Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1912-12-14

1 for better conditions and lower rates
In the telephone service are mistaken.
The telephone is necessity to the
people and no one knows this better
than The monopoly which controls II.
The purchase of newspapers or the
purchase of public officials will not
help the cause of monopoly.
The newspapers which support mo.
nopoly have lost their influence with
the public, which Is intelligent and
possessed of q good memory.
Public officials who give away the
peoples rights or show favors to the
telephone monopoly will not be for.
gotten.
On the contrary, they will be prop.
erly branded and will be retired to
private life.
The people are in no frame of mind
TO be trified with. They are showing
this every day and at every election.
The man who sells them out to a
trust may win the appreciation of
some millionaire-owned daily paper,
but the common citizen, who is in.
suited, neglected and overcharged by
the telephone service, will not forget.
There is one thing that the average
voter has a knife up his sleeve for.
That thing Is the public official who
favors the Telephone Trust.
40
From learned Experts" reports
to the City Council we learn that.
Telephone rates should be raised
because the Bell Telephone Company
owns the local telephone company.
Because the Western Electrical
Company is also owned by the Bell
Telephone Company.
Because the local telephone com.
pany Is obliged to buy all OF its equip.
ment and necesaries from the West.
ern Electrical Company.
Because neither the Western Elec.
trical Company or the local telephone
company would have big enough prof.
J its to suit the Bell Telephone, which
owns them, II Chicago people were
not pressed for a little more coin and
their telephone rates raised.
Because the local telephone com.
pany has increased Its capital stock
from the original 100000 to $27,0OO,.
600 and $5,00O,OOO more In bonds.
Because the stockholders would not
get big enough dividends on this i'm.
mense stock Issue II the people Of Chi.
cago were not squeezed.
Therefore the telephone company
has the nerve to ask the City Council
to raise the rates on the people Of
Chicago.
The people of Chicago are to be
used as serfs by the Telephone Mon.
opoly and the last drop Is to be
squeezed out OF them.
In the meantime It would be well
for the aldermen to inquire into the
alleged relations. In the past. OF Ger.
tain city officials with the above cleo.
trical company. the twin Of the local
telephone company, both being owned
by the Bell Monopoly.
Tho telephone gang want the coun.
ell to raise the rates on oil phones.
To abolish all fiat phones and make
everybody take measured service.
To put nickel in every phone be.
fore connection Is made.
Fire Marshal Seyferlich asserted
that as practically one.half OF the fire
and police alarms are received by tele.
phone. he did not favor the general
installation Of the "pay.in.advance"
type of telephone instrument now be.
ing placed In various parts Of the city
by the telephone company.
The Chicago Telephone Company,
which Is suffering SO much from
want Of funds. according to certain
city experts" that It will have to
raise telephone rates on the people
In order to exist. paid per cent In
dividends last year.
Think OF II!
Eight per cent on twenty.seven tail.
lion dollars!
This Is the company that started
with capital stock Of half million
and now has capital stock OF TWEEN.
ty.seven millions.
1t pays s per cent annual dividend
on, twenty-seven millions and puts up
a twenty-five story modern once
building besides.
The people Of Chicago are such
easy marks that the phone crowd want
TO get more out OF them and asks for
an increase in rates at the hands OF
the City Council.
And two experts" agree that this
poor" company Ia losing money!
In 1911 the Chicago Telephone Com
pany paid s per cent In quarterly divi.
dends Of per cent March 81, 2 per
cent. June 80; 2 per cent, September
30; 2 per cent. December 30, 1911.
Here Is nice little nest egg OF
s?,1G0OOO divided up among the stock.
holders.
When to this is added the proflts
paid the parent Bell Telephone
Company, the amount grabbed of the
people of Chicago Is simply enormous.
Instead Of raising telephone rates.
the City Council should lower them.
~
John ]. Geraghty, head OF the An.
cient Order of Hibernians and well
known manufacturer of badges and
buttons would make fine city treas.
urer.
~eA
The Telephone Trust In order to