Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1912-09-07
THE cAIcAcO EAcLE.
CITY, COUNTY AND STATE
Official. Political and General News from the
Different Public Offices of Public Interest.

rates. The following from the Chica.
90 Daily News shows how the phone
people bank on the reports Of the
city "experts:"
slight gains in revenues were re.
ported to the stockholders Of the Chi.
cago Telephone Company at the an.
nual meeting, although there was q
falling of in the profits In the city Of
Chicago itself. This loss was due.
according to President Bernard e.
Sunny's report, to the constantly In.
creasing number of nickel a day"
the revenue on which av.
erages $22.7O per annum az against q
cost OF operation. he said, Of $28.64,
as fixed by one city expert, and $26.28
az fixed by another city expert. The
pecentage Of nickel telephones in
Chicago increased SO per cent In 1908
and ~ per cent in 1911. The com.
psny reports increased earnings In
the suburban division, which Offset
the losses In Chicago"
The Telephone Trust doesn't want
much from the City Council.
Il only wants the phone rates raised
Q trihe. They are not high enough ct
present to swell the dividends Of the
local and the parent company.
Il only wants permission to install
pay.in.advance slot machines all over
the city. because people are not losing
enough nickels already.
Il wants the people to bear more Of
IL earning expenses than they do now.
N wants them 70 deposit . nickel
before they can get police or Ore pro.
tection on an emergency call.
lt wants the city to give Il free
rein 10 carry out ito designs on the
public.
lt wants Q great deal more.
what aldermen will sell out theiS
constituents 70 help this monopoly
~6~
From q 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
It's to suit the Bell Telephone, which
owns them, II Chicago people were
not pressed for q little more coin and
their telephone rates raised.
Because the local telephone com
pany has increased its capital stocl
from the original 100000 to $4,000.
900 and 100000 more In bonds.
Because the stockholders would no
get big enough dividends on this i'm
mense stock issue II the people Of Chi
cago were not squeezed.
Therefore the telephone compan!
has the nerve to ask the City Council
to raise the rates on the people o
Chicago.
The people OF Chicago are to b.
used as serfs by the Telephone Mon
opoly and the last drop is to b,
squeezed out Of them.
In the meantime It would be wei
for the aldermen to inquire into th'
alleged relations, In the past, Of Ger
tain city officials with the above cleo
trical company, the twin Of the loca
telephone company, both being ownet
by the Bell Monopoly.
The telephone gang want the coun
! Gil to raise the rates on all phones
To abolish all fiat phones and mak'
everybody take measured service.
To put q nickel In every phone be
fore connection Is made.
Fire Marshal Seyferlich asserted
that as practically one.half Of the fir'
and police alarms are received by tele
phone. he did not favor the genera
installation Of the "pay.in.advance'
type of telephone instrument now be
ing placed In various parts Of the cit!
by the telephone company.
The Telephone Trust is the mos
grinding OF the many trusts that exis
in the United States.
It snuffs out competition by tn
power of It's money and the peopl'
| are like SO many serfs to be used q
its own beck and call.
The rising tide OF indignation will
never subside until the whole Tele
phone Trust and its aides and abettor
are punished.
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 twsnt,
nine millions Of stock 10 making tc
much money. The people are payip
too much for telephone service.
The enormous dividends paid to i
stockholders by the Telephone Tru
are wrung from the pockets OF Il
people by excessive telephone charge
Telephone rates must be reduce
and In time they will be.
The fact that one city council VI
| Ao.sn. ouou tho Da0plo,o rtUhta 10 .