The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-09-17
MUTUAL RELATIONS Ai,J
INTERESTS Of The BELL
SYSTEM AhD IAE PUBLIC

northwest. as we'll as the pending
Interstate Commerce Commission
te.e phone investigation, have caused
many inquiries Without taking VI
anything going to the merits of these
proceedings. it has seemed to u:
proper to state generally what ha!
been our policy and purpose in the
conduct Of our business.
We have found, or thought tina,
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 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
communication The success and
prosperity of our company depend
upon solution of these problems
which shall be sound from both the
standpoint 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 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 or
binary business lines, with the i'm
piled, and, generally, with the ex-
pressed approval, authorization or
consent of the municipal and State
authorities directly 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 we'll known to the government.
We will willingly furnish the gov
eminent 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-
quire. Every possible assistance
will be given by rs to the courts in
their effort TO determine whether
our policy is or has been inimcal
to the public interest. We desire
that anything wrong be corrected.
we will voluntarily rectify any
wrong that may be pointed out to
us; and, so far as it may be deter
mined that our policy or any act un-
der it is against the public interest.
we will promptly conform to such
determination.
We believe that if each of our en-
changes were made an independent
unit and if each connecting line were
put under separate control, the eff
feet upon the telephone service of
the country would be condition SO
intolerable that the public would re-
fuse to submit to it and would imme
diately require such physical connec-
tion and common control Of these va
them into a single system. Physical
connection in the ease of telephone
or telegraph does not mean transfer
of messages from ole line to the 9TH
er. 1t means such a 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 Xchange sys-
tens and connecting lines under
,ommon control and that is what
the Bell system is.
In this connection, ana for gen
eral information, we will rcstate the
policy which controlled the buildina
l'n Of the Bell system, and our BELIEF
as to what telephone system
should he, and what are its relation
to the public.
We believe in and were the first tc
advocate State or government contro,
and regulation of public utilities;
that this control or regulation should
be by permanent Quasi-judicial
bodies, acting after thorough inyes
tigation and governed by the equi-
ties of each case; and that this con
troll or regulation, beyond requiring
the greatest efficiency and economy
should not interfere with manage
ment or operation. We believe tina
these bodies, If they are to be per
effective and OF public bene
fit, should be thoroughly representa-
tive; they should be OF such char
acter and should so conduct thei
investigations and deliberations