The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1913-09-03

anything going 10 the merits OF
these proceedings. II has seemed tO
ua 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 tho public In.
terestg were best served, and We
believe that such success as we
have had has been because our
| business has been conducted on
these lines
] We believe that our company has
an interest a. vital as that Of the
public in the proper administration
~ the problems Of electrical Inter
communication The success and
! prosperity Of our company depend
upon a solution OF these problems
which shall be sound from both
the standpoint Of the company and
I the public which II serves.
Following our own best judg.
ment. supplemented by the best
| 0btalnhbie advice. we have en-
I dcavorcd 10 do what would best
serve the public interest. whenever
possible our plans have been dis.
closed 90 the public In advance,
and what has been done In carrying
them out has been along ordinary
| business lines. with the implied,
aud generally. with the expressed
/ approval, authorization or consent
OF the municipal and state authori-
I ties directly interested. Our effort
has been not only 10 obey the law.
but TO avoid everything which
might even have the appearance
OF an attempt az evasion.
Our business methods and policy.
and practically all OF the details
as 10 the transaction OF our bust
ness. are matters OF common
knowledge and are. and for many
years have been. well known 20 the
| government. We will willingly
furnish the government any adj
| dltional information which is IN our
possession or under our control, and
will cordially cooperate with II In
obtaining such further information
az IL may require. Every possible
assistance will be given by us 10
the courts IN their effort TO de-
termine whether our policy is or
.hAs been inimical 20 the public In
I terest We desire that anything
wrong be corrected. we will
voluntarily rectify any wrong that
may be pointed out 10 us: and. so
! far as It may be dstrmined that
our policy or any act under II is
against the public interest. We will
promptly conform 20 such determ-
| nation.
We believe that II each OF our
exchanges were made an independ-
ent unit and II each connecting
/ line we're put under separate con
troll. the effect upon the telephone
service OF the country would be a
| condition so inioierable that the
public would refuse to submit TO
Il and would Immediately require
such physical connection and com.
mon control Of these various units
as would amalgamate them into a
single system. Physical connection
In the case OF telephone or tele-
graph does not mean transfer OF
message from Que line TO the other.
II means such a connection as will
permit one person 10 have the act.
unl possession OF the particular
line OF communication from one end
OF II 10 the other and this can
only be given efficiently by ex.
change systems and Connecting
lines under a common control; and
that Is what the Bell System Is.
In this connection. and for gen
eral information. we will restate
the policy which controlled the
building up OF the Bell System. and
our belief as to what a telephone
system should be. and what are
its relations TO the public.
We believe in and were the first
to advocate state or government
control and regulation Of public
utilities. that this control or reg
ulation should be by permanent
quasi judicial bodies. acting after
through investigation and governed
by the equities Of each case; and
that this control or regulation, be-
yond requiring the greatest ef-
( ficiency and economy, should not
interfere with management or OPP
Grafton We believe that these
bodies. IL they are TO be permanent.
effective and OF public benefit.
should be thoroughly representa-
tive: they should be of such
character and should so conduct
their Investigations and delibera-
tons as to command such respect
from both the public and the cor
porations that both VIII without
question accept their conclusions.
We believe that the public would
in this way get all the advantages
and avoid all the manifest dis
advantages of public ownership.
We believe that centers OF BUSH
ness and population exist for the
convenience OF the public as a
whole. and that no such center can
prosper without sufficient and ef-
| ficlent means OF intercourse with
other centers and tributary terri
tories: that such means can only
be afforded by prosperous utility
and service companies and that
| fair rates are essential TO prosper
Gus companies. We do not believe
THAT any public either desires or
can obtain, nor can any service or
/ UTILITY lui uioh, H'lihohtht ouN tAtA-
Client service at less than cost, In
Guiding capital charges. We be-
lieve that ultimately the public
either directly or indirectly pays
the losses involved In the efforts
TO furnish such service at less than
its fair cost, either through the
loss of the capital involved, the
losses incident to poor service or
the necessary increase in charges
required TO pay for duplication of
capital.
We believe that the highest COM
merclal value of the telephone
service depends on it's complete
ness-on the extent and compre-
| hnnrIvcnnas Of tho facilities for In