Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-02-23

When the telephone hearing is re-
sumed tomorrow afternoon q dozen
minority stockholders of the Newark
Telephone Company. ostensibly indie
pendent. but said to be under control
of the Bell system. will attend, to learn
if possible why their holdings are not
producing revenue.
b. S. Lauderbach is leading this
movement, and speaking of 1t
said that he believed that although
members of. the party would not take
part In the discussion Of the STARS
demand for an investigation of tele-
phone service in New Jersey, valuable
data concerning the New York Tele-
phone Compapny's method OF conduct
ing It's business in this State. partieu-
larry regarding its relation to the So
called independent companies, would
be cleaned.
AS has been told, 800 stockholders in
the Newark Telephone Company hold
less stock than two men who control
the company. one of them the son-in-
law of a high official in the trust.
Mr.. Lauderbach said that although
the property is <<seputed to be worth
s2,oOO.00e and sheAd be paying diyi-
bends. nc dividends have ever been de-
clared. The minority stockholders
strongly suspect that the company is
%purposely allowed to lie in a moribund
state by the Bell interests, Inc in this
name make it appear that there Is
competition, whereas, as a matter of
fact, there is only enc company fur
nishing Jersey with telephone service.
AT Elizabeth there Is also a toy
telephone company which has q few
subscribers and, judging from it's meth
DDS of giving service, is popularity
looked upon as dominated by the trust.
With the mass of evidence piling
up against the New York Telephone
Company daily increasing, telephone
patrons all through North Jersey, to-
gether with numerous official and
trade bodies, are looking forward with
interest to the hearing at Trenton to-
morrow.
Agitation is Spreading.
In the meantime, the agitation against
the excessive rates and discrimination
of the telephone company spreads into
every part of the State. This afternoon
the Legislative committee Of the Jersey
City Board of Trade will meet to dis
clSS DISCLOSURES maze ana ConSluer en-
dorsing the fight mad by The Star
against the abuses.
A special meeting of the Plainfield
Board of Trade will be held tomorrow
night, n at that time the matter will
be taken up. In Elizabeth, both the
Board of Trade and the First Street
Business Mems Association will dis
cuss the situation at their next meet
ings.
A protest of the Civic Association, of
Bayonne, to the Common Council of
that place, charging that the company
Is operating without a franchise and
discriminating among its subscribers, is
pending. In Hoboken c. A.. Burhorn,
secretary of the Board of Trade, has
taken the matter up with the boards
legislative committee, and it is more
than likely that a member will be dele
gated to attend the Trenton hearing.
In Jersey City and Elizabeth sub
scribers are entering strong protest
against the four party line service sys-
tenn of the telephone company. Under
this system service limited to fifty
calls a month is given FOR $3.50. Should
the number of calls in any month fall
below fifty the charge would be the
same. but IL it went higher 8 cents for