Imperial Valley press., 1913-09-25
Mutual Relations and
Interests of the Bell
System and the Public


chase of certain telephone properties
in the northwest, as we'll as the pend
ing Interstate Commerce Commission
telephone investigation, have caused
many inquiries. Without taking up
anything going to the merits of these
proceedings, it has seemed to us
proper to 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
served when the public interests were
best served; and we believe that such
success as we have had has been be-
cause our business has been conducted
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 electric inter-com-
munication. The success and pros
perity Of our company depend upon
a solution of these problems which
shall be sound both from the stand
point of the company and the public
which it serves.
Following our own best judgment,
supplemented by the best obtainable
advice, we have endeavored to do what
would best serve the public interest;
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 lines, with the implied, and
generally, with the expressed ap-
proval, authorization or consent of the
municipal and state authorities direct
" interested. Our effort has been
not only to obey the law, but to AVOID
everything which might even have the
appearance of an attempt at evasion.
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
will willingly furnish to the govern
ment any additional information
which is in our possession or under
our control, and will cordially coop
crate with it in obtaining such fur
ther information as it may require.
Every possible assistance will be
given by us to the courts in their
effort to determine whether our pol
icy is or has been inimical to the
public interest. We desire that any
thing wrong be corrected; we will vol
UNFAIRLY correct any wrong that may
be pointed out to US; and, so far as
it may be determined that our policy
or any act under it is against the
public interest, we will promptly con-
form to such determination.
We believe that if each of our ex-
changes were made an independent
unit and if each connecting line were
put under a separate control, the eff
feet upon the telephone service of the
country would be in a condition so
intolerable that the public would re-
fuse to submit to it and would i'm
mediately require such physical con
nection and common control Of these
various units as would amalgamate
them into single system. Physical
connection in the case of telephone
or telegraph does not mean transfer
OF messages from one line to another.
It means such q connection as will
permit one person to have the actual
possession Of the particular line Of
communication from one end Of it to
the other and this can only be given
efficiently by exchange systems and
connecting lines under a common con-
troll; and that is what the Bell Sys-
TEN is.
In this connection, and for general
information, we will restate the policy
which controlled the building up os
the Bell System, and our belief as to
what telephone system should be,
and what are its relations to the
public.
We believe in and were the first
to advocate state or government con-
troll or regulation Of public utilities;
that this control or regulation should
be by permanent quasi judicial bodies,
acting after thorough investigation
and governed by the equities of each
case; and that this control or regu
lation, beyond requiring the greatest
efficiency and economy, should not III
terfere with management OF opera
ton. We believe that these bodies.
IT they are to be permanent. effective.
and Of public benefit, should be thor
oughly representative; they should BE-
OF such character and should so con-
duct their investigations and delib.
erations as to command such respect
from both the public and the corpor-
ations that both will without question
accept their conclusions.
We believe that the public would in
this Uav rrof III tbn aJ,,, <.oa i