The morning call., 1893-03-16

THE BELL TELEPHONE.

A popular deusiOn has prevailed that
after the expiration of the patent Of the
Bell telephone a reduction would be made
10 the cost of using that instrument The
patent expired on March Z, but no one has
paid any less for talking over the wires
since that day than he did before. The
reason is simple. The Bell system depends
on three patents. One of these. the patent
for the Bell receiver, is dead; but another,
of equal Importance, lives till next year;
and the patent for the BeTliner micrOphoue
will not die till 1905 The Berliner inven-
tiou was purchased by the Bell Company in
1878. But in order to prolong its monopoly
the company did not think it worth while to
take out patent for it so long as the ground
was covered by the original telephone
patent, and application was deferred till
1891. The patent was issued as of that date
and unless set aside will remain in force for
seventeen years from the date Of its issue.
The chance of cheap telephone communi-
cation thus depends on the result of the suit
which the Government has brought to set
aside the Berliner patent. Past experience
proves that such suits are rarely successful
In 1886 a suit was brought against the Bell
patent. which was pending till the other
day. or course with the expiration of the
patent the suit falls to the ground. Two
other suits brought 10 the following year
against the same patent were dismissed on
demurrer. Companies as wealthy as the
Bell Telephone Company can afford to re-
tain the highest legal ability. and the Gov
ernment lawyers, who are chosen for their
political services, have no show against
them. Ii may also be taken for granted
that where such enormous sums of money
are at stake the utmost care will be taken
to secure impregnable patents. Companies
with incomes of a million and over take no
chances; they are always ready to stand
FIRE.
Sixteen years only have elapsed since
Professor Bell of Massachusetts, effected
such Improvements in the discoveries Of
Gray of Chicago and Lacour of Copenhagen
that be was able to patent the speaking
telephone. 1t is an invention Of yesterday,
yet it has already revolutionized the science
of electrical communi nication. What it may
do In the future remains TO be seen. 1t has
been demonstrated that there is no limit of
space 10 the extension of the power of the
human voice. Tor if we can talk across a
thousand miles, as we are now doing, we
can talk across ten thousand when certain
technical obstacles of detail are overcome.
Much remains to be done TO improve the
working Of the short distance telephone.
At the present time it is as often an aggra-
vatiOn as a convenience. In many cases 1t
requires liberal education 10 talk over the
telephone so as to be understood. But
these minor defects are all susceptible OF
cure.
What profits the inventors of the tele-
rhone have realized no one knows, beyond
the rough fact that they have accumulated
fortunes which are reckoued in the mil.
lions. Several years ago the leading CON-
panies confessed 10 stock and bond ac-
count which exceeded $75, OO000O most OF
which represented royalties aud profit
capitalized. 1t is quite likely that by this
time the companies have taken a hundred
millions out of the public IS returns for
their invention. No one will grudge them
fortunes for their valuable contribution to
civilization, But many people think the
time has now come when a reduction in the
cost of telephone service would be fair TO
the public, and not unfair 10 the companies
which render the service. 1t would seem
that the charge for placing telephones in
houses might be reduced or abolished alto
gether-the monthly charge for the use Of
the instrument being large enough to repay
the mpanies handsomely. 1t IS evident
that the dwelling houses Of the future will
be fitted up with telephone wires as in-
varisbly as they are supplied with water
and gas. a house without telephone will
not easily rent. Such a modern improve
ment would OF course add largely to the re-
ceipts of the companies. But its introdue-
tion is DELAYED by the rapacity of the
corporations which insist on taxing people
for the right OF bringing grist to their mill.
The lower the charges of public purveyors
the larger their incomes and the fatter their
profits. But it generally takes time to
teach them this simple lesson in political