Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1909-12-17
4 REMARkAsLE WITNESS.

Both remarkable and refreshing,
says The Wall Street Journal, was
the testimony given before the special
Investigating committee Of the New
York Legislature BY Theodore N. yail,
president OF the American Telephone
& Telegraph Co. It has not been Gus
tomary for high Officials Of large cor
porations, when testifyihg, to combine
complete knowledge pt fhe facts with
the ability and Willingness to testify
fully
Mr.. Vail showed a mastery Of the
principles, functions and operations Of
the entire telephone business. me-
chanical, operating and financial, and
a remarkable grasp OF details in each
division. To appreciate what thiA
means one must recall the wonderful
development Of the telephone business
and the fact that his companies alone
require the services OF over one hun
dred thousand employees.
Equally remarkable was Mr.. Wallis
Willingness to tell the COMMITTEES
everything pertaining to the business.
Being resident CT another State, and
outside the Jurisdiction Of the com
mittee, he voluntarily appeared with
out subpoena; gave an entire day to
the inquiry and said he would appear
at such further times as the committee
desired. He also said he would gladly
instruct all officers and employees Of
the various companies with which he
was connected to produce for the
committee all books, contracts, rec
ords, etc, they might desire and to
appear before the committee and tell
anything within their knowledge. Not
once did he hesitate In answering
questions and not once did he refer
TO counsel. In addition to answering
all questions he enlarged upon the sub
ject and volunteered information
whenever possible. His testimony
was absolutely devoid OF such GUS
tomary and well-known phrases as Il
do not remember" My memory is
hazy on that point" my answer would
tend to incrimlnate or degrade me" !
Il refuse to answer on advice of coun-
sell"
Equally convincing was his attitude
toward the committee and the general
public. He expressed a willingness to
adopt all devices or methods of opera
tion which would tend TO increase the
efficiency Of the telephone service to
the public, He said II was their policy
to reduce rates TO the lowest point con.
sistent with q reasonable return upon
the investment. He said he was OPP
posed to the policy OF building up a
large surplus or to capitallzlng same:
that any surplus should be used for
extensions and improvements of the
service. The one great purpose OF the
company. he said. was to standardize
its instruments. operation and service.
so as to be OF the greatest possible
beneilt TO the public. In referring to
the recent purchase OF a minority
stock interest In the Western Union,
he said that the same principles of
Standardization should be applied in
undermining the telegraph service, ex-
pediting the transmission of messages
and reducing the cost to the public.
More such witnesses would hasten
the desired era OF corporate publicity
would mean greater cooperation be-
tween the public and the corporations;
would tend to produce sane legislation
aud reasonable regulation. and would
result In lasting benefits to both the
corporations and the public.