The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1911-02-16
ALLEGE MONOPOLY IS CREATED
Citizens Telephone and Telegraph
Company, Wisconsin Telephone Com
pany and Kenosha Home Telephone
Company Named as Defendants.


Alleging an unlawful combination tc
restrain commerce, to eliminate compe
tition and to force monopoly of the
telephone business in the city Of Ken.
osha the City of Kenosha through its
City Attorney Calvin Stewart has in
stituted an action against the Citi-
gems Telegraph and Telephone company
the Wisconsin Telephone company and
the Kenoshs Home Telephone company
demanding damages to the amount of
$4,000. The summons and complaint
in the action was served upon the off
cials o. the Wisconsin Telephone com
pany by City Attorney Stewart this
afternoon and the officials of the local
company will be served in the suit on
Saturday. AS the Citizens Telephone
company is out of existence so far as
Kenosha is concerned that attorney
has left copy of the complaint fo1
this company in the hands of the Reg
lister Of Deeds.
The allegations of conspiracy to de-
fraud the city are made in complaint
covering many pages and the entire
proceedings Of the combination of the
two companies is covered in the com
plant.
After reciting facts in regard to the
organization of the Citizen 8 company
and the granting of the franchise to
the company by the city the complaint
alleges
"That notwithstanding the provis-
ions of the ordinance granting the
franchise to the. Citizens company,
and in disregard of the rights of the
people, and of the plaintiff, the said
Wisconsin Telephone company and the
said Citizen s Telegraph and Tele-
phone company did unlawfully con
spire and agree together to enter in
to contract which disabled each of
Baid companies from performing such
public duty and that the said compan-
les did agree to restrain commerce and
to form monopoly in the city of Ken
osha Of the telephone business, to
eliminate competition and did unlaw-
fully and wrongfully conspire togeth-
er to raise the rates for telephones and
telephone service in Kenosha and did
unlawfully conspire to defraud the
plaintiff of the benefits of the contract
previously entered into and existing
between the Citizen s company, and in
order to attain the objects sought by
said unlawful combination and CON
Spirecy formed in the month of Octo-
Der, 1905, the Kenosha Home Tele-
phone Company"
The complaint further alleges that
in furtherance of the alleged conspir-
acy the representatives of the new
company proceeded to secure contracts
from patrons by threats, intimidation
and coercion" all competition having
cent in excess of rates Heretofore
charged by the Citizen s company and
ALSO in excess of rates permitted in the
ordinance passed by the city.
The complaint then goes into the
question of free telephones from the
company to the city and declares that
The company declined to furnish this
service on the grounds that it was not
permitted by the state laws notwith-
standing the fact that the company
knew that the contract was made with
the city prior to the passage of the
state law in question.
In conclusion the complaint states
that the combination resulted in the
elimination of telephone competition
in Kenosha and that since that time
the rates charged have been raised in
excess of fifty per cent.
Attorney Stewart has been at work
on this complaint for many weeks and
it is said that he has gone into the
matter at length and has secured a
vast amount of evidence to show the
conspiracy. At a special meeting of
the council held month ago the at
torney was empowered to take I'D the
investigation and make the complaint
on which the summons in the suit was
based.
it is expected that this case will
come up for hearing at the March
term of the Circuit court.