The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-02-14
THE TELEPHONE MONOPOLY
Efforts of New York Business Men to
Smash-IO Get Relief Through the
Legislature bySa Bill Regulating
Charges
New York WOrlu.0

New York Worlu.)
The telephone monopoly is likely to
get a knock-down blow at this session
of the legislature unless it can muster
more influence than fifteen influential
business mems associations of this
city.
Next Monday a representative of the
Merchants and Manufacturers Board
of Trade will go to Albany with the
draft of a bill with which it is purpos-
ed tic assail the monopoly. He will
stay there, reinforced weekly by COM
mittees of business men and by the best
counsel that unlimited money can com
mand. He will not return until the
bill is disposed of.
1--WE have taken up this fight in
earnest" said c. c. Shayne, president
of the organization, yesterday. I'VE
expect to win. We have no desire to
drive the old telephone company out
of business or to prevent their making
go d dividends on their investments,
but we do object to their charging five
times as much for a telephone as is
charged in n other city in the world.
1--WE have everybody behind us. Fiji
teen large and influential associations,
representing all the important business
interests of the city, are with us.
""The politicians are with us. The
people are with us. Our fight is non
| partisan. No party will CONTROL the
bill. We expect to have it introduced
in the senate by a democrat and in the
assembly by a republican,or vice versa.
To-day, for the unlimited use Of a
telephone, the subscriber has to pay
$240 a year-as much as many persons
pay for house rent. For 1000 messages
| a year it costs 1925 and for 600 $50,
with Is cents for every message over
that number.
I'VE propose a $50 yearly rental up
to 1000 messages, and five cents for
each additional message. Even this
rate leaves a wide margin for profit"
To see that the bill gets a hearing in
| Albany the association has appointed a
I committee consisting Of R.. M. Wal
tiers, chairman; ]. A. Heckmen, secre-
tary, and E. ]. Gavegan, counsel. Since
| October, 1898, these men have been al
work, with results which must soon
become apparent.
HERE IS THE LEGISLATIVE BILL
Here is the bill they have prepared
for presentation to the legislature
next week:
"It shall be unlawful for any person
partnership or corporation, operating
any public telephone system for thu
general transmission of messages BY
telephone in any city of this state con-
tanning a population of 500, 900 or more
to charge any single subscriber more
than $50 a year for any number Of
messages less than 1000 transmitted
in any year over it's wires within thu
corporate limits OF such city or cities
AND 1t shall be unlawful for any
person, persons or corporation, opera
ing any public telephone system fol
the general transmission of messages
by telephone in any city of this state
containing a population of SOC. 900 o.
more, to SsEGrge a greater sum thar
five cents for each and every message
in excess of 1000 transmitted over it:
wires by any single subscriber within
the corporate limits of such city OIL
cities in any single year"
SOME STATISTICS OF INTEREST
According to- the figures prepared b,
the committee, the American Bell Tel
ephone Company operates in theUnitet
States $50, S45 miles of wire and Ia.
1924 subscribers. This PRACTICAL,
is the whole telephone business of tn,
! country. It has 772,627 instrument