New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-05-31
THE TELEPHONE MONOPOLY.
RESTRICTING CHARGES IN MAssAcHUsETTs-A con-
FERENCE TO BE Held.
rpY TELEGRAPH To THE TRIBUNE


BosroN, May 3O.-The signing by Governor
Robinson OF the law which compels telephone companies
TO forego all discrimination between persons desiring to
use the telephone draws attention to the three points OF
attack from which this interest been menaced In the
State which has been deemed Its citadel Simultaneous
with this is unexpected movement which, Win the
other adverse influences will account for the weakening
OF stock values 1t Is bill which has boon reported In
the House of Representatives sharply restricting the
charges to be maie for telephone service The unex
pected feature In this that it comes as an apparent
breach of an understanding BY the members OF the Joint
Committee on Mercantile Affairs to the effect that no
such bill this should be reported owing the fact that
the same committee agreed refuse the American Bell
Telephone Company authority to increase Its captal
stock The House, however by vote OF To 90 set al
nsnght the compromise policy OF the committee ana
substtued the bill for It's adverse report This dill de-
olares that no telephone company in Massachusetts, shall
charge more than SO month for the use OF telephone
By recent investigation OF the committee u was dls
covered that the actual cost TO the company for the pro
dncton OF telephone outfit, which Includes simply the
transmitting aud receiving apparatus Is - AZ ana as
the company charges Sli year u more thah quauPeS
this outlay in single year.
The bill which has Just been signed by the Governor
practically prohibits the telephone company from carry
ing out The stipulation which the western Union lce-
graph COMPANY secured from a lg" -, Sth sit,nors
ana Ohio Telegraph Company All efforts OF the tele-
phone company 10 secure tue ihsettloh pi uhSo
specng this contract failed, anu Massachusetts JDheu
those OF the Western States which declared the tee-
phone corpora ion be common carrier ana not an IN
dependent monopoly.
atiye opposition Is that OF tue subordinate telephone
companies BIZ which the parent company mas Itself
assaed. In cities like NewYork and Boston, the charge
OF SI4 per annum set OF Instruments Is not found
oppressive by tue local companies owing to the extent
OF patronage But this Is not the case where the SUD
scrbpr pays 500 or $50 year. These companies
have the rental should he IN proportion To
the earnihg capacity OF the instruments IL Is III view OF
this and other problems that the Bell Telephone Com
many has invited all the tributary companies throughout
The country to send delegate each 10 conference TO
be held IN June s. Two general plans VIII he
the graduation OF rent charges and the yield
ing for a time % the locn companies the amount OF
dividends which the parent company becomes entitled
s owner OF from 35 60 per cent or their stock The
subject s arosing keen interest In the stock market
today American Bell Telephone opened at $50. DE
cline of 4io and steadily down to 49, when an mp
ward reaction set In which carried the price nP 70 ~,
All these made total sales OF zoo sares
New-En gland Telephone declined Ia TO 3Ol2 Mexican
TelephOle sold at llaa316.