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Show SAYS CHARGES WOULD BE SURE TO GOME DOWN Postmaster Genoral Hitchcock Wdl Recommend the Acquisition of Telegraph Lines by Government-Calls Government-Calls attention to Other Nations.. Washington. Jan. II. Tho .in noiincmont of Postmaster General Hitchcock regarding government ownership own-ership ot telegraph lines today seemed seem-ed greatly to ngitate official Washington. Wash-ington. Tho White house apparently was nnxlous especially to discover 'the whereabouts ot tho postmnster general and efforts were mndo to recall re-call tho announcement. It hnd been mado broadcast, however, nnd tho telegraph tel-egraph wires wero buzzing with the news. Mr. Nltchcock who had been In New York, returned late In the evening. He went at onco to his apartments nnd refused to see any one. Washington, Jnu. 1 !. Acquisition of thoVt-legrnph lines of tho United States l tho government and their oporation iib a part of tho postal service ser-vice will bo recommended to congr-soon congr-soon by Postmaster Gonerm '!' cock. For a year or moro Mr. Hitchcock has had this recommendation under consideration. After a thorough study of the operation of government controlled con-trolled lines und post telegraph s.vs-tenia s.vs-tenia ot foreign countries, ho has de-elded de-elded to inge the matter upon con grehs. "Should this lecouimeiidatloli be adopted," Mr. Hitchcock said tonight In a statement of his intentions, "I am convinced it would result In important i economics und In materially low or j telegraph rales than now mo exact ed. In approximately fifty countries of the world notably In Great Diit-ain, Diit-ain, France, Germany, Austria. Italy, Spain, Russia and Japan, government (otitrolled teloginpbs now aie In profitable prof-itable operations. "In many of the countries they mo I operated In connection with tho postal post-al bervicc." Claims Great Benefit. "These telegraphs servo an avur- ago population of 950,000,000 nnd In every Instanco thoy havo been found to be of Immense practical benefit to , tho pcoplo in both promptitude and i cost of sorvlco. "In this county postofflccs are maintained main-tained in numerous places nnd reach-l reach-l ed by telegraph systems, and tho pro-Continued pro-Continued on Tage 4. SAYS CHARGES ARE SURE TO DOME DOWN' Continued fionl l'ilHl l posed consolldntPn, tbeieforev vvojuM afford u favorable opportunltj fbr the, wide extension of telegraph facilities In many small towns whoro the telo-graph telo-graph companies have offices, the telegraph and mall business could be handled readily by tho same employ eus. It Is evident that the separate maintenance of the two services under un-der present conditions results In n needless expense. "Tho first telegraph In tho United States was operated fiom 1814 to I8SI by tho government, under author-1 Ity from copgress, nnd from ninny viewpoints It Is desirable that govern nieut control bo resumed. A method for tho acquisition of telegraph lines Is prescribed lu section 2G of tho to-vised to-vised stututes, vslilch provides thnt for postal, military tr other purposes tho government may purtliuso tolegr.ipl lues opoiated In ll.c United Stn'.i , et on appraised v.-lue. ' My view Is tlm every reason for th tiunsmisslou ot mull uiiderRtV; eminent control can bo '"'JjjojyltU1 eqanl force for the trananiigslon w eo.-.iinunications by loIoKrhTffc'?'' " Charge.! Lower. IWuiisc of the nioie extensive .i ui'iintlou maintained by the po.s'ii Honico nnd tho freedom fronitaatlon it i other charge i to which piivon rjrpoinlloiis nre MihJ'ct, tho gov err .'.u-iit undoubtedly eoulil affoid gie t in- facilities at lower rates, than ar.j n' ii ded by companies i, i-.v t;oml ict ing the telegraph iu,lnoes,jfN -t tr. the Introduction of t. " hit jwrr'ela I i' fir which thtrt Is n siror.g pop II'" " 1..I1IK1, the -'-U'i-. mhi -f a g(" niicnt te-; phi, ssteni . tiflcih, ' i 'ii Judgment tuy best o)iiio'rtuiiiij for the piofltalile extcusloii of the iiiitlon's postal service." It Is not Mr. Hitchcock's put pose to i ('commend the inquisition of telephone tele-phone lines, except, posslbl). In Instances In-stances where thej aro operated ns telegraph llnob and aie an Integral pait of definite telegraph systems. Tho latest census figures available Indicate Hint about 100,000 'icrsons arc conneited with tho telegraph loin- peiiles of the United Stiiten. , The nppialRfd valuo of the sfhIq'iih proposed to bo acquired would bq pmely conjectural, hut It Is snld it would be approximately $20,000,000. i'h experts who figured on the 1 ti'potitlon are of tho opinion th.it the existing telegraph rates cm Id be i educed nt least onn'hiitl to 0o pub Ii- am vet make 'ho operation of the nn- l-olitnblo to tlu jovornmelll. |