Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1912-04-20

on by the forces Of Attorney.G General
wickersham looking to the filing Of
proceedings for the dissolution Of the
alleged trust. An exhaustive investi.
cation has been going on In Chicago.
II is said, Of the operations Of the Bell
syndicate alleged to be 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 not?" DeWoody was
asked.
"That Is a matter that I cannot
possibly discuss. There IL nothing
that we can announce regarding any
such investigation" was the reply.
Chicago Daily News editorial, D.
cember 10, 1911:
II has been the aim Of the telephone
company to do away with unlimited
service as far as possible and to re.
quire all users OF its instruments to
90 on the measured service basis. Op.
position to tho measured service plan
Is aroused whenever q patron Of the
telephone company is made to pay
two tolls where one should be sum.
Client.
The ordinary person In attempting
to telephone to q railroad passenger
station, for example, is likely to ask
for the wrong number for the purpose
Of his call. for so confusing Is the
array OF titles and numbers In the
telephone directory that It 10 often
difficult to decide upon the department
that Is wanted. Frequently the infor'
nation bureau at railroad station,
when appealed to, refers the inquirer
to another telephone number in the
same building. This necessitates the
payment OF second toll. Telephone
operators are careful to prevent the
second call from being made without
the payment Of o second nickel.
Both the railroad companies and the
telephone company should do their
best to see that the arrangement OF
department names In the telephone d.
rectory IL sufhciently clear to enable
inquirers to call the hrst time for
the number they really want.
The city ought to have . bureau Of
complaints to which appeals for the
Improvement Of faulty conditions Of
service might be made by patrons Of
local public utility corporation.
The telephone monopoly ooliees IN
users Of nickel phones to guarantee
cents per day. II the monthly 6eposal
Of nicksls falls short Of ~ guarantee
the company makes the phone reatsl
pay the difference. II there shoult
happen 70 bs IN excess oe lickaaD tn
company gobbles them all. The phoal
renter gets no credit for that excess
That's the logic q he nsaopely.
We take the following from page
"a Of the Report on the Causes oi
Municipal Corruption In San Fran
cisco 20 disclosed BY the investiga'
tions Of the oliver grand Jury and the
prosecution Of certain persons fol
bribery and other offenses against the
state" made BY . committee appoint
cd by the mayor Of that city and pub
lished BY order OF the board Of %
psrvisors. eity and county OF San
Francisco, January 5, 1910:
1.-THE Pacih Telephone and Tsls
graph Company bribed the supsrvis
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 pur
pose Of the crime was to maintain
profit which might bs cut By th'
competition Of business rivals. Th,
aupervisors were paid In all ovsl
$4,000. The managing committee O
the board Of directors Of the compan!
swore before tho Grand Jury that the!
did not know how the funds wsr,
procured for the bribery"
This report was signed By william
Kent, formerly Q wsll known alder
man and refornsr Of Chicago and si,
other members Of the committee %
pointed By the mayor Of San Francis
CO. Oct -. 1908.
| ~
Telephone rates are entirely to-
high In Chicago. The Aldermen hav
chance to lower them. VIII the
do It?
| A telephone company that pay
eight per cent dividends on twenty
nine millions of stock is making to-
much money. The people are payin
too much for telephone service.
Penny telephones are to be estat
lished In Detroit and there 10 no goo
reason why they should not be estat
l!she' IN Chicago. The followin
dispatch from Detroit explains itself
Reduction Of local telephone rate
80 per cent for the average ussl
elimination OF ths distinction bstwes
residences and business telephone
and the establishment OF . rate q
$3.50 per month and ! cent each 10
outgoing messages In excess Of 30
per month on single party lines. Wit
no limit on incoming calls are pm