Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-02-15
Trust Will Oppose Probe at Leg
islative Committee Hear
ing Today.
FULL INVESTIGATION IS
DEMANDED BY PEOPLE
Battle lnaugurated by the STAP
in Their Behalf Will Be Waged
to the Bitter End.
rFrom a star correspondent.l ]

TRENTON. Feb. 15.-Nothing is
likely to prevent the joint hearing this
afternoon in the Senate cham5er OF the
resolutions that have been introduced
In both branches of the Legislature
calling for investigation of the extor-
tionate rates of the telephone trust.
The EVENING STARS fight for the
people will be headed by State Rail-
road Commissioner Frank II. Somnier,
who will present facts and figures to
show that the New York Telephone
Company is discriminating in it's rates,
and will advance strong arguments to
convince the joint committee that the
monopoly should be thoroughly investi-
'ated, The hearing will be held at 3
o'clock, and Senate Majority Leader
Aclxerrlan will preside.
The hearing was scheduled for yes
terday afternoon, but the tte blum
dered-that is, the president of the
New York Telephone Company wrote
a letter to Mr. Alderman Iotifying
him that the telephone company
wanted to send a representative to the
nearing, and requested that the date
of the hearing be given to the com
pany. Through misunderstanding,
Mr.. SAckerman explains it, he noti ed
the telephone company that the hear
ing was scheduled for today, instt ad
OF Yesterday. All other business will
oe set aside this afternoon and the
hearing will surely go on
Trust shows Its Teeth.
The statement OF Senator Ackern,ap
gives the first inkling of the plan of
action Of the telephone trust. 1t Is an
parently 4'he intention of the interests
involved toEs nd d powerful lobby to
( tFr nton this week to try to nacssl re-
eEuits to the frank brigade and to fol-
low the often tried scheme of per.
suading the Legislature to throttle .he
Gebhal DIT Senate. resolution, and the
Edge House resolution demanding a
phone probe.
Ths Whale Legislature is reused and
the interest displayed today indicates
that the present field of battle will be
= ry difficult for the maneuvering of
BLACK Horse Cavalry" The com
nittees having the case against the
trust In charge are in the irair, not
inclined to listen to the wall of the
monopoly that for years has ridden
roughshod over the sensibilities OF the
State and squeezed every cent possible.
from the pockets of a long suffering
public
AT first the telephone interests ridi-
culed the fight which the EVENING
STAR is making. 1t was designated as
a newspaper scare, that would soon
die out 1t was predicted that the reso-
lntions were bluffs and would be safe
ly stifled in committee. 1t was with a
rude shock that the news was received
from Trenton hat the committees of
House and Senate would sit in judg-
ilent on the case OF the people agains.
the phone trust. From sitting up and
taking notice, the telephone company
has been busy organizing to fight back
and for the first time in the history OF
the State the officials of the company
will have to step out before the people
afd tell them something of the work.
il gs Of the most arrogant of utility
combinations.
.AssemblymsE J. William Huegel, OF
Essex. member of the committee on
naunieirais corporations. has been givefi
good deal of data bearing on the case,
and Is expected to champion
tDe = EVENING STAR cause.
1t Is proposed to undertake "A
Statewide investigation. and unless
the coumittees are convinced of the
, necessity of immediate action at
tofas's hearing it is quite probable
that meetings will be held In several
citiee of the State from time to time
dnrinp the neyt few weeks IN order to
get o. close v;Ars, rf local conditions
Judge Heisley In Fight.
Judge Wilbur A. Heisley, of the Essex
Circuit Court. who has a law office
and residence in Long Branch, Is pro-
nounced in his denunciation of the tel
ephone company's unfair dealings with
its subscribers in the Long Branch
district of the Jersey coast. and will
probably be present at today's hearing
The Senate judiciary committee con-
sists of Ernest r. Alderman of Union.
chairman; Edmund w. wakelee, Of
Bergen. and James F. Fielder, of Hud-
son. The House committee on munich
nal, corporations. to which the Edge
resolution was referred, consists OF
Henry r. Tatem. of Camden chair
man; Huegel, OF Essex; Smith. of
Morris; Poole. of Monmouth, and Mat
thews, of Hunterdon.
yT-t-