OCR Text |
Show t Declares Wartime Wire Experience Has Fully Demonstrated Government Govern-ment Ownership Plan. : Volume of Mail Carried During Year Makes a Record; . Big Surplus Over All Expenses. WASHIXUTOX, Dee. 5. Telephone and telegraph lines ot tho country, now under Kuverntnent control,' should become government gov-ernment owned at the conclusion ot peac and the expiration of the provisions of tho act under which the utilities are now controlled, Postmaster General Burleson Bur-leson declares in his annual report made public today. Tho war lias shown that government ownership of telephones and telegraphs "is not only sound, but practicable," prac-ticable," the postmaster general says, In repeating the recommendation which lie has made in pre iooa reports, b.ut which he makes for the first tin-.o as' head of tho govei nrticivt agency controlling the land communication lines. "The experiences as a result of the present war have fully demonstrated that the principle of government ownership of tlie telephones. and telegraphs is not oily sound, but practical," Mr. Burleson says. "It has been necessary as a war measure for congress to consider legislation .authorizing .au-thorizing the president to trol of tfie telegraph and telephone systems sys-tems of the country. While such control ia temporary, and will exist only until the ratification of the treaty of peace, yet the best results can be obtained only when these systems are owned by the government, made a part of the postal establishment, and operated solely with a view to serving the public and not making mak-ing profits or guaranteeing returns on the investment. Government ownership of the telegraphs and telephones should not longer be delayed, and the action of congress in this matter is urgently rec-ommeiido." rec-ommeiido." AIRPLANE USE FOR TRANSMITTING MAIL. Operations of the posioffice depart n.enl for the fiscal year ending hist June 30 resulted in a sin-plus of receipts over expenses ex-penses of S19.9.H.7D8, according to the report. re-port. Approximately $44,500,000 additional was paid over to the treasury from the increased postal" charges imposed for war revenue. Total revenues of the department depart-ment from all sources during the year are given as $.iS8.975.!m;2, against $329,72(5,-115 $329,72(5,-115 for the 1917 fiscal year. Total expenditures ex-penditures are reported ;it S3LM 833 7"S against $31.838,718 in 1917. Disregarding Disregard-ing the increased postal rates effective November 2 under the war lax bill, the actual increase in postal service business during the year is placed at 4.47 per cent, while expenditures increased 1.56 per cent. Mr. Burleson for the first time official-j official-j ly reports upon the use off airplanes for transmission of mail, and government -owned trucks for the operation of rural pa reels post routes, disclosing pl.i ns for wide extension of both facilities. He also n news his previously made recommendation recom-mendation that postmasters now ap-I ap-I pointed by the president should he selected se-lected under competitive civil service ex-! ex-! am in at ions, and that the four assist a nt j postmasters general and the purchasing agent should be likewise selected. I VOLUME OF MAIL j GREATER THAN EVER. The volume of mail carried during the j year was greater than ever before, says j the report, in commenting upon the su'r-i su'r-i plus earned, which it places at more than j double the trreat-st profit ever found hy j the department previously. War activifv in private business not alone grew, but thf. RoverniTif nt itself put a tremendous , burden of matter into the mails from ' I the now efforts whirh it built up. Postmasters Post-masters and postoffire facilities nliUe wre used for war service that ranged from the registration of aliens to the sale of thrift stamps and (rovern merit bonds. Among new facilities the report asks is an apprupria tion of J 1 ..SoO.i.fiO for the const riit't i n of a s 'tb way between j)P Hi-iind Central station in f- Vr.rk ar.di the l'cnn.- Iva nia Tei rnina 1 office re- Pcins the discard .mi system of p!H.u'- I niatic tubes, and devi.d to r-lifvn con- j eeslion. Authority is also asked for the' establishment of a guaran'y fund with- 1 in the depart mw.t. wi;h hich t.t t,,,,.,- i (:iLpio ees handling money ;n)(j Val- ; u.'J'lrs. ' This i1- advocated rHieve ' prt.n.i-;m charires. upj.-h are ,v Ir)e; re pert to be exee-iv.'. ;md also to ciim- , mate delay and rii f f iuull y. I c7)uz w;rh cuiipi.i mi ,,f fW.;;i-,0 .n ma-,1 for soldiers in l-"r:,n.-..-. both oefoje I a ; ,d a ft .-r the mail s(.,-vjr-e w.,s f;i ,-,.,, nvf r bv the army. Mr. iJurK-son's i'-p.,rt VJJ i th-.t mu.-h of ,t was due to :-,e handim I of ir. a i b ornwres m rnn.tar s-rvKw. j "Pel "aaps tiie mis .-(., jf, us of tj.w. ,c, l;ivs -.;-'. f.orn i;,,- atiitud.- j lary a r. hoi ; ' 't says. .,-). - .--i,ric.j : lion the wi)r-a:. ...ills -; mil aV-." ui!''t s" ! ni many .-.:- until t r.'-ir io, ;, t i,,n j 'Continued oii Page Two.) ' BURLESON ADVOCATES ' FEDERAL CONTROL i i ! (Continued From Pag8 One.) , been discovered by the enemy. There j was also a good deal of trouble in ob-i ob-i tainfng motor transport, and at one time the military authorities undertook to take i from the postal stations the small details j of enlisted men who were assisting in the 1 work on the ground that they were need-I need-I ed for purely military service." Tn the United Ktates. 123 branch post-offices post-offices were established at camps and cantonments to deliver mail to the troops. Censorship boards were established at nearly all ports of exit from the United States, in connection with military operations, op-erations, and Itioo employees were en- gaffed in censoring approximately 126,-000 126,-000 pieces of mall daily during most of the period covered by the report. A very wide extension of the aerial mail service has been jilauned, the report indicates in-dicates and outlines are given for four routes, two of which extend outside the United States. "The trunk line and feeders decided upon for the aerial mail," the postmaster general says, after describing experimental experimen-tal operation between Washington, New York and Philadelphia, "under the present pres-ent program are; "1. New York to San Francisco, with feeders from (a) Chicago to St, Louis and Kansas City. (b) Chicago to St. Paul and Minneapolis, (c) Cleveland to Pittsburg. "2. Boston to Key West, with feeders from (a) Philadelphia to Pittsburg, (b) Washington to Cincinnati, (c) Atlanta to New Orleans. "o. Key West, via Havana, to Panama. Pan-ama. "4. Key West, via the West Indies, to South America. "The postofflce department only awaits the day when the aircraft production of this country can mora than supply the needs of our own army and those of our allies to make effective the program for aerial mall that 1 have directed to be put into operation as speedily as conditions con-ditions will permit," Mr. Burleson con-1 con-1 Linues. He points out that planes for I the overseas service decided ipon must be powerful, fitted with wireless, and of special construction, and declares that j the commercial advantage resulting from i the expected reduction in the time of 1 communication between South and Central Cen-tral America will justify the expense. Discussing the rural truck lines, and the expected acquirement by the department depart-ment of many hundreds of war trucks, the report says lhat the commercial and economic advantage of the service are evident, and its extension desirable. The transmission of food products from farms to urban centers is particularly facilitated facili-tated by the motorized parcels post lines. Due to enlistments and high wages in outside service, 9078 postal employees left government employment during" the year the report says, necessitating ex- ; tra efforts in training substitutes. OF the number leaving the service 4898 resigned re-signed for other employment, or 12.4 per cent of the entire force, but the report says that increased pay and overtime allowances made under new laws will guarantee the maintenance of an efficient force. j Postal savings bank deposits increased J 16, 5 16,803 during the year, raising the total of these deposits to $148,471,499. |