Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1909-01-29
Independents Fail to Convince
Chicago.

place In the limelight through the
insulting OF Chicago's mayor and the
city council by II. d. Critchfeld' VINO
officially represented 1t in replying |
to words of greeting from the may
or's representative. The cause oi
this lies In the chagrin OF the Inde-
pendent telephone interests over
continued failures to secure a foot
hold in Chicago.
The Independent telephone peo-
pie seem to fail to grasp the TACT
that Chicago has reached a stage OF
understanding of public utility SER
vice far in advance of that common
throughout the country, and that
antlpathy to dual telephone service
is a settled policy in Chicago, found
ed on conclusions reached by care
full study and investigation. Chica-
20 does not bar out the Indepen-
dents because 1t dislikes the lnde-
pendents, bit because it finds It to
its own interests to follow this
course
Mr.. Critchfield had something to
say about Il 100000 Independent
telephones" alleged to be within
500 miles OF Chicago which are de-
MED admission to Chicago and Chi
cago's great commercial interests.
The answer of the Chicago Tele-
phone Company to this was prompt,
brief and full 1t was published as
an advertisement, with a telephone
operator pointing at the map and
saying:
| reach directly, every town, VII
lage and hamlet within radius OF
nearly 1000 miles. In all this ter
rltory no person wishing to tele-
phone is shut out of Chicago. Good
long distance lines and low rates
enable me to deliver thousands OF
toll calls at your telephone doors
every day. If you know the name
OF any town, village or hamlet OF
500 or more inhabitants that does
not have Bell telephone connec-
ton, please let me know. I want
to get there. Main 294.
A few days after the Independent
telephone convention adjourned the
Chicago Tribune published the fol-
lowing editorial, showing how little
impression the convention vaporings
had worked on public opinion In
Chicago.
"The recent hearing Of the Inde-
pendent telephone companies before
the committee on gas, oil and elec-
trio lights has developed an interest
ing and important fact.
II Is not the Chicago Telephone
afflliatlon with the Bell Company will
panies that object to connection for
long distance service. A represen-
tative OF these companies told the
committee that I'VE don't believe
that It is practical for independent
telephone companies to render salts
factory service where its patrons are
served through the Offices Of COM
petitor."
In other words the position OF the
independents seeking access to the
city by means OF the Illinois Tunnel
Company's telephone franchise is
this: The company now in opera
tlon In the local field because OF Its
tance field, which Is almost as un-
discriminate In favor OF that COM
pany's long distance service and
against independent systems where
they compete, Therefore, 1t is
necessary to have dual system in
Chicago to provide for the efficiency
Of the independent for long distance
service.
II the theory advanced wern trne
the conclusion thus drawn from It
would nevertheless be false because
the advantages to the community
from avoiding this discrimination
and the maintenance OF fair and efil-
Client service would be far outweigh
ed by the lntolerable nuisance OF the
dual system within the city-to say
nothing OF the perpetuation of COM
petitlve conditions in the long dis
tance field, which Is almost as un-
desirable.
But the theory itself is false be-
cause II fails either to take into ac-
count or to give proper weight to
the factor OF regulation II II is
impossible by public regulation to
maintain efficiency In a service pro-
vided Jointly by two companies It Is
probably impossible to maintain II
at all The problem in the former
case may be more vexatIous at first,
but It is by no means impossible. II
may be that a company at first
would be so short-sIghted as to en-
gage In this underhanded policy OF
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