New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-03-23
TELEPHONE BILLS KILLED.
SENATE DEFEATS MEASURES TO RE
DUCE RATES.
BOTH DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS hh
spoNsIBLE-BEATEN BY LARGE
vnrE-rHE DEBATE.

Albany March % (spocaD.-The Senate kh''u
to-day the only bills lowering telephone un'Ie.
those OF Senator Marshall and OF senator N"e"N'
which had any prospect OF RECEIVING i"N', 49,,
ton by the Legislature II would appear i'"' 20.
vote cas-, that telephone subscribers must resie"
,,,.o,,., ,o- Two wears 10 come 10 paying the
roao,, hich telenhone rates and that the onS
ohenoo IN tho future that they may nave ol '"0
massage Of such a law will be after they nave n'aue
a fight at the polls for the relief sought anu -
cured II by a personal pledge from the caho'ud'es
for Senator and for Assembymah ''d' INV
support a telephone reduction bill.
II NAV also be said that the killing OF the Nv"
h,us was .'hinartisan act" both Republicans anu
Democrats Joining in the work OF siaush'er' o."
ator Marshalrs bill provided that me otd'e
,roller the Attorney-Gener and 'he '''' 80
eneer should establish telephone rates a''e' '"'o
full investigat ton OF their justice ana nJus"0
cont that the maximum rate in New-lo rK snouiu
no, no above SIPS a year; in cities be'"ee" 49,
ond 5nO ON population sis year. and so on oo"h
the scale Senator wagners bill declared 'na' ~
should he unlawful for telephone ooi"P""' "a
New-York 10 charge a subscriber more ina" ~
for any number OF messages less than one thou-
sand transmitted in one year. or more INA" NV
cents for each additional message
SENATOR MARSHALLS ARGUMENT.
~. Soro,s Committee on Miscellaneous Corpora
tions. having as its members Senators 'oREeS""I,
whey valhv Chahoon Goodsell. Munzinger ana
Sullivan reported both the bills adversely SOU"
for Marshall AT once moved 70 disagree VII" Wv
unfavorahle report and made strong Speec" III
support Of his motion. depicting the nh)us' emu "
~ the telephone companies. He declared tha' no
good reason had been advanced yet why reu"o
,,on ~ TELEPHONE charges should not be mace III
the State and that he considered his Dill u"
one In his judgment the telephone was no"
necessity and no longer luxury ana therefore NV
s,atA should concern itself with the charges OF
thnts
No excessive charges should he permitted. Inc
,eAnhone companies were making tremendous
Gains unon their investments. greater than those
NJ any other corporation in the land. The COM
panjes in New-York City were virtually monopones'
for they had no opposition. They made 10 Per oe"I
on the capital they had invested This bill reduced
the charges OF the companies but gave 20 '''"' "
fair rate Of compensation.
Senator Coggeshall defended the action Of the
committee and argued that tho greatest once
tton 10 the bill was that II put the telephone com
NAMES in charge Of three State officers. NOT one
Of these officers desired these additional duues.
We had understood that Darwin X James ana
others interested in this bill had organized rival
telephone company. Within year this company
would he in active operation in NeN-Iork
MAIBY's REMARKABLE ASSERTION
Senator Malby also defended the committees &C
ton. and gave figures intended to show that the
telephone companies do not make extortionate
charges.
Senator Elsberg finally interrupted Senator Malhy
with the question. Don't insurance and falroad
companies and banks submit their affairs To state
control and display all their books?
Senator Malby replied The comparison Is not
inst The pubic is invited TO put its money IN
a bank or In an insurance company but not IN
a telephone company. Then notice that the peo-
pie Of Albany arc TO pay the same rate as Is pam
in Newburg and Poughkeepsie-not containing moro
Of he
know Senator Marshall will reply that the New puIE
service costs less. hut do not think the comparison
fair" ~, =, 1900,
Senator Elsberg said II think It will be genera
" conceded that me teiephone Pnees his Xii
passes. there will not hs any cnShcG said mat
this bin is defective because 1t compeis Nat rate.
] would like to state that the city of Chicago has
gb s1 s Wires 10 which promises that the telephone
late shall be only SIS for business purposes ana ~
io5 es9Tn Maby Interrupted Senator sbrg with
this inquiry: do these Chicago companies have
-, NM Inc wires underground?"
4 do not know" answered Senator Elsberg; and
! do not think it a material point whether that Is
The ca Sc or not for have been told that the tele-
phone companies actually make money by putting
their wires underground And as Ior 'n' state
ment abou, their financial affairs G DO 1o n aey
more exempted in this respect than the ralWaE;
the INSURANCE Or the co-opeTatve iGah should
vote I think | should sustain the commltteess
which have carefully investigated the character OF
a bill
WHO VOTED AGAINST THE BILL.
The Senate then came TO vote on senator
Marshalls motion to disagree with the adverse re-
port and rejected It by the following vote OF 10 to
3d. as follows
Aves-Ahearn Brown. Concy. Donnelly. Elsbere
Featherson Ford Grady Hsvens. Higgins. Humphrey
KrIm Marshall Wagner and White-l5.
| \oes-Ambler. Armstrong Boyce Bracket hah",n
| CocgeshaII. cullen. Davis &C. A.. Douglas. EHsw"r'n
Feeter Foley Goodsell. Graney. johnson. IA Roche
Mackev Malby Martin. McCarren. Mitchell Munzinger
| Norton Parsons Punkiu. Raines, Rsmsperger. RICE
| sherwood strsnahan sullivan, Thornton Wilcox and
| Wlis34
This was substantially vote on the bill itself;
/ for the rejection OF senator Marshalis motion
! killed the measure The adverse committee re-
/ port was. in fact then adopted without division
Senator Wagner made the same motion to dis
/ agree with the adverse report upon his bill. and
! made a speech. arguing that his bill was just
/ one His motion to disagree with the adverse
! report vas defeated by the following vote:
/ AYES Ahearn Brown. Coney Davis ID - Donney,
Douglas. f1sberg Featherson. Feeter. Ford. Grady.
Iavers Higgins Humphrey. Krum. Marshall Wagner
and Whiielk
/ Noes Amber. Armstrong. Boyce Bracket. chahoon.
! Coggeshal Cullen Davis O. A. Ellsworth. Foley,
Martin McCarrpn Mitchell Munznger. Norton. Parsons
Plunkt Raines Transporter Rice sherwood Stranahan.
sullivan Thrr'cn Wilcox and Wllis-S2