Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1912-08-17
City, COUNTY and STATE
Official. Political and General News from the
Different Public Offices of Public Interest.

The Telephone Trust is the most
grinding of the many trusts that exist
in the United States.
1t snuffs out competition by the
power of its money and the people
are like so many serfs to be used at
it's own beck and call.
The rising tide of indignation will
never subside until the whole Tele.
phone Trust and its aides and abettors
are punished.
The Telephone Monopoly obliges
the users Of nickel phones to guaran.
tee s cents per day. If the monthly
deposit OF nickels falls short Of the
guarantee the company makes the
phone renter pay the difference. II
there should happen to be an excess
of nickels the company gobbles them
all. The phone renter gets no credit
for that excess. That's the logic OF
the monopoly.
The telephone trust 10 the most
grinding Of the many trusts that exist
In the United States.
II snuffs out competition BY the
power Of its money and the people
are like 90 many serfs 70 bo used at
Ito own beck and call.
The rising tide Of indignation will
never subside until the whole tele'
phone trust and its aides and absttors
are punished.
Charles F. Dewoody. division supss.
intendent IN the Department Of Jus
tice secret service. returned from Q
trip on which II 10 reported hs he's
been gathsring Information for the A.
tornsy.0 General regarding the alleged
Bell telephone monopoly.
Telephone rates are entirely too
high In Chicago. The Aldermen have
. chance to lower them. VIII they
do It?
II 10 reported that an investigation
national In its scope. 10 being carried
on BY the forces Of Attorney. General
wickersham looking to the fling Of
proceedings for the dissolution Of the
alleged trust. An exhaustive invest.
cation has been going on In Chicago.
It 10 said, Of the operations Of the Bell
syndicate alleged to bs In violation Of
the Sherman law.
"You have been West Il 10 under.
stood for the purpose OF getting data
bearing on the alleged telephone
trust, have you notf" Dswoody was
asked.
"That 10 Q matter that cannot
possibly discuss. There 10 nothing
that We can announce regarding any
such investigation" was the reply.
The enormous dividends paid to IL
stockholders by the Telephone Trust
are wrung from the pockets Of the
people by excessive telephone charges.
Telephone rates must be reduced
and In time they viii be.
The fact that one city council will
barter away the peoples rights 10 no
reason why succeeding councils should
do the same. ..., ,,,,..,..
The fight for cheaper telephone
service will 60 on until It 10 won.
A telephone company that pays
eight per cent dividends on twenty.
nine millions OF stock 10 making too
much money. The people are paying
too much for telephone service.
The telephone trust contemplates
another big public Improvement. It
Is going to raise its dividend.
People who have been helping the
telephone company to pay eight per
cent stock dividends and to erect
twenty story buildings want telephone
rates reduced.
Chicago people demand Q reduction
Of telephone rates.
A cent q call or at the most AZ
cents call would yield the telephone
company . profit and save money for
the people.
In big advertisements printed In
Chicago daily newspapers April Is.
1912. the concern Offering $4,000, 900
Of telephone bonds for sale. quotes Q
letter from the president of the com.
pany in which 1t Is stated that tele.
phone
Earnings have shown Q steady and
substantial growth. having Increased
from $3,129,238 In 1900 to $12,678,.
S90.57 in 1911. or an increase Of over
300 per cent In the past eleven years."
Why not give the public the benefit
OF this prosperity?
~0A
COUNTY oFFIcEs-NEw COURT
HOUSE.
Sheriff's Office.
Fourth floor, room 423.
County Treasurer.
Second floor. room 212.
Recorder Of Deeds.
First floor, room l20.