in
tclligence, and by describing the history
methods, development and achievements
; Of the art makes an unansw cradle argu-
ment for n universal system of the
greatest benefit to the public and We,
properly regulated and controlled from
n single federated source. He says this
wire system of the future will be one
nationwide system under single contro
by or over which direct communication
can be established between any tive
, places for the electrical transmission ci
any communication or of the spolSe,
word. and every individual place will bt
the center of the system for transmits
sion in any direction to the limit ct
transmission.