Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1911-12-16

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the company makes the phone renter
pay the difference. II there should
happen to be an excess Of nickels the
gobbles them all. The phone
renter gets no credit for that excess
That's the logic Of the monopoly.
~eSA
All telephone rates are now subject
to revision every I've years.
The telephone company wants the
city to raise rates and abolish the pro.
vision In the ordinance calling for 70
vision every Ave years.
They want to keep the people who're
they have them so that they cant get
away.
The expert" on pages los aAd 100
of his report apparently feels much
sympathy for the company on this sub
Jest.
VIII the aldermen show any sym.
pathy for the psopssr
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The telephone company wants the
public to pay high rates because q
the improvements It has put In the
service. II this kind Of reasoning holds
good. then Marshall Field 4 Co. anl
The Fair should charge higher prices
for the goods because Of the hn<
buildings and other improvement
they have paid for. And on the same
like Of argument the Northwestern
Railroad should double the price ol
railroad fares because It has erected
. $25, 100000 depot.
All telephone patents should be con
Ascated by the government when they
become the exclusive property Of th(
Telephone Trust. The following from
an editorial In the Chicago Dali.
News Of July II. 1911. hits the cas-
exactly:
I'm an argument before the nationa
senate's interstate commerce comit
tee. Senator Kenyon recently urget
several notifications Of the Sherman
antitrust law. One Of them provide<
that when any patent granted BY tn,
government 10 used to build up . trus
or combination the patent shall b for
feited."
Municipal ownership OF telephones
Is favored by Aid. Herman J. Bauler
wto has been advocating penny tele
phones" He serves notice that un
less the Chicago Telephone company
agrees to q new schedule Of rates be
fore the aldermanic election mex,
April. he will endeavor to bring the
municipal ownership idea before tht
people for q referendum vote.
AID. Bauler think It would be pos
sible for the city to purchase the
automatic system already installed
and to operate It on q municipal
ownership basis. He asserts 1t is his
intention. unless new rates are set
tied by the council and the Chicago
Telephone company. to get up q peti
tion and ask for an expression from
the voters on the question of the mu
nicipality operating telephone sys
tenn. II Is understood Aid. Baulei
proposes to get this expression un
der the public policy act, which per
mits the submission OF q question OF
publ; policy to the voters, the de-
cision being merely advisory and NOT
binding.
Mayor Harrison made q popular
move when he ordered a new report
on the telephone situation. The "ex
pert" whose report is now In the
hands OF the Council Committee fav
ored the raising OF rates and q gen
eral contribution to the necessities ol
the phone gang. His report strangely
enough showed that the Chicago
sranch OF the monopoly is owned
body, boots and breeches by the
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 is obliged TO buy all OF its equip
ment from a notorious Electric Com
pany which Is also owned by the
American Telephone Trust. This com
pany makes It's own prices for what
II sells 10 the other concern and the
people of Chicago are expected to 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 is the real thing
10 the Telephone Trust. This Trust
hits over a quarter OF a million people
In Chicago. Recently 1t has grown "a
bold that 1t managed to grab off for
the purchase OF It's watered stock a
big sum Of money donated by the gen.
erous Chicago public for the immedi-
ate relief OF the widows and orphans
OF brave fremen who gave up their
lives last December in the discharge
OF their duty. Any alderman who
votes for an ordinance favoring the
Telephone Trust deserves the ignom.
my which he will certainly receive.
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