The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1913-12-21
AN ORDER TO END
BIG. PHONE TRyST
WAS NO sQRPR|sE
AND TELEGRAPH COMBINE
NOT UNEXPECTED.
A vIcT0Rf FOR WILSON
considered Il the Greatest Antitrust
Victory for the Democratic Adminis
atioh-VoIuntary Action BY TeIe
phoq Companies.

Telephone and Telegraph company
had agreed to give up its interests in
the Western Union Telegraph COM
pAny and to effect a reorganlzat .on
to conform with the recommendations
OF the federal authorities, was no sur
expected at this time.
The telegraph and telephone com
Dlnatlon has been under almost con
tlnuous attack since it was ffected in
1909, through the purchase of the
large Gould, Sage and Morossini hold.
ings of the Western Union stock by
the telephone and telegraph company
In which the various Bell telepr me
interests had been consolidated
Ever since that time the telephone
combination has been under investl-
cation by the department of justice
1t has been constantly assailed by
Clarence H. Mackay, because of the
disadvantage The Postal Yaelegrapn
and Cable company was placed in
through its alleged lack of the tele-
phone facilities of its rival, the West
ern Union.
Independent telephone interests
finding it arduous to compete with To-
cal Bell companies, because the trunk
lines of the combination were closed
to them, complained bitterly. Members
| of congress from time to time have
proposed Investigations or urged the
department Of justice to act on gener-
al principles.
Finally in the last few weeks began
a movement for government owner
ship of telephone and telegraph lines
Representative Lewis, of Maryland,
who initiated this move, which was
indorsed by Postmaster General Bur
Lesson in his annual report Just pub
llshed, recognized the Importance of
the through lines and proposed that
they be acquired by the government.
In the course OF the fight carried
on by the Postal company and the
hnddpendent telephane companies,
there have been numerous law salts
missions, the interstate commerce
commission and the department of
justice. A suit under the Sherman
law charging discrimination against
the independents on the PACIFIC coast,
is now in the federal courts, and
hearings in connection with it have
recently been held in this city.
Financial men said today that the
separation of the company into its
parts would not be a great difficulty,
because of their distinct organization
The difficulty would be, however, in
devising an equitable plan for distri-
button of the securities.
The department of justice no long
er will permit a distribution of stock
of the subsidiaries to the stockhoId-
ers Of the main company pro rata as
in the tobacco and Standard Oil cases.
The supreme court in the Union Pa
cific dissolution went on record
against this.
VICTORY FOR WILSON.
Washington, Dec 20-The greatest
antitrust victory of President Will.
sons administration thus sar-the vol
untary dissolution of the sc-cailed tel.
ephone trust-commande the atten
tion of all administration tncias 10.
day
Next to the fact that all the fea
lures, against which the government
was preparing an antitrust suit. will
be eliminated with the consent and
cooperation of big business" itselI
without years Of court lighting. the
principal topic of discussion in admin
istration circles today was, what eff
feet will the dissolution have on fhe
movement for government ownership?
1t has been generally expected in con
gress that such a plan would soon be
urged as an administration measure