Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1912-09-21

pony reports increased earnings IN
the suburban division, which Offset
the losses In Chicago"
The Telephone Trust doesn't want
much from the City Council.
II only wants the phone rates raised
. triHe. They are not high enough at
present to swell the dividends Of the
local and the parent company.
It only wants permission to install
slot machines all over
the city, because people are not losing
enough nickels already.
II wants the people to bear moro Of
its earning expenses than they do now.
Il wants them to deposit . nickel
before they can get police or fre pro
lection on an emergency call.
II wants the city to give Il free
rein to carry out its designs on the
public.
II wants . great deal more.
What aldermen will sell out their
constituents to help this monopoly
From a learned Experts" reports
to the City Council we learn that:
-. Telephone rates should be raised
because the Bell Telephone Company
owns the local telephone company.
Because the Western Electrical
Company Is also owned by the Bell
Telephone Company.
Because the local telephone com.
pany is obliged to buy all Of ito equip.
ment and necesaries from the West.
ern Electrical Company.
Because neither the Western Elec.
trical Company or the local telephone
company would have big enough prof.
its to suit the Bell Telephone, which
owns them. II Chicago people were
not pressed for q little more coin and
their telephone rates raised.
Because the local telephone com.
pany has increased its capital stock
from the original 100000 to $27.000..
900 and 100000 more In bonds.
Because the stockholders would not
get big enough dividends on this i'm.
mense stock issue II the people Of Chi.
cago were not squeezed.
Therefore the telephone company
has the nerve to ask the City Council
to raise the rates on tho people Of
Chicago.
The people OF Chicago are to be
used as serfs by the Telephone Mon.
opoly and the last drop Is to be
squeezed out OF them.
In the meantime It would be well
for the aldermen to inquire into the
alleged relations, In the past, OF Ger.
tain city officials with the above elec.
trical company. the twin Of the local
telephone company, both being owned
by the Bell Monopoly.
The telephone gang want the coun.
Gil to raise the rates on all phones.
To abolish all fiat phones and make
everybody take measured service.
To put nickel In every phone be-
fore connection Is made. f.
Fire Marshal seyferllch asserted
that az practically one.half Of the fire
and police alarms are received by tele-
phone, he did not favor the general
installation of the "pay.in.advance"
type of telephone instrument now be-
ing placed in various parts Of the city
by the telephone company.
The Telephone Trust is the most
grinding OF the many trusts that exist
in the United States.
II 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.
A telephone company that pays
eight per cent dividends on twenty.
nine millions OF stock Is making too
much money. The people are paying
too much for telephone service.
The enormous dividends paid to its
stockholders by the Telephone Trust
are wrung from the pockets OF the
people by excessive telephone charges.
, Telephone rates must be reduced
and In time they will be.
The fact that one city council will
barter away the peoples rights Ia no
reason why succeeding councils should
do the same.
The fight for cheaper telephone
service will 10 on until It is won.
The Telephone Monopoly obliges
the users OF nickel phones to guaran.
tee 8 cents per day. If 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 nickels the company gobbles them
all. The phone renter gets no credit
for that excess. That's the logic Of
the monopoly.
Make the third rail roads elevate"
In every county In Illinois.