New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-02-17
TELEPHONE EXTORTION.
WORK OF THE SUBSCRIBERS ASSOCIATION.
A GROWING DEMAND THAT THE RATES b.
BROUGHT WITHIN REAsON-sERv1CE IL
OTHER CITIES AND COUNTRIES.


OTHER CITIES AND COUNTRIES.
The Teleph,ne Subscribers Association. which has
begun such active warfare agair, the Metropolitan
Telephone and Telegraph Company with the intention
of making n strong effort to have the rates reduced
to q figure within rcafOn. Intends to prove 10 inc
Legislature that the telephone subscribers OF Ne"
are being imposed upon. The ASSOCIATION Is ee'A"e
a large amount Of facts and figures sh)whs '"'i
cnsvelv the exorbltant nature Of the charges ih'ue
by the telephone company. and also the chol'n'"
profits enjoyed by the corporation. James i"''V.,
C. e. Shsvne g. l.. P~,-e. Frank :. Gardner u'u
Others interested IN the movement against Ne "''P
DIV <,y that the figures they have hunted up ,ho"
that those who hold the telephone lh'ei'" '"N nav
already been rewarded most lavisily. "c"''' '"C'
say. for year, la, also flowed in nPoh i'le $40
holders OF the cOrp11tion 1Aci s"'"' ""
rcckoued BY the millions. g.
During the six years ending l7c1 inc nc' F'""'
Of the company according To MIR. ""rl''e' '7 -,
was more than 473 per cent and the h'' - oo,
six years on an original cash Investment VI ''''
were s.. 543.4ji 80. ,4
IF those were the profits in those DAYS "n''
must they be now - remarked MI "arune''
,eiepbone rates In 1887 were from 800 10 Fl7o'
When We ts,y $40 annually what Will they oe
The rates charged in some Of the Ot'F oi"eS III
thi, country are rs follows: Albany fio anu Wv
gsltimore. $50 and 500. Boston, $50 10 7i-0'
DrookIvn. $40 and 500: Chicago SEQ Cmcluh''''
500; Cleveland, So Philadelphia $40 r'''SO"'e'
as4 and 500: Washington, $50 and Sloo'
~ ,oI,ou,nr letter signed by the officers of the
sssooatiop has been sent out to many OF the Su'e'
ing subscribers and replies are coming III 'hc" anu
fast fl, ,
Tho Metropolitan Telephone COMPANY, a. 'S eO Uge
10 $40 per yesr' The old rate. 81 30. was exct-
sve as has been often shown cnarse ., uon the
investment The policy Of gradually rCmponR ul @e
being pursued by the BroVEHn 'I is phe limit
Subscribers may well ask: "WheT IS inc '"''
and what can be done to secure ehel .,.,o mr.
The answer Is; Unite TO secure 'es1 t tbo tec-
failing in that, then unite IN throwing out u 'o'
phone Both plans have succeeded elsewhere.
With the support of The subscribers s ' IN he coming
will make a determined eIofs ior 1e''e' ~ NV
Legislature. VIII you help! - .s,aon,
The following letter Is from J. H. Howard preS'ue"'
OF the Tropical American Telephone company =
CORPORATION which conducts telephone Ser'ioe III
South America II shows the feeling OF ''her
companies about the outrageous charges;
II SEQ that YOU are agitating the question OF a
reducon of telephone rates. and well you might ioi
I'm no other country the face OF Tie giooe Is '"0
public so imposed upon as in the 'h'eo ""'O'
The leading cities of South America nave oe''e
service at much less rates
Here is eomcthng that simon sternc had 10 say
about The imposition that Is being p'io"Scu
rnon the New York subscribers. After denouncng
the rates a. an outrage he said The charges III tno
European cities 10 subscribers ff teiepnohlc serNicc
are in Paris, about 800 a year; In LONDON sIoV !"
wear in the smaller cities OF EIsaHu' dpV"' ~
y-ar in the smaller cities OF Germany, about 90 Il
year in Spain. about SO year. Therefore every
where in Enrope Uhe telephone service Is much cheaper
and more efficient than in this country.
u conceae that very great boom has been con
ferTed mon the commercial and professional CLASSES Oi
the world BY perfecting the telephone pIactieal
Instrument. Bnt the injnry 10 the people II me
service we're generally discontinued. Will not be nearly
50 great as that which results ~ allowing the com
NAMES TO make excessive ClaigDs and impose them
selves As unrestricted gathcrcls on the community
d" Tie statement made ny the telephone ColhP"l
that mo- one j. compelled H. use he el prone ana iHa
i,cai,se We are willing to pay 80 lhuch Il h4"h'i'
r4pectivcly the service l. WOth more To lis man inc
amount We paw is wholly flllaclOu, IL may be worth
Wv much iee than mat t. ne N tvdual 'ui,cr err
Y no feels that a. his ne sn.Or with me Nl.phbc
service may thereby he pilrcI ~ re HlIoh To th'
rcec Ut If OrdeT the receipt OF intelligence III Il
nos ton OF advantage. lie must also subject MN eli To
the tax having sam: service performed lpr ,he
trncft OF his business but the question ~ whether II l.
North much he pays for II involves cal'u'.l
that neither he nor the telephone company can deter
lime" .,, -.
Two members of the association went 10 Afany las
evening and wiz what lie done there Tor tht
lcneni OF the lOug-,ullerng Subscribers.