The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1913-01-21

unjust and discriminatory practices by
telephone and telegraph companies.
Continuing, the attorney general
says:
No comprehensive investigation
into the organization, management
and conduct of telephone companies,
SO far as / am aware, ever has been
undertaken by governmental agency.
The investigation of this department
has dealt only with certain suggested
violations of the Sherman antitrust
act, but the whole problem of the re-
lation of government to the trans
mission of intelligence by telephone
and telegraph is of such fa~r-reaching
Importance and 50 affects the welfare
OF the entire community. that it APP
pears to be a subject which should
thoroughly be studied from the view
point of the public, in order that a
governmental policy with respect to
tbs telephone and telegraph business
A.1eIlgCntly may be formulated and
adopted
Calling the commissions attention
to the immensely of the subject, Mr..
Wickersham said:
There are said to be some 10000
Independent telephone companies rep
resenting Investments a~ggregating
many millions of dollars, which to-
gether operate somewhat more than
1000, 600 phones. No one Of the com
panies represents capital or business
comparable in size with that Of the
American company or any of its prin-
Cipal subsidiary companies. The
American Telephone & Telegraph
company either directly or through
subsidiary companies, whose stock it
owns, operates as what is known gem
orally as the Bell Telephone system,
which reaches upward Of 10000 places,
distributed among practically all the
states Of the union, having some
4 SOC, 900 telephones in use, and operat-
ing the principal long-distance lines
between the states. 1t has an invested
capital of a book value of nearly six
hundred millions of dollars. 1t is also
the owner, of a large block of stock of
the Western Union Telegraph company,
through which it practically controls
the operation of the telegraph and
cable lines of that corporation"
Outlining complaints of independents
against the American company, the at
tcrney general says that they charge
that the American company has not
~contented itself with the normal eX-
tension Of it's system, but has pur-
chased competing lines in such manner
and in such circumstances as would
destroy competitions; that it has re-
fused to make connections betWeen
local lines not owned or controlled by
it and its own long distance lines; and
has terminated contracts and arrange
mentS for the Interchange of business
between lines 1t has acquired and lines
Of independents.
Complaint also is made, the attor-
ney general adds, that in cases where
American companies have assumed to
make connections with independents.
they have done SO in such manner as,
in effect, to prevent u satisfactory eN-
change of facilities of communication,
Thereby intending to discourage the
patrons of the independent companies
and drive them to the American com
panies."
Further, according to the attorney
general, it is charged that the Ameri-
can company has Disseminated be-
tween the line Of the Western Union
/ company, in which it owns an interest,
and those of the Postal Telegraph
in cases where telephone
subscribers requested to be put INTO
communication with the Postal com
pany for the purpose of sending tele-
grams. In places where there is no
competition, it is charged that the
Iong-distance and local rates ot the
American companies are unduly higher,
said the attorney general, while in
places where competition exists, rates
have been reduced.
THREE LOST IN WRECK.