New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-15
tors who are trying to show their devotion by
recognizing the republic may well take his ad'
vice and refrain.
CHEAPER TELEPHONES NEEDED.

The annual meeting Of the Bell Telephone
Company was held In Boston recently, ana IN
his address the president declared that the out
NIT of telephones and the increase IN the num-
Der of exchange subscribers was unprecedcnt-
cd In the business He added that the gains in
the nav stations In the las. two years were
equal TO the aggregate gains OF the six proceed
ing years The figures OF tho annual report
showed n condition Of marvellous prosperity.
The total income for the year was s., O,Si4,
while the total income in 1896 was S4,32I ,324.
An extremely large proportion Of tic income
was clear profit. for the annual report stntes
that the net income in 1897 was $4,169,674, and
that dividends were paid for 1897 amounting
to s3.6s2,04S The balancesheet on December
81. 1891. showed total assets Of SGO.II9.S41. 1t
also showed n reserve Of $4.025,62S. in addition
10 the surplus Of S2.59O521.
1t is evident from these statements and these
figures that the Bell Telephone Company has
been one of the most gaInfu corporations ever
organized in this country. Its proportion or
clear profits to expenditures has been exceeding
~ impressive. When the telephone subscribers
in New-York reflect upon these figures they
cannot fail TO he unhappy, because they are
still required to pay such large sums for tele-
phone service. Not only arc the rentalS OF
telephones in this city plainly excessive In pro-
portion TO the genuine merits Of the service
given. but when my telephone subscriber In
the Borough of Manhattan wishes TO talk TO
subscriber In the Borough Of Brooklyn. In the
Borough Of Richmond or to n subscriber In any
part of our suburbs, including Jersey City and
other New-.Iersey places, an extra charge Is I'm
posed. People who are familiar with the actual
amounts paid for telephone service In the Bor-
ough of Manhattan must feel that they are
paying too much for what they get 1t Is not
intended 10 intimate that the profits Of the COM
pany which owns the telephones in this bor-
Ough. or OF the companies which control the
telephone service In the vicinity Of this bor-
ough. are anything like so huge as the vast
profits of the Bell Telephone Company itself.
When the users OF the telephone all over the
United States study the figures of the annual
report of the Bell company. and when they
inform themselve; as 10 the low rates for tele-
phone service In England and on the Cont
nent Of Europe, il will not be surprising II
they become impatient md restless because
Americans are required TO pay so much more
in proportion for telephone communications
than subscribers are compelled TO pay in Eng
land and on the Continent. The reduction Of
telephone charges has been fought Mt Albany
and other State capitals with conspicuous abll-
ty. ingenuity and stubhornncss. The unhappy
subscribers OF the Borough Of Manhattan are
not likely 10 get service at reasonable rates I'M
I'll an agitation has been entered upon active
and so energetic TINT the Legislature will not
venture TO refuse a reduction
II would be n gracious and generous act II the
men In control of the corporations which own
the telephones In this State and In other States
would recognize the obvious fact that they have
already made splendid profits out OF the tele-
phone monopoly. and that II Is time for them 70
be- more liberal and benevolent In their treatment
OF telephone subscribers and Of the American
people generally. Since the telephone first came
into the cost OK travel In our cities and our
communities genernlly has been much dlmn
ished. Consider tho system Of transfers on
many surface lines IN all the boroughs OF this
city and In many other cities. and Il cannot
be denied that In most Of the important cities
towns and villages Of the country people now
have ample opportunities for riding many miles
in cable cars In electric cars for low rates Of
fare The tendency hns been for years TO give the
public larger returns FOR moderate expenditure
in many matters Many kinds OF clothing and
many kinds OF food can be bought much more
chcaply than few years ago. The charges for
telegraph messages have been cut down n great
deal since the telephone was invented. Officers
OF the locnl telephone company insist that their
system supplies SO many calls for the money
paid that they are not making Objectionable
profits. But when the annual report of the Bell
company sets forth the prodlglous gains Of that
corporation the telephone subscribers IN the
Borough Of Manhattan cannot be convinced that
the local telephone company Is earning only
fair and equitable profits on the amount of
capital actually and honestly invested. New
Workers are paying too much for telephone ser
vice, and tho next Legislature should cut the
rates sharply.