Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1912-04-13

W SV0 O0moGrStlC 0uxSvSs
company has hit upon . new scheme
for the extraction Of the nimble nickel
from the clothes Of customers.
The new scheme ID called the
short ring"
Heretofore when . call Was made
the telephone bells jingled Q long
time or until they were answered.
Now, In some parts Of the city they
are barely tapped.
OF course II the party called does
not hear the mild ring or takes the
sound for "eaossed wire." or Q "mis.
take" the caller has TO try II over
again and drop another nickel.
This nickel movement 10 Q great
thing.
In fact, in Chicago the telephone
company has discovered the richest
nickel mine on earth.
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.
The telephone monopoly IN Chicago
has grown % b IN unbeafable nuis.
anoo.
The service 10 rotten.
The scandal attendant On the pass.
age Of the telephone ordinance By The
council Ave years ago b not forgot,
ten.
The passage Of the present ord.
nance viii result in sonsthing more
than scandal for The fasts win b
easier 70 Ct at.
Any alderman who votes for IN in.
crease Of rates win bs branded - hs
ought 70 be.
The Chicago American Of June 80
contained the following vigorous ar.
ticls on the subjsct Of . merger:
The New YORK Times announces
that there 70 hope Of telephone com.
petition In New York CITY and that
Armour. the great packer Of Chicago
10 said to be back Of the plan.
The idea 10 TO buy up certain fran.
chises In the state OF New York, -
pecially to get IN entrance into New
York City. and 70 give 70 the eitisena
the benefit Of telephone competitor
and Of actually cheap service.
The idea Of cheap telephone service
10 going 70 grow n The United States
and eventually Il 10 going 70 b real
ised. despite The power o. any mon
opoly or the profits Of any group oi
individuals.
Il costs less. or under proper nan.
agemsnt would cost Lees. 70 send q
telephone message than 70 send z
letter.
There was Q time IN the Unitsd
States when private individuals q.
plotted the maiib and whom the eiti.
sen writing . letter paid fron ten
cents 70 dollar Or more % have
II delivered. Government ewuersAip,
economical. businsssliks methods,
have reduced the price Of sending 1T
tsrs TO two cents all over the United
states-even In the Klondike. whore
the letters are carried on dog sledgss.
And sane. businssslike administrs.
ton Of the telephone system Of this
country. with the latest up.todate au.
tomato methods. would make tsle.
phoning 40 cheap % writing letters.
and cheaper.
That will not come at once. but q
very great Improvement will come.
and right away.
The price charged BY the Bell mon.
opoly 10 preposterous-thers 10 no
worse form Of extortion among al the
extortions In the United States.
A man who lives In the suburbs
thirty miles from . big city gets q
communication ticket. The railroad
carries his two-hundred.pound body
back and forth twice Q day fol
twenty-five cents . day. II hs wants
to talk TO his house twice Q day The
telephone company charges him sixty
cents. and charges for tha wire bs
sides.
In other words. the telephone mon
opoly charges more than twice q
much to carry over Q wire Q human
voice. which weighs nothing. - the
railroad charges TO carry . two-hun
dred.pound man over thirty miles oi
solid steel rails.
And the railroad has to have ter
minals. and locomotives. and power:
whereas. with the telephone. thl
mans own voice 10 the chief power
involved.
Armour of CHICAGO 10 Q man whs
could give the people of this countFy
the beneht Of cheap tslephone service
If he should make up hie mipd to d
It. He has proved bic ability - a
organiser; he 10 Q man Of gIsat
wealth and Of unusual industry and
application. II 10 notorious that hil
working hours are from seven In the
morning until slx IN the evening. and
that work y ~ only amusement
The idea = not visionary. for A.
mour. associated with othsrs-with thl