The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-03-14
The TELEPHONE WAR;
CLAIM OF A MONOPOLY
How the Matter Presents Itself
to a New York In
yestigatOr.

An interesting sidelight is thrown mp"
on the alleged attempt of the Rocky
Mountain Bell Telephone company of
this city to absorb the Utah Indepen-
dent Telephone company by stories
According to dispatch in the New York
World, the attempt TO absorb the lnde..
pendent company Is merely a part or
q scheme on the part of the 'tele-
phone trusts" or Bell company, to abb
sorb all Independent lines,
Attorney Jackson Of New
York, 1T appears, has been conducting
a hearing relative to the alleged at
tempt TO form a telephone monopoly,
and, according to the World, sit was
shown that in an agreement entered
into by the American Telephone and
Telegraph company through President
+, z, Fish, the Bell company made a
secret arrangement with George East
man, Hiram w Sibley, James $. Wat
son, Walter b. Duffy, T. W. Finucane
and Edward Busch Rochester million
aires. by which the New Jersey Title
Guarantee and Trust company of ]er-
sey City was to buy the big independ
ent system and run it for the Bell
company in strict accordance WIN
written orders to be given by Bell
representative.
"This was so the public would not
know that the independent lines were
owned and managed by the trust.
"The secret agreement provided III
detail as to how the trust company was
to place Bell men in the directorate OF
the United States Independent Tele'
phone company who were to do as the
Bell representative directed, The Bel
company agreed 10 furnish all the cash
and pay the New Jersey Title Guar
antcc and Trust company for It's work
and save it from loss.
The World goes on TO describe how
the scheme originated, according TO the
testimony, which, it is claimed, was
adduced at the hearing before the at
torney-general. On this point the
World says:
George Eastman told how the proposed
monopoly originated, II was in his Office
in Rochester,. He suggested that he could
get in touch with American Telephone
and Telegraph officials through NJ b
Phillip of New York. That was done anc
resulted in secret conferences bet"eeI
President Fish, =. j. Hall Of the A: T
& t. Eastman, Mayor Cutler OF Roches'
ter, and the other men named.
Hall testified that he was present al
most Of the conferences and ihat ne
was there the representative of th'
Bell This was considered an important
point In proving Attorney General Jack
sons claim OF an attempted monopoly
both in operating leiephonlc lines aIlc
In the manufacture oil telephone equip
ment in this state.
The u. :. 7, men after making Tho
arrangement with President Fish agreed
/ that the trust company was 10 act al
their agent. II was then announced IL
Rochester that not Bell interests. but the
trust company, was buying the indie
| pendent system. il was also claimed tina
| the men they were buying IL lot Weft
| not Bell men
The proposed merger involved contro
OF the New York Independent Telephone
| company organized and floated b,
! Thomas ". Fnucane Had not jackson
| stopped The merger the Bell company
would have secured the alleged franchise
! for New York. which F'inucane capitalized
on $50 600. 900 basis
President Fish admitted that outside
: Of the L. : /. the Consolidated Telephone
company OF Buffalo is the only large in
| dependent operating and manufacturing
| concern in the State. This company
controls a franchise in New York City.