Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1913-01-04
EDITORIAL and PERSONAL NOTES
Pun6ent Paragraphs on Live Topics, with Some
Comment on the Leadin6 Men of the Day.

are aroused and the adoption Of o
scheme favorable to the trust will
only fan the flames Of indignation
now beginning TO blase.
How the people Of Chicago DO sufIsr
from that Bell phonel
The broken ear drums which %
many Of ito patrons complain Of are
- nothing compared to the lost tenn
pers Of usually good natured patrons.
who get wrong numbers and other
wrong treatment.
Not to speak Of the broken rest Of
people aroused from their beds By
these same mistakes and who are 90
mad themselves that they fail 70
grasp the predicament Of the fellow
at the other end Of the line who has
paid . nickel in advance to have
wrong number" slammed into hls
ear.
Then the tedious wait for the
right number!
Some times minutes elapse before
the operator finds her stick Of gum
or gets ready to answer.
The Telephone Trust In order TO
throw dust IN the eyes Of the public
has announced that II has set aside
ten millions for pensions 70 IT, en-.
ployss In oil the companies that It
owns.
II the Telephone Trust can afford
to divide ten millions Of dollars %
pensions 70 IT. employees after paying
eight per cent dividends to ito stock.
holders, then the city council ought
to be convinced that II can start .
big reduction In telephone rates.
All Of these millions come out Of
the pockets Of the people and the
victims Of monopoly are not apt to
feel their burdens Mghtened by honied
talk about pensions for employees.
The people demand relief from the
telephone burdens.
They will keep on demanding r..
lief until they get II.
The head Of the principal part Of
the Chicago end Of the trust 10 quoted
In . daily paper % saying:
THE I'VE Bell Telephone Com.
panies, with headquarters in Chicago
the Chicago Telephone Company.
Central Union Telephone Company.
the Cleveland Telephone Company.
Michigan state Telephone Company
and Wisconsin Telephone Company
will adopt the pension. disability ben.
efits and insurance plan In behalf Of
their employees.
THE approximate number Of en-
ployes In the ave companies operat.
ING in the nvs states Of Illinois, Wis.
consin. Indiana. Michigan and Ohio. 10
$4,000"
The trust claims to have over S00..
900 customers in Chicago alone.
Why doesn't II do something for
it, customers?
People will keep on asking Why.
The people demand q referendum
vote on the question Of telephone
rates.
~
Why don't the Phone lawyers In
the City Council allow the Phone
Trust lawyers who appear Of record
to do tho talking for the Trust3 The
people sent them to the council to
represent the people. and not the
Phone Trust.
Let W build up telephone competi.
ton and smash the Trust.
From the dust that tho Telephone
Trust IL trying to throw In the eyes
Of everybody just now. Il 10 evidently
determined to fight every attempt to
lower high telephone rates.
This leaves the public with but one
recourse.
Telephone competition must be
built up and encouraged.
The telephone trust wants to add
to the high cost Of living.
. It wants all phones In Chicago
placed on the nickel.in.a advance basis
and II has the gall 70 ask the Alder
men 40 sanction this robbing.
Under the proposed scheme. every
time housewife ordered . pound Of
butter BY telephone she would have
to deposit . nickel before tslephon'
ing.
But the telephone trust must have
victims. otherwise II could not con-
tinue to pay eight per cent per annum
in dividends to ito stockholders.
The people Of Chicago are looked
upon by the trust a. easy marks.
Telephone rates are entirely too
high In Chicago. The Aldermen have
. chance to lower them. win they
do ~
Chicago needs high water pressure
system.
~e~
Give us the Initiative and Referen.
dunn and lower telephone rates.
Give the people referendum vote
on the telephone rates.