The evening times., 1899-01-27
STRONG LOBBY AGAINST
CHEAPER TELEPHONES
coMpANY's ENORMOUS FUND
Statement That $1,OOO,OOO Year
Is Spent in Preventing "Ad-
yersev Legislation.

Albany, N. Y, Jan. 27.-Never before
has the telephone lobby worked so hard
as 1t has during the last week to provide
for the defeat of the telephone rate reduc-
tion bill for New York which has been in
troduced in-the assembly by DIR. Henry
and will be introduced in the senate by
Mr.. Marshall. of Brooklyn. All so. IS OF
arguments are being used. but the one
most in favor is underground. Tele-
phone experts in Boston estimate that the
American Bell Company spends 81 900 600
each year to defeat legislation designed
TO compel it to furnish service at a rea-
sonable rate OF course, some of this
money has already been expended this
year in New York in the way of campaign
contributions There has been no denial
of the oit-repeated assertion that the
company gave each State committee $780,
coo last fall.
Senator Marshall in speaking Of the
telephone situation yesterday, said: we
will do our best this year to pass good
bill. But the trouble is that neither CT the
political parties will give the s ighte=t
help. They seem to be in favor OF the
present rates, although there is great
ground for the complaints that the
charges are excessive"
petition is bound to regulate telephone
rates. This is a very catching argument
for those who want an excuse TO obey the
party mandate and refuse TO help remedial
legislation. 1t may be heard all over the
capitol. These members are not conyerSant
with recent facts regarding competition in
the West In several Western cities tele-
phone companies independent OF the Bell
have been organized. and have knocked
| the business OF the Bell monopoly all to
| pieces. 1t has made the stock of the
Western Central Telephone Company, an
auxiliary of the Bell, almost worthless.
Recently the Bell monopoly started out to
buy these companies. II claims to have
| bought some. Others refuse to sell; but
the mere fact that the Bell was after these
companies was sufficient TO send the stock
of the American Bell in Boston from s275
10 1913 a share.
The fact that the Bell monopoly intends
to fight opposition by buying it out and
continue extortion so long as possible in
order to pay Is per cent dividends has
greatly lessened the argument that compe
tition regulates the price OF telephones
Consistency has never been trait of
the telephone lobby. and i'm short time
the men who are saying this will un-
doubtedly be heard saying that the teIe-
/ phone company now being organized in
New York is being put in operation in
order TO sell out TO the Bell.
Nothing apparently could be further
from the thoughts OF the men who are in
this new company, and who have been
working in season and out OF season to
force lower telephone rates. The same
men who are seeking 10 have rates forced
lower by law are the men who are seeking
to force them down by giving New York
city a competing system through the Peo-
pies Telephone Company The telephone
monopoly fights with so many different
weapons and in so many questionable ways
that its opponents feel no hesitation in
fighting back in New York city and AL
baDy at the same time and on different
lines.
In order to prevent its lobby making the
claim that the new company is being or
ganiZed for the purposes of blackmaiI its
promoters now have Simon Stern at work
drawing a bill which makes it a misde-
meanor for competing lines to consolidate.
This bill will be introduced at an early
day. and the new company will ask that
( it be passed the same time a lower rate
| telephone bill is passed.