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Show MACKAY OPPOSES SEC. BURLESON New York. Dec. 18. Clarence H. Mac kay, president of the Postal Telegraph Tele-graph & Cable company, todaj Is sued sweeping condemnation of Post master Genoral Burleson's plan for government ownership of telephones ano telegraphs. Theodore N, Vail, president of the American Telephone & Telegraph company, has likewise taken a public stand against the postmaster general's gen-eral's plan. Mr. Mackay's statement, which was called forth by a request for his views on the postmaster generals plan, follows: "The postmaster general is mistaken mistak-en In his Idea that telephone companies compa-nies are subject to the postroad act of congress of 1866. The supreme court of the United States, In the Richmond case (174 U. S., 761), held that they are not Not Monopolistic. "In denominating the telegraph bUBlness as being 'monopolistic in its nature" he is also mistaken. If there ever has been more continuous, l;cen and even bitter competition than that between Dim Postal aud the W estern Union I would be pleased to Know when and where. ' The money question, however, Is the main question; $900,000,000 would not be a look-in The Bell Telephone companies alone would demand more :hnn that Then there are the thousands thou-sands of independent telephone companies com-panies and farmers' lines scattered all over the country. The entire bill including telegraph lines, would be about S2, 000. Oiiu. (iuO, which Is about two-thirds of the national debt at the close of the civil war, when many intelligent men despaired of :'ro solvency of the republic." |