Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-03-07
People Await Decision
Of Committee on Plan
to Curb Monopoly.
WAKELEE, CALLED TRUSTS
FRIEND, WON'T TALK OF QUIZ
Trenton Reports Favor Belief
That Both Houses Will
Unite in Inquiry.

If the Senate judiciary committee to-
night does not concur in the Assembly
committees report. recommending a
thorough legislative probe of the teie-
phone trust or direct a senatorial in
QUESTION Of its own. the people of the
State of New Jersey, whose fight has
been fought by the EVENING STAR,
will assert themselves when the day
of reckoning comes. Politicians famil-
lar with the telephone crusade, how
ever, predict that there is no alterna-
tive for the senators except to join with
the FIVE assemblymen, four of whom are
Republicans, in ordering the investiga-
ton. Evidence that prompted the
House TO act is the same that was pro-
duced before the Senate, for the mem
bers of the two committees sat in joint
sessions.
The Senate committee consists OF
three members, two of whom are Re-
publicans. The only Democratic mem
Der of the committee, Senator James F.
Fielder. Of Hudson county. has repeat
edly expressed himself as favorine a
complete inquiry of the telephone trust
To an EVENING STAR man today he
reiterated his former statements. anu
when il comes time TO cast his vote
tonight he viii unquestionably register
himself IN Iavor OF concurring in the
House report Mr.. Fielder believes THAI
course is the most advisable. anu
,u
two telephone Investigations than there
is for Two telephone companies. but
he adds refiectiyely, the one should
be reasonable and just in its dealings
with the public"
Senator Ernest r. Ackerman, OF
Union, majority leader of the Senate.
who is chairman of the judiciary COM
mittee, would not commit himself today
when the telephone subject was
touched upon. He has taken a keen in
terest in the exposures made by the
EVENING STAR and the arguments
advanced by this newspapers special
counsel, former Sheriff Frank H. Som
mer, but is keeping his own ideas quiet.
There is a likelihood that Senator Ack-
erman will have a surprise in store for
the other members of the committees
when they confer tonight. Mr.. Acker-
man is recognized as independent in
politics, although he is a Republican.
He is a wealthy man, and has often
boasted that the corporation yoke does
not encircle his neck.
where Does WakeIee stands
Interest centres upon the attitude
that Senator Edmund w. Wakelee, of
Bergen county, will show when the
telephone subject is voted upon tonight.
Mr.. Wakelee is a friend of the tele-
phone trust. but he has publicly .ad-
mitted that the preliminary inquiry
revealed evidence enough to show that
the New York Telephone Company was
guilty and should be tried, and that
the Delaware and Atlantic Telephone
Company, which operates in the South
Jersey field, should also be curbed of
it's monopolistic expressions. The Bef-
gen county senator, while admitting
that enough proof has been presented
against the telephone trust, has right
along declared that an action in the
courts is all that the people need TO
correct the telephone evils. He says
that State Railroad Commissioners
Sommer and the EVENING STAR
have presented facts enough to elimi-
nate the necessity of further investi
cation.
Mr.. Wakelee was asked today by an
EVENING STAR man this direct
question:
Senator wakelee. viii you vote for.
or against the telephone probe to-
night?''
Il refuse to state how 1 will vote.'
replied the senator.
Does that mean that as yet you
have not made up your mind as to
which way your verdict will be?''
II will not discuss the telephone sub
iect in any form whatever" replied the
senator, trying to sidetrack the tele-
phone matter.
Senator Wakelee tried to influence