East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1913-10-08
MUTUAL RELATIONS AND INTERESTS
OF THE BELL SYSTEM AND THE PUBLIC

state Commerce Commission telephone
investigation, have caused many in
quiries. without taking up anything
gcing TO the merits OF these proceed
ings, II 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 conduct
ed on these lines.
We believe that our company has
an interest as vital as that of the pub
lie in the proper administration of the
problems OF electrical inter-communi-
cation The success and prosperity OF
our company depends upon solution
OF these problems which shall be
sound from both the standpoint OF
the company and the public which II
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 implied,
and generally. with the expressed ap-
proval authorization or consent OF the
municipal and state authorities direct
Iy 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 ani
are, and for many years have been,
well known to the government. We
will willingly furnish the government
any additional Information which Is
in our possession or under our con-
troll, and will cordially cooperate with
II in obtaining such further informa-
ton as 1t may require. Every possible
assistance will be given by US to the
courts In their efforts to determine
whether our policy is or has been In
imical to the public interest We de-
sire that anything wrong be correct
ed: we will voluntarily rectify any
wrong that may be pointed out to us;
and, so far as 1t may be determined
that our policy or any act under II is
against the public interest we VIII
promptly conform to such determina-
tion.
We believe that II each of our ex-
changes were made an independent
unit and II each connecting line were
put under separate control the ef-
feet upon the telephone service OF the
country would be condition so intol-
cradle that the public would refuse tc
submit to II ana would Immediately
require such physical connection and
common control OF these various units
as would amalgamate them into 9
single system. Physical connection In
the case OF telephone or telegraph
does not mean transfer of messages
from one line TO the other. 1t mean;
such a connection as will permit one
person to have the actual possession
of the particular line of commune
cation from one end of II TO the other
and this can only be given efficiently
by exchange system and connecting
lines under a common control; ant
that Is what the Bell System Is.
In this connection, and for genera
information, we will restate the pol
lev which controlled the building VI
of the Bell system, ana our belief a:
to what a telephone system should be
rnlatinnc A the nj n.
lie
We believe in and were the first e
advocate state or government contro
and regulation of public utilities
that this control or regulation shoult
be by permanent quasi judicial bodies
acting after thorough investigation
and governed by the equities OF eacl
case; and that this control or regula
ton, beyond requiring the greatest eff
fciency and economy, should not In
terfere with management or opera
ton. We believe that these bodies
if 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 10 command SuCn IeSpeC
from both the public and the corpor
ations that both will without question
accept their conclusions.
We believe that the public wouh
in this way get all the advantage
and avoid all the manifest disadvan
tages of public ownership.
We believe that centers of bushes
and population exist for the convent
ence of the public as a whole, an'
that no such center can prospe
without sufficient and efficient means
of intercourse with other centers am
tributary territories; that such mean
can only be afforded by prosperous
utility and service companies and tha
fair rates are essential to prosperou
companies We do not believe tha
any public either desires or can .ob
tain, nor can any service of utilit
furnish permanent and efficient ser
vice at less than cost, including capita
charges We believe that ultimatel
the public either directly or indirectl
PAYS the losses involved in the effort
to furnish such service at less than II
fair cost, either through the loss o
the capital involved the losses in
cident to poor service or the neces
sary increase in charges required t
pay for duplication of capital.
We believe that the highest com
mercial value of the telephone servic