Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1912-11-23

speculative CONCERNS only results IN
failures that Involve injuriously the In.
terests Of the entire community. How
often have we seen It that the failure
Of one Of these little banks. started
upon insecure and irresponsible founda.
tons, and doomed by fraudulent and
false representations, have dragged
down to ruin hundreds Of good. hard.
working, thrifty and deserving citizens
The licenses Issued by the examin.
Ing board. which, Of course, should be
composed Of responsible citizens and
able 6nanciers. should be Of a charac.
ter that would be absolutely prohibi.
tive Of all schemes and projects for the
establishment Of phony concernc Of this
kind.
This would be welcomed by all sound
and responsible banking houses,
whether private or national.
There has never been any official
prosecution Of any trust in Chicago
for tampering with legislative officials.
state or local.
But the records Of monopolies in
other sections OF the country have
not been free from faint and trust
officials have no business to be mixed
up with the administration Of justice
anywhere.
One Of the very best aldermen and
officials that Chicago ever had was
Alderman William Kent. Mr.. Kent
served with honor in the Chicago city
no,sv. at ana oSxoru,o .As so,novod -
California from which state he was
sent to congress.
Mr.. Kent was one Of the citizens Of
San Francisco who unearthed the
huge grating that was going on In
public life out there and the exposure
resulted In sending number Of Off
Gals to the penitentiary.
Mr.. Kent and the other members
OF the Citizens committee have print.
ed q complete report Of the result Of
their labors which we have before us.
On page "a Of this printed report
We find the following which we repub.
lish for the Information Of Chicago
people:
1.-THE Home Telephone bribery was
an attempt on the part of some own.
ers Of capital In distant cities to OBJ.
tain . franchise for system to com.
pete with the Pacific Telephone and
Telegraph Company, the local or.
ganization. As the Supervisors were
to offer franchise which fitted the
apparatus Of the Home Company
only, and hence 40 no one else could
bid against them, and as the Home
Telephone Company had no invest
ment In San Francisco to protect.
here, a. In other cases we have con
sidered, the claim OF extortion was
not present. These promoters were
seeking a greater income on their
moneys and did not hesitate to de-
bauch the city's officials to prevent
competition and make the profit pos
sible. The franchise was successfully
obtained. the Supervisors receiving
an average Of $4,000 each for their
votes.
1.-THE Pacific Telephone and Tele'
graph Company bribed the supervis'
ors to prevent the Home Telephone
Company, or any other organization
from obtaining telephone franchise
In San Francisco. No attack OF any
kind on the Pacific Telephone and
Telegraph Company was threatened by
the Supervisors, and the sole purpose
of the crime was to maintain prof,
which might be cut by the competition
OF business rivals. The Supervisors
were paid In all over $4,000. The
J managing committee Of the board oil
directors swore before tho grand Jury
that they did not know how the funds
were procured FOR the bribery"
There Is growing demand from
all the outlying sections of the city
for an extension OF the fine service
of the automatic telephone company
1t SO far outclasses the service OF the
Bell monopoly that the latter Is grow
ing more jealous OF 1t every day ant
Is using all OF its power and influence
to have the Automatic Company KEEP
from doing bsuiness in Chicago.
! Against such an outrage the people
are unanimous and the attempt II
stiHe competition will only make thu
, public demand 1t all the more.
; ~
Telephone competition In Chicago II
needed and needed badly.
, The people are sick and tired of be
; ing forced to submit to the demands
OF the phone trust. They resent thu
gall Of the trust In wanting the cit!
to give it monopoly and they are no
going to stand for any such action b!
The city.
For years they have suffered pa
tiently the wrongs put upon them b!
the trust and they have come to thu
position where they are not going Il
stand for it any longer.
The one thing that will put stol
to the high rates and poor service
from which the people Of Chicago
have suffered for years, is telephone
competition.
! Chicago demands phone competl
! ton.
9 -Re@N
, The Eagle, in common with grea
/ number of people in Chicago, ar
p anxiously waiting for the City Council
to so regulate the affairs of the Tele
phone Trust that they may secur
lower rates and other much needle