The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-03-06
SOME INSIDE HISTORY.
A Knowing Gentleman Expresses an Opinion
Concerning the Telephone Legislation.

when the whole story comes out, as it one
day will" said a gentleman yesterday to the re-
porter, 'tof the influences that brought about the
telephone law passed by the last Legislature, the
revelation will be a scandalous one. Some OF it
lieved now, and is. in fact, common rumor. 1t
is notorious that letters were written to Mr..
Beach, of the telephone company, at Chicago,
proposing for a money consideration to block
the way so the telephone bill would
never be reached. There were a number
of legislative hands extended. palms p, and there
was much disappointment that nothing fell into
them. / am inclined to think the telephone
folks made a mistake, as S $500 or thereabouts,
friendly legislation.
''The injustice of the proposed bill was clearly
shown, and the best lawyers in the Legislature
did everything in their power to defeat it. 1t is
a singular circumstance that in the Senate the
man who took the most interest in pushing the
bill through did not have a telephone in his dis
trict There is no reflection on his honesty, but
this shows the character of some of the enemies
of the telephone.
One of the loudest lobbyists in favor of the
three-dollar law, as you remember, was a poul-
try dealer of this city. He had had some sort of
a squabble with a telephone line-man, aud went
in to get even. | am inclined to think his con-
nection with the bill went for very little, and his
assertion that he did anything toward influence
ing anybody in making the harmful law imposes
on no one."
Said another gentleman: 'It is useless to talk
about concessions from the Bell Telephone Com
panY-it will make none. The company here Is but
one of many scattered all over America. and but a
drop in the bucket when the telephone business
There is no way of working around the decision
of the Supreme Court. The Central Telephone
COMPANY had a fine service-there is none better
any where-and upon this splendid record the
provisions of the law are based. Anything
less than this service would be an evasion
of the law. There is, as see it, nothing for the
Central Telephone Company to do but to get up
and git There will be a howl of indignation
from business and professional men, telephone
patrons all along the line, and no end Of anath-
emas hurled at the fool Legislature. I believe
it would have been better for the company to
have made concessions, anything reasonable,
rather than have the present state OF things.
MIR. Beach, of Chicago, l understand is response
BILE. Didn't know the stuff of which some
Indiana statesmen are made. The cash invest
ment of the Central Telephone Company in its
plant in Indianapolis is 500. 900. When their
posts and wires come down the material can be
used with advantage in fencing-in the town.
Legislatures are doing some wild things.
There is a bill before the Ohio Legislature to
compel railroads to put a particular kind of safe
ty.gate at every road crossing on their lines.
The Panhandle company says this simple little
bill, If it passes, will cost that company alone
81, 600. 900. Some of the railroad people are sus-
picious enough to consider that bill a piece OF
black-mail, whereas it may be merely the stupid
iy of the average law-maker."