The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-08-27

! The suit brought by the United
| States questioning the purchase of GER
tain telephone properties in the north
] west, as we'll as the pending Interstate
/ Commerce Commission telephone in
vestigatian, have caused many inquir-
! les. Without taking up anything go
! ing to the merits of these proceedings,
il 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 serv-
ed 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 inter-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-
zation 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
! well 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
it may require. Every possible assist
ance will be given by us to the courts
in their effort to determine whether
our policy is or has been inmical 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 pol
icy or any act under it is against the
public interest, we will promptly con-
! form to such determination.
/ We believe that if each of our eX-
changes were made an Independent
unit and if each connecting line were
put under a separate control, the eff
| feet upon the telephone service of the
! country would be condition so intol-
cradle 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
single system. Physical connection in
the case of telephone or telegraph does
not mean transfer of messages from
one line to 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 it to the other and this can
only be given efficiently by exchange
systems and connecting lines under
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 Bell System, and our belief as to
what a telephone system should be,
and what are its relations to the pub
: lie.
I 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
i believe that these bodies, if they are
| to be permanent, effective and 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
will 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 a whole, and that
no such center can prosper without
sufficient and efficient means of inter
course with other centers and tribu-
J tary territories; that such means can
only be afforded by prosperous util-
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,
permanent and efficient service at less
than cost, including capital charges.