Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-02-19
NORTH JERSEY
UA|IE5 FOR WAR
ON PHONE TRUST
Hudson Merchants Now Enlist
Under the STARS Banner
TO Fight Monopoly.
TRADE BOARD WILL SEND
DELEGATION TO HEARING
Facts and Figures to Crush
Bethel to Be Presented by
Frank H. Sommer.
Discr1mipstion In teIephone rates

Discrimination In teIephone rates
that is not only unfair but illegal.
Telephone rates that are excess
sive and exorritant, even to the
most favored subscribers.
Evidence proving that the New
York Telephone Company in rapid
iy crushing out competition all over
the state of New Jersey, thereby
figuring prominently in the nucleus
TINT has beeu formed for an ocean
to-ocenu telephone monopoly.
Prosecution of the telephone probe
before the Joint legislative inquiry.
which the STAR instigated for the
people. win clinch these three serious
charges at the adjourned hearing il
the Senate chamber next Thursday aft
ernoon Analysis of the evidence of
Union N. Bethel. vice. president of the
New York Telephone Company. estab
fishes beyond question of doubt the
rate discrimination. Lawyer Frank H
Sommer, who is conducting the STARS
probe, submitted documentary PROOF
showing the extortionate rates. and ar
the next session of the joint hearing he
will prove the monopolistic features of
the case and submit additional citations
from court decisions in support OF hi.
claim that legislative relief is needed
AS in Newark, the merchants of Jer
sey City have awakened to the realiza-
ton that the telephone trust is im
posing upon them, too, and they have
decided to join in the STARS fight
for the people. The excessive and dis
eliminating rates charged by the New
synri. Telephone Company and It's com
petition sitting methods IN northern
New Jersey have aroused the citizens
.sof Jersey city to such an extent that
she Boa.d of Trade OF siat eity have
+ taken the matter UP and decided to
l,ayb representation at the joint hear
ing
VIII Send ReUreSeptative.
John w Heck, chairman of the com
1i.tee on taxation, law and legislas
ion of the Jersey City Board of Trade,
Sdav called special meeting of his
11.niat.e TO bt neld in his office IN
Commercial Trust Company build
Ltersey City, next Wednesday aft
py IN, to consider the QUESTION and Sc
II Inv r. pl esen.atiVe TO attend the next
alol lative hearing in Trento n. Besides
& peou Neck, the members of the commit
.EferHe Harold Bouton, Mungo j. Cur
= )oanS illiam c. Cudlipp and George ].
oecrSer IT is expected that Nr. Cur
Tue fill represent the committee in
Ti=bn.
Z a|er Muirhead. secretary Of the
J hoat>i has aiso announced that
d reNlution will be introduced at the
next Injecting of that body indorsing
the fl Int of the STAR and calling on
.1e tntmbers Of the board to support
it in every possible way.
Jersey City probably has more tele
Aphone experts among her citizens than
nny other city in New Jersey and their
Nxperience with the trust in the past
Y led them to take up the crusade
aims it's .monopolistic methods when
Il opportunity was presented by The
~ There are several men in the
son County city who have been In
terested in the development OF inde
pendent telephone companies. They
have invested their money in them
orly, to see them gobbled up by the
trust, and the methods OF the latter
are. well known to them.
Among these men are q. H. Atklh-
son, head of the firm of @ H. Atkinson
& Co.. contractors. who built up potn
the Newark Telephone Company ana
the Hudson Telephone Company. Asso-
ciated with Mr. Atkinson was j. II.
McCtary, who is now general agent OF
the Crescent City Home Building Asso-
citation. These men are thoroughly IA
rniliar with the inception. growth and
practical killing of these two concerns
l,a which
the latter was accomplished.
Forced 10 Sell Stock.
Mr. Atkinson asserts that the board
~ directors of the Hudson company
we're practically forced into the sac Of
their stock, which amounted to ma
iority. by representatives of the trust
and, that the purchase was actually
made by James 3. Curtis, who Is a
son-in-law of former president of the
Beil Company and is now president OF
the Newark company.
Mr.. McClary was more especially In
terested in the Newark company. and
declares that control of 1t was secured
In much the same way as control OF
the Hudson company He charges that
a majority of the stock was secured BY
r,handler5 w. RilSer and Thomas A.
Nevins, and then sold to the trust,
yreezine out all the other stockholders.
Both Mr.. Atkinson and Mr.. McClary
declare that both the companies swal-
loved up by the trust have been barely
,sept alive since the control passed from
the original stockholders for the pur-
nose Of keeping out competition so that
exorhitant rates may be charged for
service
m Jersey City there are scores of
,sIepbones of the Hudson company
hanging on walls, but when an attempt
is made to call over them there is no
response. The company is considered
nothing more than joke. yet It holds
perpetual franchise for the stringing
Of wires and laying of conduits In many