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Show Notice to The Public To tho Members ol the Senato aal i Houm of Representatives: 0 saldalfibt July 31, 1019, under ibfl Authority ot Congress for war ftUKae, the president took suporvl-Bias suporvl-Bias possesion, control and operation opera-tion ot tho telephone systems ot tho country and has since operated them Tho war has practically ceased. Th.i public press Is strongly demanding, t'o general public and the owners i of the. telophono properties are urg-1 . ing that thoy be -returned as speo-l- ', lly as possible, that formor cond'.-' -fi tlons may bo rotsored and more sit-' y! isfnetory aervlco bo nffordod. TUo s ' piesldent and tho postmaster general havo unnounced thut this will do , done as soon as adequate arrange-' - nionts be provided for receiving and v advantageously operating them. It j , remains only for congress to enact ' such legislation as speedily a'a pos- '' The expenses -of itioso Bysten.i j havo largely increased during th '' past year, for wages alono at tho ik4 "to ot moro than $20,000,000 per f o- annum. This was inovltablo and no- V ceesary by reason of larger propor- , tonal Increases by the railroads and Industries of tho country. Tho ror- tauos axe inadequate to caro tor sveh increases and tho deficit of tho ff government oa that account to date it large and steadily increasing. Th-Postmaster Th-Postmaster general ordered that steps bo taken to secure adequate revenues but contntlons with the rt eulatory authorities of the state:, not yet settled, have prevented such adjustments. If such conditions continue necessarily ne-cessarily the credit ot tho operating cunpanlos will bo impaired, prp.-: expenses cannot be mot, tho best op-citing op-citing forcos cannot bo retailed, needed extensions and satisfactory serv.'co cannot bo provided. A deterioration de-terioration will ensue which In soirn lof r.ll ties may threaten a recurrence to public owncishlp, oporatlon , la order to care, qven Inadequately f ( r lMlilic needs. By prompt ac'.nu Congros can prevent this contingi.i cy. Just and speedy settlements s'lOit'.rf oe mado for nil properties taken tin-t'er tin-t'er Uio existing law, thut sucli n' nixes now In the possession of 'he government may bo lcstorcd to .15 s'et In tho upbuilding and cxtonM.in of tho various systems for p.M.ur P bile use. Tho conditions and '., ulatton of oporatlon should be clnr-ly clnr-ly defined so as to permit tho cum-Pi.nlea cum-Pi.nlea to reestablish nnd maincvu 1 satisfactory scrvlco with renion-1 renion-1 Mi: rates without discrimination nnd procuro tho benefits or legltini-aie legltini-aie competition. Tho principal f.p-o f.p-o ntlng companies of tho United States are vitally interested In coot co-ot eratlng with congress and th cf- I f'cinlB ot tho government to ace mi: plish tlieso results. THEO N. VA, President American Telephone Tele-phone & Telegraph Co. Q. W. ROBINSON. President U. S. IirJc-pendent IirJc-pendent Telophono Amu. m n |
