The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-02-16

one. In New York you can get any
one of 100000 people. In Mime
apolis you can get any one OF 100000.
It's what the telephone service can
do for you that we charge for"
Z After the A T. q T. had taken over
the telegraph company. 1t began to
seek how to capture the independent
companies. With its enormous wealth
Il worked in devious ways
Here is where j. Pierpont Morgan
did his greatest work for the wire
trust Working alone Vail could
never have been able to bring about
such an enormous combination as the
American Telephone & Telegraph Co.
But somewhere In his career--no out
slider can tell exactly when-Morgan,
the money king. heard Of Vail and
his dreams of huge wire trust. and
Morgan. having a peculiar fondness
for any sort of trust, the bigger the
better. lent his aid to Vail, and though
Wallis trust was growing before the
king" entered into II, 1T increased by
leaps and bounds as soon as the name
Of Morgan began TO be associated
with It.
Quietly and without a footing OF
horns Morgan began to gather In
number of independent companies In
/. the middle west These were not
openly turned over to the trust, but
Henry p. Dawson, member OF the
Morgan arm. was immediately made
= member OF the board OF directors
Of wallis company. To all intents and
purposes this put the Independent
companies concerned in the hands OF
the trust.
Shortly thereafter thesNational AS
sociation OF Independent Telegraph
companies was formed. This was
made up Of state organizations of In
dependent companies.
The telephone trust bought out the
Pacific coast Bell telephone com
4 panies. of which there weresseveral.
And now, within the past few
weeks, through the national associa-
\ ton OF Independents, 1t Is said, Nor
can has practically completed arrange
ments to take over most OF the In
dependent companies in the United
States. Not openly and at once, but
/ In true trust-like ways, one by one
/ the Independents, viii topple and fall.
+, One gigantic company VIII then
J control the Telephone systems ,of ,the
= United States.
Az far as thesfederal government is
+, concerned. this trust will be fsee to
charge as It 'pleases for telephone
3 rates.
II viii be only the individual cities
+ or states that cam successfully remon-
strste against extortionate rates.
This rebellion of the cities has al.
ready set In. II will not he long be
fore every city will either have ,teie
phone war or bow the neck to the
trust. 49,.
Boston Is demanding lower rates.
Denver has had telephone battle
In Wichita, Kas., the city Is fight
Ing an Increase in rates.
In Seattle there Is every sindication
that the independent and the trust
! company have already merged. and
+ Intend TO Increase rates.
IN Danville. IN, the home of Speak
. or Cannon, the telephone trust Is un
commonly kind to subscribers. There
n charges only $40 year for pusI
ness Telephones, the lowest rate in
the country
. 81 III lIitHto, Wucfc luS DuSu1tSS men
fought against high rates. the tele
phone trust. II was discovered, was
4 oocrefly paying An investigator, who
opparently was working for the city
IN Dallas, Tex. when the council
toneht to regulate the compary's
oDsrafions. the company denied ri1at
a had a franchise. and therefore The
council could not regulate. and. tixl
havlne no franchise. the people haS
no r5cht to regulate rate9 under tht
initiative and referendum, hut that II
1l6 have the right to do business
<ranchi<s or no franchise--and as Il
Dloooed
1his has been fought to the.suprems
coor< and the attorneys for the tele
<1|on6 trust have been bolstered nj
~ q. Y. Lsvsrstt q Bestan. head, %