Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1912-01-27

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antitrust law One Of them provided
hat when any patent granted By the
government 10 used to build up Q trust
Or combination the patent shall b for.
Ieited."
All telephone rates are now subjscs
10 revision every 0ve years.
The telephone company wants the
city to raise rates and abolish the pro
vision In the ordinance calling for ~
vision every i've years.
They want to keep the people whses
they have them 20 that they can't -
away.
The expert" on pages ios and ios
Of his report apparently feels much
sympathy for the company On this sub
Jest.
VIII the aldermen show any sym.
pathy for the psoplsr
~
The telephone company wants the
public to pay high rates because -
the improvements Il has put In the
service. II this kind Of reasoning holds
good. then Marshall Field 4 Co. anI
The Fair should charge higher prices
for the goods because Of the Ans
buildings and other improvements
they have paid for. And on the same
like OF argument the Northwestern
Railroad should double the price Of
railroad fares because II has erected
. S2s,000,00o depot.
The telephone monopoly obligss the
users Of nickel phones to guarantee 8
cents per day. II the monthly deposit
Of nickels falls short Of the guarantee
the company makes the phone renter
pay the difference. II there should
happen to be An excess Of nicksls the
company gobbles them all. The phone
renter gets no credit for that excess
That's the logic Of the monopoly.
@S>
The Telephone Trust doesn't want
much from the City Council.
It only wants the phone rates raised
a trife. They are not high enough at
present to swell the dividends OF the
local and the parent company.
II 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.
II wants them TO deposit a nickel
before they can get police or fire pro.
lection on an emergency call.
IL wants the city to give II free
rein to carry out Its designs on the
public.
II wants a great deal more.
What aldermen will sell out their
constituents to help this monopoly?
Mayor Harrison made popular
move when he ordered q new report
on the telephone situation. The "ex.
pert whose report IL now In the
hands OF the Council Committee fav.
ored the raising OF rates and Q gen.
eral contribution to the necessities Of
the phone gang. His report strangely
enough showed that the Chicago
Sranch OF the monopoly 10 owned
body, boots and breeches 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 Is obliged to buy all OF It's equip
ment from notorious Electric Com
pany which is also owned by the
American Telephone Trust. This com.
pany makes its own prices for what
Il sells 10 the other concern and the
people Of Chicago are expected to pay
for the profits OF both subsidiary insti.
tutions OF the Trust.
Talk about the Tobacco Trust, the
Standard oil Trust and every other
trust. The trust that Is the real thing
is the Telephone Trust. This Trust
hits over quarter OF a million people
in Chicago. Recently 1t has grown 20
bold that It managed to grab off for
the purchase OF its watered stock a
big sum OF money donated by the gem
erous Chicago public for the immedi-
ate relief OF the widows and orphans
OF brave fremen who gave up their
lives last December In the discharge
OF their duty. Any alderman who
votes for an ordinance favoring the
Telephone Trust deserves the ignom.
iny which he will certainly receive.
The telephone monopoly in Chicago
has grown to be an unbearable nuis.
snce