The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-04-01
PREDICTS Higher
TELEPHONE ! RATES
=@jTes-.,-..-
Mackay Organ Asserts That
Burleson Plans
Boost No. 2
WARNS PUBLIC
AGAINST SCHEME
Which is characterized as One Of the
Most fragrant Of ALI war Scandals
Reason fer Dismissal Of Postal Tele-
graph officials. 3sss

Predictions that Postmaster General
Burleson will increase all local telephone
rates in order TO increase the revenues
of the Bell Telephone Coz $4,000 900 for
the year, is made IN anfarticle. IN Postal
Telegraph, the Maekayf company organ,
for April The article charges that clar-
ehee H. Mackay and sheAother officers Of
the Postal were removed by the postInas-
ter general a week ago, because they re-
fused TO acquiesee in the increase 'ofvtele
graph rates anno,mcedslSy the postoffice
department. on Saturday.
It further declares that. tho postmaster
general knew all aleng that he would in
crease rates and not lower them as he
announced hen heatooll over the wire
companies, that his alleged decrease OF
telephone long distance rates in January
was in fact an Increase, and tlat the
whole program of increases Is al, eifort
on the part OF the Helt eompan: threngh
the postofice department TO .la; over
charges which it, sapld not Of itself esfab-
lish as justified before the viri rs public
sery:oe commissions 10 the control ol.
which the companyswas subjected
The article SAYS the effort of Mr.. Burie-
son 70 eontiauc the contfo} Of the wiras
for two years IS merely to- cover this at
tempted raise and to establish it for the
Bell company, which viii reap thereby
golden harvest
| Unless Tie lines are turned back tcle
phone rates ar GOING to &c increased hy
linrleson 9ni.l he makes M that So 900, !.
600 and the sp.aiT t1n sable gct.i Busy
to iorestall this move the letter" the
article conel,: h,s. The whole wire Cor
troll arrangen.ci-t aas Developed intoe a
gigantic job wiief ~ the American Tele-
phone & Telegraph so has been and VIII
be enabled to s.Al ,s.it ;,;e l.a5s... tlfoueh
the mediurl g. tae posIoi!icc department.
OF all he !: scandals TINS. is the NEST
eagrant because the money is. token Dir
rect from the pockets Of the people
/ Summing Up, the report says
The Following, tlTeiig is what the Bell
company has gotten OUT OF the people of
the United States, .athrough its contract
with Mr.. BuFieson;.
An annual compensation of SO, l4S 64l,
which is more than the Fell company
could have earned had it Kept its lines.
I 'sixteeh million dollars psike-ofTf from
the subsidiary companies, representing
four and a half per cent Of the gross re-
ccipts of the latter. This payment has
been denounced BY the public service com
missions
All interest, expenses. depreciations
and taxes to DC paid by the government
Telephone rates swill be increased $50,
100000. all to come ont Of the pockets OF
the telephone users of this country
s And on the return OF its lines the Bel
company will have rates established hy
order OF Mr.. Burleson which it never
could have put across itseli and which
viii yield golden harvest to It's cxchee-
qner. Truly, Mr. Bnrleson has done much
for the Bell company
MIR. Vail, in his annual report OF the
Bell Telephone Co, also discussed tho the.
ory that the day Tor competition in the
telephone and telegraph service has passed
The same thought WAS altered by MIR
Burleson before the house committee on
postoflicc and post roads on JAN %, 1912
when he said
Competition should be eliminated