Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-09-09
SAMEIS TRUE HERE.
Chicago Fighting for the Essen
tial Elements of Fair TEL
ephone Service.
BELL MONOPOLY OFFERS SOP
Rock Island Service Manifestiy the
Worst Now in the City's
History.

In Chicago, as has been from time
to time stated, the Bell Telephone
company is making a fight somewhat
similar to the one which terminated
in the courts here in Rock Island ow-
ing to the company's arbitrary atti-
tude. In Chicago as here. the validity
or rather the perpetuity of the COM
pany's franchise is at issue. And ir
Chicago, the company in order to save
its franchise, has offered to install a
telephone free in every school in the
city. This proposition which is on Il
par with the police phone proposition
with which the company undertook 20
hoodwink the people of Rock Island,
is termed by the Chicago Tribune a
sop to the city" and "a small conces-
sion in the hope of quieting Outcry
against new franchise"
The People Demand.
The Tribune goes on to say that the
fight for the people will be kept up
and the opponents of the ordinance
will demand fairer terms on the es-
sential as well as the superficial
points. By making the concession
which gives a free telephone in every
school house in Chicago. the Tribune
declares the Chicago Telephone COM
pany admits that the fundamental de-
fects of its 20-years franchise eXtec-
sion have been touched. The Tribune
says further: In money this conces-
sion 4
Ia year as additional compensation II
the city What the opponents of th.,
ordinance are fighting to secure is
from 10 to 20 times this sum an
nually.
THE small amount has been con-
ceded in the hope that it will hep
quiet the professors, but when the or
dinance gets to a discussion of its
merits a demand will be made for a
correction of the essential faults CT
the measure as well as the superficial
The position taken by the oppon
| entS of the ordinance is as follows:
"If the services of the American
Bell company TO the Chicage--Tsls
phone company are worth Az per cent
of its gross receipts, the services oi
the city are worth more than pc,
cent.
| IF the American Bell company
| wishes to operate the Chicago Tele
phone company on such a contract i:
can do so. but at the expense of til,
dividends of the latter company. no.
at the expense of Chicago and Chicag-
Telephone users.
| ''To put the burden of this contract
on the telephone company and not or
the city or the subscribers, the rates
it is contended, can be lowered st'l
| further, the 5 per cent compensatiO.
can be increased to Z per cent. or tn,
dividend allowance of the telephops
company can be reduced from 10 pc
cent. In any one of these three meth
Ods the city can secure a better bar
gain from the American Bell company
''If the American Bell company ca
give the city of st. Louis 5 per cen
of its gross receipts as compensation
land St Louis never has been recoe
nized as cruel tC corporations-Chi
cago can demand that the American
Bell company rate a Chicago franchis
as worth more than per cent
In Chicago and Here.
In Chicago the conditions prevailin
in the fight with the Bell monopol
are as said not entirely dissimilar ..
those which prevail in Rock Islam
In Chicago as here the Bell compan
is seeking to dictate absolutely tn
terms of its franchise. 1t is dispose
to make minor concessions of its ow
selection, but it is unwilling to perm
the people to have any say in wha
those concessions shall be. In tn
same spirit the people are not pc
acter of the service and must subm
to any accommodations the compan
may feel disposed to provide, or tax
out their phones. They must not pr
, sumo to prescribe what the compan
shall give in return for it's franchis
The naughty and arrogant corporate
may condescend to make few co
: cessions but the people must not sa
y what these concessions shall be.
: the mind of the Bell company it
: nothing short of presumption for tn
public to set forth what it wants +;
the hands of the. corporation.
The Local Sop.
y In Rock Island. it will be remeI
I bered, the company offered a sop
y the people for the granting of limi
t ed franchise in lieu of what the cor
j. pany maintains is perpetual fra
; chse. in the way of a number of tel
+ phones for a police system, and lat
/ agreed to throw in switchboard. TIL
r was in addition to the provision
which the company originally conce
ed to be proper, in the placing of
wires under ground within the fire d
y trict. The sop, however, was in t
"a police telephones and switchboal
~ which the council in its over zeal
n do something quick to please the CO
lrany at one time accented hut uuicl