The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-09-11


west, as we'll as the pending Interstate
Commerce Commission telephone in
vestigation. have caused many inquir-
les. without taking up anything go
ing 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
had that our interests were best served
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 the proper administration of the
problems OF electrical nter-communi-
cation. 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 by the best obtainable
advice, 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-
cation or consent of the municipal and
state authorities directly 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 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.
and will cordially cooperate with it in
obtaining such further information as
1t may require Every possible assist
ance will be given by us 10 the courts
in their efforts to determine whether
our policy Is or has been inimtcal ia
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 pol
icy or any act under II lis 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 II each connecting line were
put under separate control. the ef-
feet upon the telephone service Of the
country would be a condition so intol-
cradle that the public would refuse to
submit 10 ii and would Immediately
require such physical connection and
common control of these various units
as would amalgamate them into
single system Physical connection in
the case Of telephone oil telegraph does
not mean transfer of messages from
one line 70 the other 1t means such
a connection as will permit one person
to have the actual possession of the
particular line Of communication from
one end Of il 10 the other and this can
only be given efficiently by exchange
systems and connecting lines under "a
common control; and that is what the
Bell system is.
this and Far
information. we will restate the policy
which controlled the building up of
the Bell System. and our belief as to
what 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 regulation should be by
permanent quasi-Judicial bodies. act
ing after thorough investigation and
governed by the equities of each case,
and that this control or regulation, be-
yond requiring the greatest efficiency
and economy should not interfere
with management or operation. We
believe that these bodies, IL they are
to be permanent effective aud Of pub
lie benefit, should be thoroughly rep
resentative; they should be of such
character and should so conduct their
Investigations and deliberations as to
command such respect from both the
public and the corporations that both
VIII without question accept their con-
illusions.
We believe that the public would
in this way get all the advantages
and avoid all the manifest disadvan-
tages OF public ownership,
We believe that centers of business
and population exist for the convent
ence of the public as whole, and that
no such center can prosper without
sufficient and efficient means OF inter- /
course with other centers and trihu /
tary territories; that such means can
only be afforded by prosperous util J
ity and service companies and that
fair rates are essential to prosperous
companies. We do not believe that any
public either desires or can obtain, nor !
can any service or utility furnish. per-
manent and efficient service at less
than cost. including capital charges. |!
We believe that ultimately the public
either directly or indirectly pays the Z
losses involved in the efforts to furnish /
such service at less than it's 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 duplica- +
ton Of capital.