Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-02-03
fFrom a star Correspondent

lFrom STAFF Correspondent
CAMDEN, Feb. Supplementary to
his telephone talk. as printed in the
EVENING STAR yesterday. Assem-
blyman Henry r. Tatem, chairman OF
the Assembly municipal Corporations
committee, which is inquiring into the
rate discriminating methods Of the
New York Telephone Company, by
which Newark suffers, declared thar
the documentary evidence submitted
by the EVENING STAR certainly es
tablished a cause for legislatiYe action
The Tatem committee has no power to
probe the telephone subject other than
to ascertain if there is need lof reliezs
and to recommend the relief procedures
The committee will in all probability
suggest that the Legislature appoint
special investigating committees toa
delve into the matter and correct this
abuses before the present session or
the Legislature adjourns.
Looking over the telephone rates OF
other cities and comparing them to
those which prevail in Newark, Mr..
Tatem, who is president of the Col--
lingswood National Bank and whose
father once served in the State Senate,
declared: "The telephone outrage as
1t exists in Newark ought to be COR
ERECTED, and If / am not mistaken in
the personnel of my committee the res
olution offered by Colonel Walter E.
Edge, majority leader in the House.
will result in the appointment of
special committee to probe the tele
phone company. i can't understand
why a crusade wasn't started long ago.
,f,.I.. AZ
ark business men are being imposed
upon Why. they are paying twice the
telephone rate that the business men
of Chicago are charged and three and
four times that charged by the tele-
phone trust in other cities
south Jersey Rates.
Down here in South Jersey the
telephone rates. we think, are pretty
stiff, but they are far below the rates
assessed in the northern part of the
State An unlimited business rate is
granted in Camden, and in my town
Of Collingswood, with but 5000 popula-
ton, the business rate is $50. Every
time L cali Philadelphia or Camden it
costs me an extra five cents These
niclSels run into dollars pretty quickly.
The corporations nowadays do as they
please with the public. Governor Fort
started in this session picking flaws
throughout the State. It's wonder to
me that he didn't take up the telephone
situation in the northern part of the
State. instead of leaving it for tho
EVENING STAR to act in behalf OF
the people. The telephone-rate matter
brings out all the more forcibly the
necessity for good public utilities bill
in this State"
Coming from the chairman of the
municipal corporations committee, this
statement is regarded as important,
because to that committee there has
been referred forty-siX of the total OF
150 House bills which include the
three public utilities bills. With the
possible exception of the judiciary
committee, this is the busiest commits
tee in ths House.
Legislature 10 Fix Rates.
Regarding the proper curb for the
telephone company, Mr. Tatem said
that he was not in a position to say.
but was of the opinion that the tele-
phone maximum rate should be fixed
by the Legislature, just as it has been
with the railroad companies. The as
semblyman said he was not prepared
to SO upon record as favoring fiat,
unlimited rate or measured schedule,
with the charges fixed by the law
makers
81 believe said Mr.. Tatem, that
TIE telephone should be natural
monopoly, like it is in Chicago Com
petition is all right in certain lines. but
in the telephone business the more the
competition the more expense and m
convenience the business man Is put TO.
A good business man is necessarily
compelled to use all the phones, ana
it is a nuisance to be compelled to have
more than one phono in your place OF
business. / propose to study the tele-
phone problem very carefully, SO rha@
will be able TO enlighten my fona-
mittee. I want to thank the EVE
MING STAR for the Agures It has SUBJ r.
initted, and l will be glad to receive
suggestions from anE other source"