Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-11-18
POSTAL WIRE SUIT
IS DISMISSED BY
UTILITIES BOARD
State Commissioners Fail to
Find Discrimination in
Telephone Agreement.
CALLS ACTION A DEMAND
TO BE GIVEN REBATES
Recognizes Financial Tie With
Western Union, but Fails to
See Violation of Law.
fspecfaI to the Newark star.J

LoPCNAaA ~ AuC NGNaER
TRENTON, Nov. 1S.-The Board OF
Public Utility Commissioners today
dismissed the complaint OF the Postal
Telegraph Gable Company against the
New York Telephone Company for al
legged discrimination by the latter
company in connection with the use
of It's telephone service. The postal
company asked the utility board to
order the New York Telephone Com
pany to give Reduction on telephone
rates charged the complainant.
The reduction asked by the Postal
consisted of 20 per cent. reduction
where the telephone rates is 10 cents
or Is cents: 80 per cent where the tel
epnone rate is 20 cents or 25 cents;
forty per cent where the telephone
rate is 30 cents or more.
The New York Telephone Company
answering the complaint refused to
accede to the demand made by the
Postal Company. 1t was further set
out in the Postals petition that the
refusal to grant the reduced telephone
rates on the different services, while
giving reduced telephone toll rates on
tH0 QellNcTY EeTNlC6 OI Jif6 w CciCl IL
Union Telegraph Company, constitut-
ed an unlawful discrimination.
The utility board in dismissing the
complaint said:
"The specific demand of the Postal,
incorporated in their letter of COM
plant to this board, asking for re-
duced tolls on calls designated to de-
liver kilograms over the telephone,
without assumption on the PostaPs
part of any of the contractual burdens
in consideration of which the reduced
toll rates are accorded in the contract
offered alike to all commercial tele-
gram companies, would appear to in
voipe an undue and unjust discrimin-
alton in favor of the Postal, both as
against the Western Union and as
agaiast the public generally. The
Western Union obtains the special
rates ny assuming special obligations.
''The public, assuming no special
obligation. pays the regular toll rates.
The Postal offering no counter equiv
alent to Justify special rates asked
for what is practically system of
rebates.
"We are impeIled, to seny the pc
titioner's specific request for the rea-
sons given.
I'm these proceedings the petitioner
insisted upon the community of finarl-
rial interest between the New York
Telephone Company and the West
ern Union Telegraph Company. Such
community of interest does, of course,
exist and particularly through the
relationship of the two companies
above named and the American Tele-
graph and Telephone Company. This
common financial interest warrants
careful scrutiny of contractual ar
rangements entered into between the
respondents (the New York Tele-
phone Company and the Western
Union.
But 1t is not sufficient to urge
what motive may exist to prompt
them to conclude agreements that
may be prejudicial to the competitors
of either or both. Neither the con-
tract herein examined nor the prac-
tical operation thereof is shown to
work undue or unjust discrimination
against the petitioner (The PostaD
and the latter's petition, on the
grounds recited will be dismissed"