Chicago eagle., 1912-03-23

EDWARD !
Democratic choI,
way have installed already more than
twenty-five thousand automatic tsle
phones. They give an unlimited serv.
loo for >og yoar-obout ono-hA1 tAo
charge of The Bell monopoly. They
give unlimited tslephone service 70
private families foe lee than thirty
dollars Q yea1. Win . full e1tensloa
Of their system even Ne poorest fAu-
ilieo win use Ne telephooeo, aal b
bettse q q ~ 90 q he yeas
tAroaSA ~ saving q easfAsA.
The charge eoe ~ 0tAuons Win
tAis new systs0. WhicA = baekel ~
Armour and he etAesu. q three eeats
per eall. a1d ne intsatioa . - lower
this rate evsatuaily hon tAfee eeats
70 one esat A. 90 esat ~ Dee0s
would - onorDoa0, WltA tAo ooo1o
mics Of tAs automatic telepAons end
Q sumcient numbef q ouboefiberS.
The night plan would -. q course.
for the business men oe New York
who pay enormous tolls % he tslt
phone monopoly 70 ct togstAss. %
bind Themselves % take . new service
-an automatic cheap service WITH
certain guarantees - and through
pressure Of public opinion compel The
granting of . franehise % a auto
matte company charging he lowest
possible rate.
But Il b dims.lt 70 Ct business
msn 70 unite: dimeult 70 make then
resent effectively even The most pal'
pable extoetioa.
The chief hope Nee IN The courage
sneegy and business knowledge q
such Q man - Armour. who has ~
money, who % not fSighteued by III
power Of . monopoly. ana who might
II he chose, be renemberod - one o.
the real bensfaetors o6 The oountr5
By breakinS down the telephone mon
opoly and mailing Of the great tsle
phone convenience . blessing within
the reach Of all and % cheap. IN pro
portion. % The national posto@es.
MAYOR Harrison made Q populas
move when hs ordered . new report
q The telephone situation. The "ex
pert" whose report % now n tAa
hands oe the Council Committee fav'
ored the raising Of rates aAa Q gen
sral contribution 70 the necessities oi
tie pAoas gang. His report strangely
enough showed that he CAieaOd
SraaeA q tAs monopoly q owned
BODY, boots and broeeAes by III
American Tslsphoae crowd Who 60
troll The telephone business q III
whole country. HE report also SAowl
that the Chicago branch q ~ meoop
oily 10 obliged 70 buy all oe ~ EQUIP
msnt from Q aotor1ous Bleety1e Can
pany Which 70 also ow1ed by ~
American Telephone Trust TAls eosn'
pany makes 10 own prices fos Whai
Il sells 10 the other eoaeeea aa6 the
people sf Chicago ars s1peetel . pay
for the profits Of both subsidiary Inst
tutlons Of tAo Trust
~
The telephone trust 10 the mos,
grinding Of the many trusts that exist
In the United States.
It snufs out competition By thu
power Of IT. money and the people
are like 20 many serfs TO bs used al
its own beck and call.
Tho rising tide Of indignation viii
never subside until the whole tele
phone trust and it, aides and abettorl
are punished.
Charles F. Dewoody. division super
intendent In the Department Of Jus
tice secret service. returned from {
trip ON which It Is reported he hal
been gathering information for the At
torney.General regarding the alleget
Bell telephone monopoly.
It Is reported that an investigation
national In its scope. is being carriet
on by the forces Of Attorneys Genera
Wickersham looking to the hling o.
proceedings for the dissolution Of tn,
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 O
the Sherman law.
"You have been West Il Is under
stood for the purpose Of getting dat,
bearing on the alleged telephone
trust, have you not?" DeWoody wal
asked.
"That is a matter that I canno
! possibly discuss. There II nothinl
that we can announce regarding an!
such investigation" was the reply.
Chicago Daily News editorial, De
cember 10, 1911:
It has been the aim Of the telephon,
company to do away with unlimited
service as far as possible and to re-
Quire all users Of its instruments Il
go on the measured service basis. Op
position to the measured service plar
is aroused whenever Q patron OF the
telephone company 10 made to pay
tWo tolla Where ona should bA ann.