Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1912-05-18

CHARLES 8.
Delegate at Large, Repub
swore before the Grand Jury that they
did not know how the funds were
procured for the bribery"
This report was signed By william |
Kent, formerly . we'll known alder. |
man and fefor,nsr Of Chicago and ok
other members Of the committee ap-
pointed By the mayor Of Gan Francis.
co. Oct -. 1908.
Telephone rates are entirely too
high in Chicago. The Aldermen have
a chance to lower them. viii they
do It?
All telephone patents should b con
nscated By the government when tAsV
become the exclusive property q ~
Telephone Trust. The following iron
an editorial IN the Chieaso Dally
News Of July II, 1911. hits ~ eass
exactly:
I'm IN argument before the .atioaa,
senate's interstate commerce CONT
tee. Senator Ksnyoa recently ufoeA
several notifications Of he eheenAa
antitrust law. one Of then Deevidel
that when any patent gralted by NE
government 10 used 70 buill up tSuse
or combination the potN0t ohol1 - -.
Ssitel"
A telephone company that pays
eight per cent dividends on twenty.
nine millions Of stock 10 making too
much money. The people are paying
too much for telephone service.
Penny telephones are to b estab.
lished In Detroit and there 10 no good
reason why they should not bs sstab-
l!she1 In Chicago. Tho following
dispatch from Detroit explains itself:
Reduction Of local telephone rates
30 per cent for the average user,
elimination Of the distinction between
'residences' and business telephones
and the establishment OF . rate Of
$3.50 per month and ! cent each for
outgoing messages In excess Of 200
per month on single party lines, with
no limit on incoming calls are pro-
vided for In an ordinance. on which
Q common council committee began
hearings."
The Telephone Trust doesn't want
much from the City Council.
It only wants the phone rates raised
. tribe. They are not high enough at
present to swell the dividends Of tho
local and the parent company.
It only wants permission to install
pay.in,advance slot machines all over
the city. because people are not losing
enough nickels already.
It wants the people to bear more Of
It's earning expenses than they do now.
It wants them to deposit Q nickel
before they can get police or IRE pro-
lection on an emergency call.
II wants the city to give II free
rein to carry out its designs on tho
public.
It wants a great deal more.
What aldermen will sell out their
constituents to help this monopoly?
The telephone trust 10 tho most
grinding Of the many trusts that exist
in the United States.
It snuffs out competition by the
power OF its money and the people
are like SO 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 Its aides and abettors
are punished.
Charles F. DeWoody. division super
intendent in the Department Of JUS
tice 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.General
Wickersham looking to the fling of
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 Bell
syndicate alleged to be In violation OF
the Sherman law.
you have been West It 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.
The Chicago Telephone Company
charges a much lower rental for its
service in suburban towns than 1t
does in the city. Yet the officers Of
the corporation have the gall to say