The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1897-10-28

That during the year 1891, tt g
complaiuaut's income increased $G72,
O7S over the previous year, aud as
DE- fe ndants are Informed and believe
it has Increased 10 the same proper
ton from 1882 up to the present time.
SO that is prese NJ net profits X seed
ten million d1llars per year, which is
200 per cent upon the actual values
representing thu $97 600, 600 OF
.watered stock. Thar, as the de-
fendan's are informed and believe,
from the year 1867 to the present
time, the complainant has received
and distributed among the holders of
its watered stock over one hundred
aud fifty millions of dollars of profit.
These defendants aver, that in the
light Of these facts and figures, the
complainant is, and has always been
collecting exaort itaut and unreason-
able charges from the public, not
only in the State Of North Carolina,
but in every other State Of the Z MON,
and that If the charges should be re-
duced to ten cents message of ten
words, without reference to distance,
the complainant would still make a
fair and reasonable profit on the act
ual value of it's lines, or upon the
amount OF m oney II quired to replace
them.
defendants further allege, upon
inform atiou and belief, that by adopt
ing the lower rate prescribed by the
defendants, the said complainant,
instead Of stuff sring a loss, would
have an increase of business which
would accrue to them thereby, and
an increase of its profits.
THAT, as the defendants are in
formed and believe, in Great Bri
tan and Ireland the rate on tele-
graph ms ssages are uniform for all
distances, and are one cent per word;
IN Germany the rate is atru the
same, and in Austria is less. That
IN France and B gium the rate is
under ten cents for ten words be-
tween any tw, points; and yat, as
defendants allegc. tue telegraph sys-
tenn of these vari us countries have
been operated IT. handsom profit
That in Big um lid Switzeria II, a
reducti Of Oh alf in the rates,
produced dou~ 10 business in one
year, with very slight increase of IA
cilities; that in Canada a reduction
which applied to less than ten per
cent Of the business augmented it %
per cent in the first year; that in
Prussia in 1867, a reduction of 80
per cent in the rate was followed by
an increase in the very first month
after the change of seventy per cent.
in mess ages; that IN France, in 1862,
reduction of 36 per cent in the rate
was followed by an increase of GA
per cent in messages; that the Swiss
inland rate was reduced so per cent
on January 1st, 1873, and in the first
three months there was an increase
of 80 per cent in the inland mess
ages over the corresponding months
of the previous year. That in Eug-
land, reduction Of 33 per cent on
three-tenths of the messages, and SO
| per cent on the remainder caused an
increase of 100 per cent in the bust
| ness in two years.
The State is represented in this
| case by the Attorney General and by
Col. John w. Hinsdale, Edwards &
| Register, Charles A. Cook AID W. C
Douglass. Attorneys for the West
ern Union Company are John Dillon,
Rush Taggart, Stiles & Holiday and
Robert C. Strong.
The attorneys of the Western
Union now fear an investigation,
are ready to quash the whole pro-
ceedlngs and remove The case to the
Commissioners.