The evening times., 1898-12-14
Fighting THE GREAT
TELEPHONE OCTOPUS
Bill in New York Legislature
Against Rate Extortion.
SIMILAR TO DISTRICT LAW
Hope That the Trust Will Be Over
come.
SIMILAR TO DISTRICT LAW
New Competing Company Charsi ing
Less Than Hail Present Toll Soon
May He in Operation.

New York State is to make a fight
against the great telephone trust along
the IDENTICAL lines of tine law now in op-
Grafton in the District. A bill is to be
li..4OGucvu at the coming session of the
New York legislature compelling the Bell
Telephone Company to reduce its rates,
almost TO cut them in half
There is great hope that tie bill will
pass. heretofore aal legislation against
the trust has been stifled by the political
machines. to both OF which, as is well
known, the trust contributes largely in
the way of campaign funds, not to men
tion mere corrupt contributions to indi-
yiduals. The load of the constantly in
creasing telephone rates has become un-
bearabIe. however, and there is to be
most determined fight this year TO pass
the bill.
New York State and the city of New
York especially has suffered even heavier
rates than Washington did under the old
schedule The unlimited use of a tele-
phone in that city has cost $2i0 a year.
In smaller cities the charge has been
somewhat less but III an cases II has
been very high:
The profits that the trust has made
with these rates are almost beyond belief.
! -. --.s ,nIng e.se than trust and
monopoly protected by corrupt politicians
they would be beyond belief. The Ameri-
can Bcll monopoly has paid 16 and lS per
cert annually IN dividends for many
years and in order to keep the dividend
rate down to This figure the capital stock
of the company has been watered to over
sixty times it's original amount-from
$40. coo to $50 0t0. 900.
The board of trade and transportation
of New York is the originator of the bill
that is to be introduced at Albany. The
bill will be supported by business men
| associations all over the State The rate
now charged by the trust for the unre-
| s,ricted use OF an instrument, $40 an
! nua ,y. as above stated Is reduced by the
! bill TO $l25 in New York City and TO lesser
figures in towns having smaller number
! of inhabitants, the minimum rate being
81 Il year in towns Of 5000 population or
! less The rate for the use of the public
| pay telephones will be reduced also.
| IL is provided by the bi. that sort oil
board of mediation shall be appointed for
the State to look after the interests OF the
| telephone company and also of the clti-
zens. The duty of this board shall be to
| adjust telephone rates finally in the mosI
equitable manner for all parties, the basis
| of charges being 10 per cent proht fo'
the company on all money actually IN
vested.
Even this bill. however. is not all tha'
the eXtortion OF the telephone trust mas
brought on itself in the way of opp osition
The leading members of the board o
trade and transportation and others wh'
are beaInd the bill have organized a rIva
company. which, il is believed. will sooI
be in operation with tremendous cuttint
Of rates This company is known as th'
Peonle's Telephone Company, and II ma
already completed it's capital stock SUP
scription, s. O00,GO0