The Washington times., 1913-08-27

The suit brought by the United States
questioning the purchase of certain
telephone properties in the northwest,
as we'll as the pending Interstate Com
merce Commission telephone investiga-
ton have caused many inquiries. With
out taking up anything going to the
merits of these proceedings, 1t 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
when the public interests were best
served, and we believe that such sue
cess as we have had has been because
our business has been conducted on
these lines.
We believe that our company has an
interest as vital as that of the public
in tie proper administration Of the
problems of electrical intercommunica-
ton. The, success and prosperity of our
company depend upon a solution OF
these problems which shall be sound
from both the standpoint of the COM
pany and the public which It serves.
Following our own best Judgment.
supplemented bv the best obtainable ad-
vice, 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 approval, authori-
zation or consent Of the municipal and
State authorities directly interested.
Oar 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'fu
nish the Government any additional in
formation which is in our possession or
under our control, and will cordially
cooperate with 1t IN obtaining such
further information as II may require.
Every possible assistance will be given
BY us to the courts in their effort to
determine whether our policy is or has
been inImical 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 1t may be determined that our
policy or any act under II is against the
public interest, we will promptly con-
form to such determination.
We believe that II each OF our ex-
changes were made an independent unit
and IL each connecting line were put
under a separate control the effect
upon the telephone service of the coun-
try would be a condition so intolerable
that the public would refuse to submit
to it and would Immediately require
such physical connection and common
control of these various units as would
amalgamate them into a single system.
Physical connection in the case OF tele-
nhone or telegraph does not mean trans
fer of messages from one line to the
other II means such d connection as
will permit one person to have the ac-
tual 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 con-
Meeting lines under a common control;
and that is what the Bell System Is.
In this connection, and for general
information, we will restate the policy
which controlled the building up OF the
ReII system. and our belief as to what
=, teIephone system should be. and what
are It's relations to the public.
W. believe in and were the ttrst 10
advocate state or Government control
and regulation of public utilities: that
this control or regulation should he by
nermarent quasi-judiCial bodies acting
after thorough investigation and gov
crned bv the equities of each case: and
that this control or regulation. beyond
reuuirinG the greatest efficiency and
economy, should not interfere with
MANAGEMENT or operation. We believe
that these bodies. II they are to be per
manent, effective and Of public benefit,
should be thoroughly representative:
they should be of such character and
sbouId so conduct their Investigations
and deliberations as to command such
respect from both the public and the
corporations that both will without
question accept their conclusions.
We believe that the public would in
this way get all the advantages and
avoid all the manifest disadvantages Of
public ownership.
We believe that Centers OF business
and population exist for the convent
ence of the public as a whole. and that
no such center can prosper without
sufficient and efficient means OF inter
course with other centers and tribu-
tarv territories: that such means can
only be afforded by prosperous util-
ity and service companies and that
fair rates are essential to prosperous
comnanIes. We do not believe that any
nubIic either desires or can obtain nor
can any service or utility furnish. per
manent and efficient service at less
than cost including capital CHARGES