Evening journal., 1897-02-25
4 TELEPHONE WAR.
Senator J. M. c. Moore Fight
ing Against Monopoly in Sussex.
RECOGNIzANCE BILL PASSED

THE BOILER BILL KILLED
SPEAKER RIGGIN INTRODUCED A
CRUEL BILL-OTHER MEASURES
BEFORE THE GENERAL ASSEM-
BLY,.
stan Correspondence Evening Journal
DOVER Feb. Ex-senator John NJ.
c. Moore is a quiet and undemons;ra-
tiveinan. He seldom interferes with the
business of anybody else unless some
body else interferca with matters
which concern him. and when that time
comes somebody else is likely to get
hurt, for he goes at thing in a plain
and straightforward way which is most
convincing to his colleagues in the SEN
ate
Two years ago tho General Assembly
chartered the Laurel Bethel and Sharp
town Telephone Company, a short line
connecting those three towns down the
! Peninsula, and Senators John NJ. G..
Moore and w. Il. Moore became the
principal stockholders and promoters
Of the little hello enterprise.
Some months ago a number OF Dover
| fnanciers formed themselves into a cor
poration by the name of the Diamond
| State Telephone Company. They aid not
wait TO get a charter, but bucl1led down
to work. and arc at present supplying a
telephone service to Dover and one or
TWO contiguous points
Shortly after the General Assembly
met. General Kenney had a bill intro
duced in The Senate Incorporating this
company and extending its operations
to any part of Kent and Sussex coun-
ties. Senator Moore considered this a
menace to his little line and frankly
stated so, but stated that he was will
ing to merge the Sussex county COM
pany and the Dover company if the
midland county men would agree TO It,
He was given to understand that they
would 90 so, and did not insist on the
amendment ccniining the operations
Of the company to the field afforded by
Kent.
Yesterday morning John ID. Hawkins.
attorney for the men back of the Dia-
mond State enterprise. waited on
Chairman Meredith, of the Senate Com
mittee on Private Corporations, and
told him he wanted him to report the
bill, no matter what might be the re-
suit Mr. Meredith followed instruc-
tions. AS soon as the reading Of the
Dill was completed Senator Moore took
the floor and said:
This is bill to which I am opposed
unless it is amended by striking out
Sussex county. When that bin first
came here that company knew that we
were opposed to IT, Senator kenney
/ came here right in this building. him
self and ! proposed to make a compro-
mise OF the matter by merging the two
| companies and we came 10 terms by
verbal agreement. He has been promis-
/ ing TO abide by that agreement all the
way along Yesterday / proposed to
| Mr. Hawkins TO draw up an obligation
setting forth that they would do just
what they had agreed to DO, which was
that they were to take our stock and
ssue their certificates to us for like
amount. we to charge nothing but the
cost of the construction and equipment
Of our line. but they would not do it
and came in this morning and asked
Senator Meredith to either pass or kill
.he bill. That is the way they have
worked. Senator Moore is home sick.
and he is one of the principal stock
holders in our company. We agreed to
abide by everything they agreed to. and
when it came TO the push they would
themselves to anything
1T seems to me that there should be
some honor even among monopolies
and monopolists." said Senator Pyle
These incorpOrators have seen their
way clear to betray the company in
Sussex so far as was in their power.
and they must live up 20 their agree
mCnt as far as l am concerned. or that
Dill will be turned down. They have
J made a verbal agreement with a small
company in Sussex county, and now
when it comes to the point they decline
TO carry out its provisions. Consequent
y they have betrayed the people OF
Sussex county to that extent. Now il
hey secure this charter they will be in
4 position to dictate terms to these peO-
pie and freeze them out Of existence.
1t is on a par with the principle Of all
monOpOlies to crowd everything and
everybody to the wall in this country.
People should have some regard and re-
spect for their obligations, / don't care
who they are or where they are from.
1t is time to put a stop TO such things
or there will be nothing left for honest
people"
III the honorable senator from sus-
sex county says that his colleague is in
teresled, and that he is not here, we
know. / think. that due courtesy de-
mands that action be postponed until
he is in his seat, especially as the bill
comes in conflict with the county and
him. Therefore / move to postpone for
the present further consideration of it,
said Senator Handy.
'As / understand them they have or
dered the chairman 10 report the bill
and either kill or pass IL, and am per-
fectly willing that it come up for final
consideration this morning" said Sem
ator Moore who was ready to be in at
the death.
The other senator's, with the exccp-
tion Of Senator Alrichs, thought I'll
would be better to rccommit the bill.
and that was the disposition made Of it,
AMENDMENTS FOR QUEEN ANNE.
Without an opposing vote the House
passed the House bill to amend the
charter of the Queen Anne RAILROAD
Company. IL gives the company power