Evening journal., 1913-08-27
MUTUAL RELATIONS AND INTERESTS
OF THE BELL SYSTEM AND The PUBLIC

phone investigation, have caused
many inquiries. Without taking up
anything going TO the merits Of these
er 10 state generally what has been
our policy and purpose in the conduct
of our business.
We have found. or thought that we
had, that our interests, were best serv-
ed when the public interests we're
best served: and we believe that such
success as we have had has been be-
because our business has been con-
Quoted on these lines.
We believe that our company has
an interest as vital as that of the
public in the proper administration OF
the problems Of electrical inter-com-
munication. The success and pros
perity of our company depend upon a
solution OF these problems which
shall be sound from both the stand
point of the company and the public
which il serves.
Following our own best judgment,
supplemented by the best obtainable
Iadvice. we have endeavored TO do
what would best serve the public in
terest; wherever possible our plans
have been disclosed to the public in
advance, and what has been done in
carrying them out has been along
Ordinary business lies, with the I'M
piled. and generally, with the express
ed approval authorization or consent
Of the municipal and state authori-
ties directly interested. Our effort
has been not only to obey the law,
but to avoid everything which might
even have the appearance of an at
tempt at ovation.
Our business methods and policy.
and practically all of the details as
to the transaction of our business,
are matters Of common knowledge
and are. and for many years have
been, well known to the government.
We viii willingly furnish the govern
ment any additional information
which is in our possession or under
our control, and will cordially CO.
operate with It in obtaining such
further information as It may re-
lquire Every possible assistance will
be given by US TO the courts in their
effort to determine whether our
policy is or has been inimical TO the
public interest We desire that any
thing wrong be corrected; we will
voluntarily rectify any wrong that
lmay be pointed out to us; and, so far
as il may be determined that our pol
icy OF any act under IL is against the
public interest, we will promptly con-
form to such determination.
We believe that If each Of our ex-
changes we're made an independent
unit and If each connecting line were
lput under a separate control, the eff.
feet upon the telephone service Of the
lcountry would be a condition so in
ltolerable that the public would refuse
to submit to It and would Immediately
lrequire such physical connection and
common control of these various unit:
as would amalgamate them into q
sinele system. Physical connection
lin the case Of telephone or telegraph
does not mean transfer of message:
from one line TO the other. II mean'
such a connection as will permit on
lperson to have the actual possession
of the particular line of communica
ton from one end of II 10 the othe
and this can only be given eticienc,
lby exchange systems and connecting
lines under a common control; anC
that is what the Bell System is.
In this connection, and for genera
information, we will restate the polio,
which controlled the building up O
THE Bell System, and our belief as Z,
what a telephone system should be
and what are its relations to the
public.
We believe in and were the first tC
advocate state or government contro
and regulation of public utilities; tha
this control or regulation should b'
by permanent quasi-judicial bodies
acting after thorough investigation
and governed by the equities of eacf
lease; and that this control or regu
llation, beyond requiring the creates
deficiency and economy, should no
Interfere with management OF oper
lation. We believe that these bodies
liz they are TO be permanent, effective
and of public benefit, should be thor
oughly representative; they should b'
of such character and should so con
duct their investigations and deliber
ations as TO command such respec
from both the public and the corpor
ations that both will without question
laccept their conclusions.
We believe that the public woult
in this way get all the advantages
and avoid all the manifest disadvan
ltages OF public ownership.
We believe that .centers of bust
mess and population exist for the con
venience Of the public as a whole
and that no such center can prosper
without sufficient and efficient mean:
of intercourse with other centers ant
tributary territories; that such meant
lean only be afforded by prosperoui
utility and service companies and tha
fair rates are essential to prosperous
companies. We do not believe the
any public either desires or can OBJ
tain, nor can any service or utilit,
furnish, permanent and efficient ser
vice at less than cost, including capi
tai charges. We believe that ulti
mately the public either. directly O
/. Indirectly pays the losses involved Il
the efforts to furnish such service a
less than its fair cost, either through
the loss of the capital involved. tn
losses incident to poor service or tn
necessary increase in charges re
quired to pay for duplication of capi
. tai.
We believe that the highest com
mercial value of the telephone ser
vice depends on its completeness-oi
! tn extent and comprehensivenes o
the facilities for ntercommunicatior
} not only between individuals but be
tween centers of population; that nj
isolated section can be considered in
dependent of any other section or o
, the whole; that rates must be so ad
justed as to make it possible TO obtail
the maximum development by max
, ing possible for every one to be con
} nected who will add to the value o
, the system. thus giving the creates