The weekly Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1911-1922, 1911-09-28
CONGRESSIONAL PROBE
Telepost Automatic Telegraph Co.
Asks Interstate Commerce Com
mission To Enquire Into Bus
ness of This County.

New Yorl,-AssertinS that the
American people are paying $29,000,-
600 a year more for their telegraph
service than they should. and that
the old line companies in their eff
forts to kill off competition are main
tanning a monopoly in restraint of
trade, the Telepost Automatic Tele-
graph company asks for an Inter
State Commerce Commission investi-
cation of the telegraph business of
the United States.
To make its appeal reflect the SEN
timent of large public constituency
more thar 100000 signatures to a
petition addressed TO the commercial
importuning it to institute such an
inquiry Four hundred thousand adj
ditional signatures-half a million Iii
all-President II. Lee Sellers of the
Telepcst company says are expected
before the end OF. the month. These
signatures represent all parts of the
country and are restricted largely TO
regular telegraph users.
The petition says in part 1--WE be-
lieve your investigation of tele-
graph conditions would disclose the
fact that the people are now and
for long time have been deliberate
ly deprived of the advantages, bene-
fits and economies of low uniform
rates by systematized violations of
the laws designed for their protection
and betterment. That exorbinant
rates for unimproved service have
been maintained either by actual COM
bination or by gentlemen agree
ments and that strenuous efforts
have been employed to prevent the
introduction of cheap tolls, whether
by competition or legislative measures
seems obvious to your petitioners
Attention is called in the petition
to the absorption by the American
Bell Telephone Co., of former in
dependent telephone companies and
to efforts which it is claimed have
been made to induce independent
companies that have not been ac-
quired to center into agreements
for the maintainence Of .extortionate
rates, whereby the public is mulcted
out of large sums annually.
''The American people" says Mr..
Sellers "have been humbugoed and
robbed for years bv the telegraph
monopoly, with their varying rates
from two to ten cents a word. The
Western Union and Postal Companies
have been assuring us that they are
in competition, yet maintain the
same fixed and inaevible rates be
tween all poists. While pretend
ing to fight each other. it is signifi-
cant how firmly they stand together
when aieibcdy suggests introducing
an improved system with lower rates
and an improved service in the field
they dominate. We want the Inter
State Commerce Commission to open
mp the whole subject and smoke out
the Niger IN the wood-pile, hurt
whom it may. While we are vastly
ahead of other. countries in most
things that stand for economy in
time, and efficiency, it is singular
that we use the telegraph less and
pay more for an inferior service than
any other first class nation. And
this in spite of the fact that here the
distances to be covered are many
times greater than abroad and the
demands of Commerce for quick
and inexpensive communication more
pressing than in any other part OF
the world. The why and wherefore
Of this we want the Interstate Com
merce Commission to find out. The
result should be highly enlightenine
to the people and productive OF
much good.'