The San Francisco call., 1898-08-09

Perhaps the shade of the lamented
 "Soapy' Smith has not assumed the di- rection of the Telephone Company. Yet were "Soapy' in the flesh and at the head of the concern he probably would lend to it's present tactics his warmest approval. The Telephone Company is running a quiet confidence layout, the tenderfoot being the chosen victim. Of course the war tax is at the bottom of 1t, for nothing but a war tax in spires a corporation to such thrifty trickery.
 To go back few days, the Telephone Company announced with great eclat that it would pay it's share of the bur den imposed. It did this with a strange air of saying: Look at us. Aren't we virtuous and patriotic?" People looked, but espied neither virtue nor patriot ism, because the fact leaked out just in time to spoil the play that the tele- phone crowd had not made the conces- sion until the fact had become ap- parent that there was no escape. They had to come down and thought it wise to toot a horn as they came. But there has been some thinking done and a new way to beat the intent of the law by beating the patron has been devised. This Is about the style of it:
 When a person who is a regular GUS toner sends a message to an out-Of- town point nothing is said about the necessary revenue stamp, nor is the regular rate raised. But let a stranger, a transient, come in, and ne is charged or 10 cents more than the regular rate. He doesn't know the difference, unconsciously makes good the tax on his own message and that upon the message of the man who was too foxy to be taken in, besides leaving neat balance for the corporation It is great scheme and is understood to have the hearty indorsement of President Sabin and a majority of the directors. At least they have not been observed in any endeavor to put a stop to it.
 But while the telephone concern has been making hay the Wells-Fargo out fit has been equally shrewd. From the first President Valentine has considered the war tax a punishment great than he could bear. What! Contribute to- ward sharing the burden of war. Oh, dear, no. The thought was actually re- pellant. So he gave out the informa- tion that the stamp which the Govern ment intended Wells-Fargo to pay for must be paid for by the patron, where at the patron, having troubles of his own, made ado which caused Valentine pain and seemed to him unreasonable. Now Wells-Fargo has also gone into the bunko business on scale as dig nified and deliberate as the telephone scheme. Here it is:
 A man goes into the express office with a package which he desires sent away The clerk receives 1t, but re- marks affably: "The revenue stamp will cost you a cent
 "Not on your life,'' responds the man. not having been born yesterday. The company must put the ctamp on-"
 Then the clerk sizes him up, and II he is a well-knoWn citizen whose good will is worth cultivating, responds with the air of a martyr: Well, rather than have any trouble with you, I'll put on the stamp myself, but the cost comes out of my own pocket"
 "Ratsi" Cor something equivalenD re- torts the man, and goes his way, know ing the package will be duly forward ed, and that the clerk, who may be very decent fellow, won't be out cent.
 If the shipment comes from busl- ness house the programme is the same, except that the clerk says he will SUD- ply the stamps, and send around bill for them The interesting part of the transaction will be when there is an at tempt to collect such bill, provided the bluff go so far.
 Now the question is as to which of these wealthy corporations is running the more effective skin game.