Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-02-12

The Wakelee telephone affiliation
shocked the entire community and the
people of the whole State. who have
been aroused by the telephone out
RACES, as printed in the EVENING
STAR, are wondering what Wakelee's
influential senatorial chums propose to
do In the premises.
Former Members Views.
Speaking of the Wakelee telephone
incident today, prominent lawyer wac
is an ex-member Of the Legislature
said:
Senator Wakelee did nothing criHl-
inal In the part he played-or rather hia
law firm-but 1t was certainly the sena-
TORS duty to refuse to serve on a CONF
mittee to which a resolution calling for
an investigation of the telephone COM
pany had been referred. His law firms
close connection with the telephone In
terests, in my opinion, disquaiifies him
in such a proceeding as this.
How frequently do we hear OF law
yer refusing to try certain law suit,
simply because the judge before whom
the case is to be tried is o member of
that law firm? And Mr.. Wakelee is Q.
lawyer. Does anybody believe that Mr.,
Wakelee could SIT as an unbiased Judge
in telephone inquiry? Facts show
that the law firm of Walselee, Tornall 81
Wright Is closely identified with corpo-
rate interests, and who knows but thar
this very firm has considerable business
with the telephone trust other than the
one incident which has become public.
MY belief is that on Monday Senator
Wakelee will ask to be excused fron
the joint committee and make a public
statement concerning the whole matter.
He owes that much to the people of the
State"
The EVENING STAR, at the out
set of its crusade against tho New
York Telephone Company, warned the
public of the uphill fight that was in
store because of the friendly relations
existing between the corporate inter-
ests and certain legislators, and openly
charged that there were members OF
the Senate who were enjoying franks
and favors from the telephone COM
pany. Nobody believed however,, that
the Gebhardt investigating resolution,
which was referred to the judiciary
committee, of which Senator Wakelee
is one of the three members, would
pigeon-hole it, as the committee did.
The resolution, which was introduced
more than n month ago, has never
since been heard of The committee
simply ignored 1t. The chairman. Ma
jority Leader Ernest r. Alderman,
could not be prevailed upon to bring
the resolution to the surface. Neither
could Mr.. Wakelee. He simply smiled
when the subject was broached. The
third member OF the committee, Sena-
tor Fielder, was helpless. There were
two Republicans against one Democrat.
Hence the resolution was strangled to
death, so to speak.
RELIEF Seemed Far on.
Relief looked out of the question, and
1t was predicted that the EVENING
STAR was fighting against corporation
odds that could not be overcome. The
Gebhardt resolution asked that the
attorney general be instructed to in
vestigate and report back to the Sen
ate the proper course to pursue against
the telephone trust. Two things were
sought-a reduction of exorbitant rates
and correction of nonopolistic
abuses. Attorney General Wilson, 1t is
known, was never officially notified Of
the provisions of the smothered Geb~
county senator openly charged that his
resolution was being shloroformed at
the instigation of Republican leaders
who were friendly to the trust. Essex's
senator. Harry v. Osborne, who told
the first inside history of the telephone
trusts successful sitting of competi-
tion in Newark by the absorption By
the trust here of its only rival. the
Newark Telephone Company, was also
helpless in his endeavor to force the
Senate committee to act
Refusing to be thwarted by the upper
house, the EVENING STAR carried its
fight for the people in the lower house.
Facts and figures proving the rate dis
elimination had repeatedly been printed
in the EVENING STAR, and tn sre
were many assemblymen who wal ted
to investigate the trust. Resolutions
of more or less severity were drafted,
Realizing the atmospheric conditions.
Colonel Walter e. Edge. of Atlantic
City, the Republican majority leader
took the situation In hand two weeks
ago. Edge saw that the telephone tide
could not be turned and that the people
were insistent
Colonel Edge Acts.
Following a conference with repre-
sentatives in the Senate, Colonel Edge
offered a resolution and had 1t referred
to the Assembly municipal corporations
committee, of which Henry r. Taten,
of Collingswood, is the chairman
AdroitIy the Edge resolution was