Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1912-03-16

Democratic Candidate for
this rate eventually from three esats
TO one cent Al one eeot ~ Deu0t
would b enormous. With The oeo0o
miles Of the automatic tslepA0ae anA
Q sumcisnt number Of subsesibsO.
The night plan would b, Of eourss.
for the business men Of New York
who pay enormous tolls 10 The teie
phone monopoly 70 set together. 70
bind thensa.ves 60 take . new service
-an automatic cheap service With
certain graraassss - and through
pressure q public opinion compel the
granting Of . ffanchiss 70 IN auto.
mane company charging the lowest
possible rate.
But II 10 eimcuit to get business
men 70 unite; dimcult to make them
resen; effectively even the most pal.
pabIe extortion.
The chief hope lies IN the courage.
energy and business knowledge Of
such . man % Armour. who has the
money. who 10 not frightened By the
power Of . monopoly, and who might
| II he chose. be remembered % one Of
the real bsnefactors Of the country
By breaking down the telephone mon.
opoly and making Of the great tele-
phone convenience . blessing within
the reach OF oil and % cheap. In pro.
portion. % the national postomcs.
Mayor Harrison made . popular
move when hs ordered . new report
O Tie telephone situation. The "sx.
pert" whose report 10 now IN the
hands Of the Council Committee fav.
ored the raising Of rates and gen.
sral contribution to the nscsssitiss Of
The phone gang. HIS report strangely
snough showed that the chicago
tFaAeA Of the monopoly 10 owned
BODY. boots and breschss By the
American Telephone crowd who con.
troll the telephone business Of the
whole country. His report also shows
that the Chicago branch Of the monop.
oily 10 obliged to buy oil Of IT, equip
ment from . notorious Electric Com.
pany which 10 also owned By the
American Telephone Trust This com.
pany makes ito own prices for what
Il sells to the other concern and the
people Of Chicago are expected to pay
for the profits Of both subsidiary insti.
tutions Of the Trust
The telephone trust 10 the most
grinding Of the many trusts that exist
In the United States.
II snufis out competition by the
power OF its money and the people
are like 90 many serfs to be used at
its own beck and call.
The rising tide Of indignation will
never subside until the whole tele.
phone trust and It's aides and abettors
are punished.
Charles F. DeWoody, division super.
intendent In the Department Of JUS
tlce secret service, returned from q
trip on which 1t 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.G General
Wickersham looking to the filing oi
proceedings for the dissolution Of the
alleged trust. An exhaustive investi
cation has been going on In Chicago
It is said, OF the operations OF tho Bel
syndicate alleged to be In violation ol
the Sherman law.
"You have been West II Is under
stood for the purpose Of getting data
bearing on the alleged telephone
trust, have you not?" DeWOody was
asked.
"That is matter that cannot
possibly discuss. There Is nothing
that we can announce regarding any
such investigation" was the reply.
Chicago Daily News editorial. De
cember 10, 1911
1t 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 Il
go on the measured service basis. Op
position to the measured service plar
Is aroused whenever patron OF the
telephone company Ia made to pay
two tolls where one should be SUN
cient.
] The ordinary person In attempting
to telephone to railroad passenger
station, for example. Is likely to asl
for the wrong number for the purpose
of his call. for SO confusing is thu
array of titles and numbers In the
telephone directory that II is Otter
difficult to decide upon the department
that is wanted. Frequently the infor
nation bureau at a 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 second nickel.
Both the railroad companies and the