Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1911-09-30

American Telephone crowd who con. |
troll the telephone business Of the |
whole country. His report also shows |
that the Chicago branch Of the monop.
oily 10 obliged to buy all Of its equip
ment from q notorious Electric Com.
pany which 10 also owned BY the
American Telephone Trust. This com.
pany makes It's own prices for what
II sells to the other concern and the
people Of Chicago are expected 70 pay
for the profits Of both subsidiary insti.
tutions Of the Trust.
Talk about the Tobacco Trust, the
Standard Oil Trust and every other
trust. The trust that 10 the real thing
10 the Telephone Trust. This Trust
hits over . quarter Of . million people
in Chicago. Recently II has grown 10
bold that II managed 70 grab OF for
the purchase Of it, watersd stock q
big sum Of money donated BY the gen.
erous Chicago public for the immedl.
ate relief Of the widows and orphans
Of brave firemen who gave up their
lives last December In the discharge
Of their duty. Any alderman who
votes for IN ordinance favoring the
Telephone Trust deserves the ignom.
iny which he will certainly receive.
The telephone monopoly IN Chicago
has grown 70 be IN unboarablo nuis.
ancs.
The service 10 rotten.
The scandal attendant on the pass.
age Of the telephone ordinance By the
council Avs years ago 10 not forgot.
ten.
The passage Of the present ordi.
nance will result In something more
than scandal for the facts win bs
easier to get at.
Any alderman who votes for an In.
crease Of rates viii be branded % hs
ought TO be.
The Chicago American Of June %
contained the following vigorous a..
ticle on the subject Of Q merger:
The New York Times announces
that there 10 hope Of telephone com.
petition in New York City and that
Armour. the great packer Of Chicago,
10 said to be back OF the plan.
The idea 10 to buy up certain fran:
chises In the State Of New York. -.
pecially to get an entrance into New
York City. and TO sivs to the citissns
the beneAt Of telephone competition
and Of actually cheap service.
The idea Of cheap telephone service
10 going to grow In the United States,
and eventually II 10 going TO bs real.
issd. despite the power of any mon.
opoly or the profits Of any group OF
individuals.
II costs less. or under proper man.
agement would cost less. 70 send .
telephone message than 70 send .
letter.
There was Q time In the United
States when private individuals o..
plotted the mails and vhsn the cit.
zen writing . letter paid from ten
cents 70 . dollar Or more % have
It delivered. Government owusrship.
economical. businsssliks methods.
have reduced the price Of sending let.
ters TO two, cents all over the United
Statss-even In the Klondike. where
the letters are carried on dog sledges.
And sane. businesslike administra-
ton Of the telephone system Of this
country. with the latest up.to-dats a..
tomato methods. would make tsls.
phoning 40 cheap 10 writing letters.
and cheaper.
That will not come at once, but Q
very great improvement will come.
and right away.
The price charged BY the Bell mon.
opoly 10 preposterous-there 10 no
worse form Of extortion among all the
extortions In the United States.
A man who lives in the suburbs
thirty miles from q big city gets a
Communication ticket. The railroad
carries his twohundred.pound body
back and forth twice q day for
twenty-five cents Q day. II he wants
to talk to his house twice q day the
telephone company charges him sixty
cents. and charges for the wire be-
sides.
In other words. the telephone mon
opoly charges more than twice al
much to carry over a wire q human
voice. which weighs nothing, % the
railroad charges to carry q two.hun
dred-pound man over thirty miles ol
solid steel rails.
And the railroad has to have ter
minals, and locomotives, and power;
whereas. with the telephone. the
mans own voice is the chief power
involved.
| Armour of Chicago is q man whs
could give the people OF this countr,
the benefit OF cheap telephone servic.
: If he should make up his mind to d.
It. He has proved his ability ~ al
: organizer; he 10 a man OF grea
wealth and Of unusual industry ant
application. II Is notorious that hi
: working hours are from seven In th'
, | morning until six In the evening. ant
/ that Unv1r - ~ nn1v A~Wn~~sAaA