The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1913-09-17
MUTUAL RELATIONS AND INTERESTS
Of THE BELL SYSTEM AND THE PUBLIC

States questioning the purchase OF
certain telephone properties in the
northwest, as well as the pending
Interstate Commerce Commission
telephone investigation, have
caused many inquiries. Without
taking up anything going to the
merits of these proceedings, 1t has
seemed to us proper to state gen.
orally 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 inter-
ests were best served; and we be-
lieve 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 as vital as that of
the public in the proper admins
tration of the problems of electri-
cal 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
1t serves.
Following our own best judg-
ment, supplemented by the best
obtainable advice, we have en-
Adeavored to do what would best
serve the public interest; wher-
ever 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, au-
thorization or consent of the mu-
nicipal and state authorities d.
rectly 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 COM
mon knowledge and are, and for
many years have been, we'll known
to the government. We will
willingly furnish the government
any additional information which
is in our possession or under our
control. aud will cordially cooper
ate with 1t in obtaining such fur
Their information as it may re-
quire. Every possible assistance
will be given by us to the courts
I'm 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
it may be determined that our
policy or any act under it is
against the public interest. we
. will promptly conform to such
determination.
We believe that IL each Of our
exchanges were made an inde-
pendent unit and If each connect
ing line were put under sepa-
rate control, the effect upon the
telephone service of the country
would be a condition SO intoler-
able that the public would refuse
to submit to 1t and would imme-
diately require such physical con-
nection and common control OF
these various units as would
amalgamate them into a single
system. Physical connection In
the case of telephone or telegraph
does not mean transfer of mes
sages from one line to the other.
It means such connection as will
permit one person to have the
actual possession of the particu-
lar line of communication from
one end of it to the other and
this can only be given efficiently
by exchange systems and connect
ing lines under a common con-
troll; 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 tele-
phone system should be, and what
are It's relations to the public.
We believe in and were the
first to advocate state or govern
ment control and regulation of
public utilities; that this control
or regulation should be by perma-
nent quasi-judicfal bodies, acting
after thorough Investigation and
governed by the equities of each
case; and that this control or reg
nlation, beyond requiring the
greatest efficiency and economy,
should not Interfere with man
agement or operation. We be-
lieve that these bodies, II they are
to be permanent, effective and of
public benefit, should be thor
oughly representative; they
should be of such character and
should so conduct their investiga-
tions and deliberations as to COM
mand 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 adj
vantages and avoid all the mani
fest disadvantages of public own
ership.