Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-12-25
DISSOLUTION AID
To IADEPE NTS
of Bell System Wires
Will Extend Service of
10000 Companies.


of Justice, which will give them the use
of thousands Of miles Of trunk lines OPP
Grated by the Bell company.
The department. he said, hardly could
have expected any court to Srder the
Bell company to allow independents to
make use Of Boil equipment. enc there
practically was no chance that the in
dependents could raise sufficient funds,
if they had the desire, to build com
peting long-dstance lines.
To bring about competition in inter-
state business. it was pointed out,
would have required an outlay of
millions of dollars, and probably would
have meant loss or severe falling oil
in the receipts of the Bell and the indie
pcndcnts that tried to get long distance
business.
According to figures laid before the
attorney general by y. c. l<ingsbury
vicc-president OF the American Tele-
phone and Telegraph company, who con-
Quoted the negotiations which led to the
agreement Of Friday night there are
more than 2oOo independent telephone
companies in the country
There was talk yesterday Of action by
the Bell company TO allow subscribers
of Independent companies in cities to
talk TO BcU subscribers through Bell
exchanges and Bell lines, but Mr.. Nc
Reynolds said that this step seemed TO
ne far In the future.
EFFECT OF FEDERAL OWNERSHIP
Announcement OF the agreement
caused an unusual buzz of speculation
here. In some quarters it was regarded
as an indication of tho fight that some
If the conservative members OF President
Wilson's cabinet will make against gov
eminent ownership of public utilities.
1t is known that Mr.. McReyno'ds Is
strongly opposed to government owner
ship. The Acknowledgement is said to
feel that government ownership is likely
u come in the United states unless
there can be a restoration of free COM
petition in public service, but he believes
the agreement with the American relc-
phone and Telegraph company is long
step toward a return to competition in
the telephone and Telegraph field.
In his opinion the sherman law is
sufficiently strong weapon to force any
monopoly to come to terms, and he is
convinced that clear demonstration OF
,'S power WIZ uo "'''" 10 "''aS ''e H'o"
i'h e'''''''"' io' Eo' u "''i''' V" mp
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.orcro,o Gown, .as,,aoti,,g ,ho -ra,,osod
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,o,o,,hor., Inc. h,,. I. 10 ,,,,dors.oa1 .ho.
It Is not his present purpose to submit
the findings of his experts TO Congress,
unless they are desired
IT, 49, ..,,,a.o.. -, =. -,
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CHANGE IN III RLhSoN ; fEFoltI'
In the summary of Mr.. Buresons an
nual report supplied to the newspapers
under caption Postal TeleEraphs and
I Telephones, appeared this paragraph:
I IN June last committee was APP
~. w
-
9'rPS i'' .''1 7''' ''''''' W
~ ''''' ''ie ''Y', - '''
sup" ''''e' -l '.'o or"''E - VI "'''0
m',' ''''''' '''' 20 Wv '''''
MS 'oi'''''''et ~ HOW '"Naeeu III pre-
pairing IT'S preliminary IoPo'" anu IL the
'"u'nss Justly SUI" "'-Io'' P'OP'4 'e'"'i'-
mehoauon Will ne MAD" ny the depart
| ment al later date'
| AS the report finally was issued in per-
manent form, this paragraph was elm
mated and the following substituted.
since June last the department has
| been conducting careful Investigation to
determine the desirabllity and practical
! blity of extending the government own
ership and control OF means of commune
cation, with view I" the acquisition by
! the government of the telegraph ana tele-
! phone faculties to he operated as ad-
! ]uncts to the posta! service The post
/ master-Eenerai is now engaged IN review
| ing the data collected ana later. II de-
sired Will submit same To the appropriate
committees or congress Tor their consld-
GRAFTON
| WAY FOR OTHER CORPORATIONS
The change of the naral,ranb was made
az the last monant before tho ranort was
issued the data meantime having been
submitted to thr NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. in
form of q rnnort This rcuort will he held
~, Mr. Rur,eson II is Understood. With
ont Further .xnr,ssiou ,,non hts mart