The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1913-12-27
LEWIS STILL AFTER
BIG WIRE COMBINE
Continued From Page 1.

Continued From Page L.
in New Zealand, with the 12-cent rate
and our price and wage levels, the use
of the telegraph reaches as high as
eight kilograms per person.
"Our postal rates average lower
than other countries, and the number
of letters here-101 per preson-1s
the highest in the world.
1.-THE operation of sending a tele-
Gram is loaded down with seventy
four Incidental services and processes,
not less than fifty of which would be
replaced by affxirg the postage
stamp.
"Notwithsta nding the telegraph
companies have the greatest business
per office, vet their daily product is
less: than ten kilograms per employee.
The American inefficiency is furthe<
exaggerated by the duplication Of
telegraph Offices in all the importan
towns and cities, and the denial CT
the service at many thousand neces-
sary points.
''The telegraph service is relative
~ declining institution, and it would
be unwise to pcstalize it alone as
single service. For ten years in Eng
land the number of kilograms has
been actually stationary.
Higher Than Other Countries.
"Our toll and long distance tele-
phone rates compare with those Of
other countries even less favorably
, than do our telegraph rates. The
average interurban receipt in Ger
mar<y is but 4 cents; here it averages
20 cents. The long distance rates
a mile per three minute conversa-
ton, as against an average charge
of about Z mills a mile received by
the railways for transporting a ton
of freight.
"The average charge on the CONT
nent for 500 mile talk is 80 cents;
here it is 81 80, or six times as great.
The American telephone monopoly
takes the thirteenth place only among
seventeen countries with regard to
the lowness of interurban rates.
with respect to local telephone
exchange rates, we have three main
divisions, the farmers lines, which
cost ah,ut a half cent call; the i'll
dependents, which cost a little over
l cent a call, but usually with the
half service permitted by telephone
competition, and the local rates Of
the Bell monopoly, which average
a little more than 2 (2.1O cents per
call, or just twice the average charge
in other countries.
1--WE are one of three countries
where the charge per call exceeds
postage rate.
''The subscribers rates in Ameri-
can cities, compared with Continental
cities, are about three times as high
For example, New York, where $500
calls, about fifteen per day, under a
measured service tariff cost more
than the four unlimited yearly rates
of London, Paris, Berlin and Stock
holm together.
How Competition Cuts Rates.
"Of sixty of the great American
cities, twenty-fcur averaging 342,4S6
in population, pay an average annual
phone rate of $50 under competition:
while the yhirty-six other cities, aver
aging but 1S8,629 in population, with
out competition, pay an average rate
OF $S1. .,.,... =
Telephone development has reach
ed its substantial limits in the United
States under private capital, with the
extension Of the service to the profit
able office and we'll to do home tariff.
To extend it to the homes of the
masses, as the public roads and postal
service now are extended, the postal
agency is necessary. il.
IT the telephone lines are postal
lied, both the telephone and telegraph
business can be done over them. as
in other countries. It will be unnec-,
essary to take over the telegraph
lines here Capitalized at $240,000.-
0O0). as both kinds Of communication
can be handled on the telephone
wires, which, exceed the telegraph