Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1911-10-07

Armour and the others, is three cents
per cali, and the intention 10 to lower
this rate eventually from three cents
to one cent. At one cent the profit
would be enormous, with the econo.
mics Of the automatic telephone and
a spfilcient number Of subscribers.
The right plan would he, Of course.
for the business men Of New York
who pay enormous tolls to the tele.
phone monopoly to get together. to
bind themselves to take new service
an automatic cheap service with
certain guarantees - and through
pressure OF public opinion compel the
granting OF a franchise to an auto.
matte company charging the lowest
possible rate.
But It Ia difficult to get business
men to unite; difficult to make them
resent effectively even the most pal.
pable extortion.
The chief hope lies In the courage,
energy and business knowledge Of
such man az Armour, who has the
money, who IL not frightened by the
power Of monopoly. and who might,
II he chose. be remembered as one Of
the real benefactors Of the country
by breaking down the telephone mon.
opoly and making Of the great tele.
phone convenience a blessing within
the reach of all and as cheap. in pro.
portion, 40 the national postofice.
%dA
Action by the city council upon the
question Of doing away with tho tele.
phones III which nickel is required
before the attention of central Is OBJ.
tained is likely to be taken at the first
meeting after the council vacation.
Announcement was made by Aid.
Britten OF the 23d ward that he In.
tended to present Mt the meeting an
ordinance compelling the telephone
company to remove whot are known
as "tick tick phone boxes. His en-.
nouncement followed tho delivering
Of an opinion by Corporation Counsel
Sexton that such an ordinance could
be passed under the police powers Of
the city. An effort will be made to
have the council take action upon the
ordinance without referring 1t to q
committee, several aldermen having
promised to support motion for the
suspension Of the rules for this pur.
pose.
1t IL asserted by Aid. Britten that
the "tick tick" telephones constitute
serious menace.
"The installing Of these devices
has deprived the persons In whose
homes they are Of protection to
which they are entitled against fire
and robbers" he said. with these
devices at work It Is impossible to
obtain the attention Of the telephone
operator until nickel has been de.
posted In the box. Every one who
Is familiar with the nickel In the slot
telephones knows how often one finds
ones self without q nickel.
"A mans home might be burned
down or he might be robbed and mur.
dered simply because he did not have
coin OF the right size at the right
time. Another dificulty is that form.
erly person had to take chances
only because his telephone might be
out Of order. Now the telephone itself
might be working. but the slot ma.
chine box device be out of order"
Corporation Counsel Sexton gave
his opinion on the authority given the
telephone company to install the de.
vices on nickel telephones where the
money Is deposited before patron Is
able to get the operator at the re-
quest Of Aid, Charles M. Thomson.
Mr.. Sexton holds that the city can
regulate by its police power in case
the services rendered is unreasonable
or unfair.
Drop a penny in the slot and tele.
phone"
Aid Herman I Rau1ar who Oript,