The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-07-31
AMONG THE ROCKS.
A Partial Removal of
the Heaviest
Tax
Upon American Commerce.
breaking OF a Great Trust-The
Flies Too Many for the spider
Mismanagement.

Whether or not telephone exchange
conducted in opposition to the Anne
lean Bell company are, or can be mad
a profitable Investment for capital, ha
!, for long time since received the Garrett
attention OF some OF the most acnt
minds upon the American continent. Th
excessive profits which the original pre-
jectors of the American Bell telephon
company have received during the pas
eighteen years, and the immense fortune
which many of them have accommodates
upon a slender investment of capital
have led observant people to believe thai
telephone stock is more profitable posses
sion than shares in gold mine, no mat
ter how rich. Until recently the law has
protected the Bell people in the enjoy
ment OF their rich privileges, but as the
time covered by their patents neared
completion, they used every means to
perpetuate. or at least extend, a fran
chise more valuable to them than free
coinage to the owners OF Colorado sill
yer mice. The most ingenius attorneys
in the union were retained to aid in the
preservation OF this gigantic monopoly,
and the patent Office at Washington
| worked to cover the telephone privileges
with an impenetrable cloud of legal tech
nicalties. When the original patents ex-
pired and business men sought to relieve
themselves OF burden which like a night
mare threatened to smother them, by
the establishment of opposition ex-
changes, the Bell company practically
conceded the falsity of their contention
that the telephone tax was reasonable,
by dropping the rates in some cases one
half, in many three-quarters, and in
Others even nine-tenths, OF the original
charge. This proves conclusively that
either the Bell telephone company has
been exacting grossly exhorbtant rate,
or that its management considers il a
profitable investment to squander mil
lions IN crushing opposition, or both.
A glance at any issue of the Electrical
World is sufficient to convince an un-
biased mind that there is money and |
plenty OF it to be made in the construc- |
ton and operation of opposition ex-
changes. Every number contains a list |
OF from ten to twenty-five new exchanges
started during the previous month and
the end is not yet. When it Is considered
that this is a year of tightness in the
money market and that capital is very
chary about coming out from it's safe re-
treats, it may be safely concluded that
men who have demonstrated their bust
hess sagacity by the accumulation OF
wealth have unbounded confidence in the
earning capacity of telephone stock, even
n opposition companies. Coming TO de-
ails we note by the June % number
,f the Electrical World that the Great |
Falls and Lewiston telephone company
lave paid dividend of ! 6 per cent upon
he capital stock. Every issue Of that
ournal contains similar information.
In the city OF Alpena, Mich, the Michi-
AN telephone company (BelD had 127 :
ubscribers when the opposition exchange I
tarted eleven months ago. They now 9
ave only sixty patrons, although they /
ave reduced their rates from S4S office i
nd $50 residence to So and So. The A
opposition have prosperous exchange t
nth 275 subscribers. A letter received i
-om the manager says: "The exchange 5
doing nicely and run upon profitable c
asis.'
Prosperous opposition exchanges are n
operation in Norwalk, Massillon and
andusky, the SandusSy exchange pay n
X 20 per cent upon its capital stock, n
he Others little less. The president OF q
be Telephone Construction Co., saws. n
he exhorbitant charges OF the Bell COM d
any had madeit DINO value to merchants V
ofar as residence patronage is concerned II
Re began service with about 40. and
ithout efforts reached our present num- cI
er oil 235. The Bell service is entirely v
ee, Tor MIR. NJ. j. Carney, general super if
tendent OF the Central Union Telephone a
D., OF Chicago, (BelD, came here and
18th other dignitaries personally can | T
issed the city, attempting to get the "
st place 81 per month afterwards 80 | W
nts Tor the use OF the phones. They f
ere unsuccessful, as our citizens favored b.
lti-monopoly, so that the Bell company m
DIVIDED about 400 telephones on our OF
'ople Tree, so that people OF the most or W
nary association are now coupled up al
tn their service for the sake of break n,
z down, il possible, our organization. 70
lich has longtime contracts with its IL
Itrons. This course, as you will see, is q,
It competition, but is species of bri- OF
ry, az that is the English name that n,
'uld be given if approaching council. a,
IN or any man Of influence. IL is some tb
ing for nothing with consideration III
the end OF it. N
In Grand Rapids, Mich, new ex- M
ange has been started. A letter from fr
manager states: Eve started with
700 subscribers, 90 per cent of which
three-yearcontracts. Wecommenced III
erations July 1, and are now connect tr
from twenty-five to sixty instru- ge
'nts every day. The old Bell company TO
ginally charged $40 and $50. In Gu
'ril, 1895, when we got our franchise, w