Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1912-06-01

i NELSON N
We'll known Banker On
the company makes tAo Dheao rsaAR
pay The diRsreaes. II there ehoaN
happen 70 b a excess e nlaDo1D ~
company gobbles them an The phooe
renter eets no credit for hat e1eooo.
That's ths logie q tAs asaopely.
~aA
Telephone rates are entirely too
high In Chicago. The Aldermen have
chance to lower them. VIII they
do Il?
Chicago Daily News editorial. d.
cember 10. 1911:
Il has been the aim Of the telephone
company to do away with unlimited
service % far % possible and 70 r..
Quire all users Of IT, instruments 70
90 on the measured service basis. op.
position to the measured service plan
10 aroused whenever . patron OF the
telephone company 10 made 70 pay
two tolls where one should bs sum.
Client.
The ordinary person in attsmpting
to telephone to . railroad passenger
station, for example. 10 likely TO ask
for the wrong number for the purpose
Of his call. for % confusing 10 the
array Of titles and numbers In the
telephone directory that Il 70 often
difncult TO decide upon the department
that 10 wanted. frequently the infor.
nation bureau At . railroad station.
when appealed TO. refers the inquirer
to another telephone number In the
same building. This necsssitatss the
payment Of . second toll. Telephone
operators are careful 20 prevent the
second call from being made without
the payment Of second nickel.
Both the railroad companies and The
telephone company should do their
best 70 see that the arrangement Of
department names in the telephone d.
rsctory 10 suniciently clear 70 enable
inquirers 70 call the Arst 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 corporations.
The Telephone Trust doesn't want
much from the City Council.
Il only wants the phone rates raised
. trihe. They are not high enough ct
present TO swell the dividends OF the
local and tho parent company.
Il only wants permission 10 install
pay.in,advance slot machines all over
the city. because people are not losing
enough nickels already.
II wants the people to bear more Of
IT. earning expenses than they do now.
Il wants them to deposit Q nickel
before they can get police or ars pro.
lection on IN emergency call.
Il wants the city TO give Il free
rein TO carry out it, designs on the
public.
II wants . great deal more.
What aldermen will sell out their
constituents to help this monopoly
The telephone trust 10 the most
grinding Of the many trusts that exist
In the United States.
Il snu9s out competition BY the
power OF it, money and the people
are like 20 many serfs TO bs used st
It's own beck and call.
The rising tide Of indignation will
never subside until the whole tels.
phone trust and its aides and abettors
are punished.
Charles F. DeWoody. division super.
intendent In the Department Of Jus.
tice secret service. returned from Z
trip on which It Is reported he has
been gathering information for the At
torney.General regarding the alleged
Bell telephone monopoly.
It is reported that an investigation
national In its scope. is being carried
on by the forces Of Attorney General
Wickersham looking to the hling oi
proceedings for the dissolution Of the
alleged trust. An exhaustive investi
cation has been going ON In Chicago
1t Is said, of the operations OF the Bel
syndicate alleged to be In violation ol
the Sherman law.
you have been West It is under
stood for the purpose Of getting dat,
bearing on the alleged telephon,
trust, have you not?" DeWoody wal
asked.
"That Is matter that I canno
possibly discuss. There is nothinl
that we can announce regarding an!
such investigation" was the reply.
The Chicago Telephone Compan!
charges a much lower rental for III
service In suburban towns than 1
does In the city. Yet the officers o
the corporation have the gall to sa!
that all of the big gain In its service
reported at the annual meeting thil
year came from the country. This, o
course, is reason for raising tn,
rates. The following from the Chica