i ' v 'tjfcK k "ffV3ws0 j-fif-'. '-?' '". -c &- T VSKfr -iff?fRpSl &'&Wr&?Wifi!i- 1 irtared Sacond Class Mattar Oetobsr 11. 1189, at tha Pat Omca at Chicago, Illinois, undar Aet of March 3rd, 1879. INDEPENDENT IN ALL THINGS, NEUTRAL IN NONE. Entered aa Second Class Matter Oetober 11, 18M, at tha Port Office at Chicago, Illinois, under Act of March 3rd, 179. m TWBNTY-FOUKTH YEAK, !NO. 9. CHICAGO, SATUltDAY, NOVEMBER 30. 1912. VWfixSR WHOLE NUMBER 1,206 PWiWrw",','', n'T?? -WT"' -,"-"' TO HOLD UP DUNNE - Utility Experts and Dark Lantern Poli ticians Would Like to Entangle Him With the Legislative Frame-Ups. But the Governor -Elect Cannot Be Lead Away From the Real Issues Which Confront the Executive. Does Not Believe in Mixing the Executive with the Legis - lative Branch of the Government or of Inter- fering With the Latter. The Many Reforms to Up Much of A number of would-be statesmen who have not been known In the past as friends of Governor-elect Dunne, are trying to entangle him In the preliminary fights In the legislature. The governor-elect lias given notice that ho proposes to attend strictly to the duties of the great office to which he has been elected, without unneces sary Interference with the legislative branch of the state government. This will be sad news to some of the utility experts and dark-lantern poli ticians who have been doing their level best to put Judge Dunne In a hole. Governor-elect Dunne says that he will recommend to the legislature the abolition of the Stato Board of Equal ization. "My present opinion," he said, "Is that the board of equalization can be abolished by the legislature and a tax commission created to perform the present duties of the board without an amendment to the constitution." The governor-elect scanned the con stitution and statutes and found nothing he said, to alter his opinion. Ho would not say Just what sort of a taxing commission he would recom mend, or whethor he would suggest elective or appointive officers. Oovernor-olect Dunne will stand by Colonel James Hamilton Lewis for United States Senator. "The people of the state have had an opportunity through the primary law to express their preference for United States senator," 'said Mr. Dunne, "and the choice has fallen upon Colonel Lewis. I hold, and have . always held, that the expression of the peoplo at a primary Is their will. "Any member of the legislature who violates this primary Instruction reg isters a disbelief in the will of the poo ' pie. I shall do all that Is In my power ' to bring about Colonel Lewis' eleva tion to the nation's highest legislative body." Alderman SI Mayer, who Is making a good record In tho council, made a hot charge that public utility cor porations are secretly fathering' the commission form of regulation to pre vent Chicago from having "home rule" In the regulation of its utilities before tho legislative commission at the Ho tel La Salle, and he brought out the liveliest session of the hearing. State Senator Dalley, chairman of the commission, clashed with Alder man Mayer, Alderman Block, Alder man Molnerney, Alderman Cullerton and Alderman Rlchert all argued against tho appointment of a state' commission to have complete charge of Chicago public utilities. "We know who Is behind this move ment," said Mayer, "The public utility corporations are fathering this move ment for some ulterior motive, They don't want to be regulated unless It is by somebody they can own body and soul." "Do you mean that?" asked Sena tor Dalley. "I certainly do," replied Mayer. "This commission form of control Is merely another attempt by the cor porations to prevent tho people from having anything to say," Alderman Cullerton argued that Chi- Which Governor Dunne His Attention and His cago should regulate Its own utili ties. "You cannot have too many checks upon public service corporations," he, said. , ' "How about publlQ servlco questions n political campaigns?" asked Sena tor Dalley. "Do you think a political campaign based upon a reduction, say, of the gas rate, without any Investigations of the rights of the corporations, would bo as beneficial as the Investi gation of the matter by competent ex perts and settlement that way?" "It would be better In my opinion," answered Cullerton. "Then why don't you agree upon the reports of your different telephone experts?" asked Mr. Dalley. "We will," answorod Cullerton. "And as a result of the campaign for 70 cent gas wo will soon hdve a reduc-' tlon." "But not until the courts have passed upon tho prlco as set forth by the ex perts and It will be much longor than It a regularly appointed commission had Investigated and made a decision." The railroads put the segregated vice district out of business. They are going to build a great union depot Just north of Eighteenth street, be tween State and Dearborn streets and the terltory south of Eighteenth street Is .needed for train yards. That is said to be the principal reason why the segregated district had to go. Chicago demands home rule In the matter of public utilities. The Organized Appetite wants a stato utilities commission to take home rule from Chicago. Tho Or ganized Appetite also claims the dis tribution of the Federal Jobs under the new president. Forewarned is fore armed. "" Proposed recommendations for tho handling of future bribe cases were dlsoussed Monday night at a meeting of the special committee of tho city council and citizens which had under consideration alleged attempts to bribe inspectors In tho building de partment. Alderman John Kjollander said recommendations had boon dis cussed but final action had not been taken. If the Council abolishes the flat telephone rate for the reason that the telephone trust asks It to abolish It, then the Council should order tho company to give a rebate of two cents upon every five-cent call. The tele phone trust complains that flat rate phones Increase Its burden 25 per cent That users of flat rate phones only pay one and a half cents a call, while the whole service, medium and flat, costs the company over two cents a call. Very well, let the Alder men say to the phone crowd: "We have cut off 25 per cent of your bur den. This will Increase your revenue. Give the people the benefit and let them have a rebate of two,cents m every can." The taxpayers of Chicago are beaten out of thousand of dollars annually by the telephone trust. Everybody knows that in all outly ing districts and even In some local!- I ties In the loop district, the telephone Is Pledged Will Take Best Efforts. trust Is not required to bury Its wires. Costly brick, asphalt and ce ment alley are laid all over the city In which telephone poles are erectod and are permitted to stand. Who Is in on this graft? Tho telephone trust is away behind the times. It is behind the times (be cause it would cut Into Its eight per cont annual dividend to be abreast of the times. The spirit of the times calls for automatlo service. England, long backward In telephone service,, Is forging ahead of us by Installing the automatlo system In all of her large cities. The automatlo system gives Instantaneous service, without mistake. The trust system Is the limit In mistakes, backwardness and untrustworthlness. When the Ben monopoly was work ing overtime to got the city council to knock out the Illinois Tunnel Tele phone Company's franchise Mayor Harrison expressed himself as believ ing that better service could be ob tained from a dual telephone service than from a single on. "In every Instance that I have been personally Informed of," he said, "the two systems have been about as cheap to tho consumer as one. Competition seems to produce better service. I really believe that better service can bo expected from two companies than from one." Alderman SI Mayer hit the nail on the head when he told that utilities commission to keep Its hands oft of Chjcago home rule. Alderman Mayer Is making an excellent record In the city council and Is proving himself a friend of the people. That "forest preserve" scheme to make a lot f real estate speculators rich, has bobbed up again. The Organized Appetite claims to have discovered Wilson and claims tho local Federal -Jobs. The Organ ized Appetite cannot tool Wilson or anybody else. The telephqne trust wants to add to the high cost of living. It wants all phones In Chicago placed on tho nlckel-ln-advance basis and It has the gall to ask the Aldor men to sanction this robbing. Under the proposed scheme, overy time a housewife ordered a pound of butter by telephono she would have to deposit a nickel lefore telephon ing. But the telephono trust must have victims, otherwise It could not con tinue to pay eight per cent per annum in dividends to Its stockholders. The peoplo of Chicago are looked upon by the trust as easy marks. The people are watching their al dermen in this telephono matter. They know that they can lower tho rates If they want to. Every alderman who votes for tho telephone trust will bo beaten for re election. Shutting Chicago congressmen out from the Federal patronage Is the latest schemo of the Organized Ap petite. ,. Olvo us a referendum vote on tele phone rates. The Organized Appetite In Chicago has decided not to give any of the Chicago congressmen a word to say In the matter of Chicago Federal OSCAR W. UNDERWOOD. Able Democratic Leader of Congress. natronnco. Tho Organized Annetlte is boasting that it has a lead pipe cinch on President Wilson and that It Is going to forecloso Its mortgage. The Organized Appetite which claims the sole right to dispose of tho Foderal patronage In Chicago, prob ably has enough members In Its or ganizatlon to fill the principal Jobs. That is as far as it cares to go any way, v Telephone rates art entirely too high In Chicago. The Aldermen have a chance to lower them. Will they do It? The Telephone Trust should be dissolved. SSSSSSSSK 'BSBIBIBIBIbH bIbIbIbIbIbIbIbIbIbIbIbIbIbIbIbIbIbIbK:V:..'' , "'BSBSBsH BSBlBlBlBlBlBlBlBlBlBlBlBlBlBlBlBlBlBlBVIHiBlik. " "" tSBlBlBlBlBlH BSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSJSBSSSSSV';. SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSJ BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBK. :' .-VjbsBK ' BBBBBBM JBSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS 3PJflJflJflJu, v BBBBBBOJBJfl BafEv" ' P .SBSBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBbI BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBbVbBBBBBBBBBBBBBWBBBBBBbC'JB BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBTlBSBBBBBBBBBBBHBBBBBBBBPeM' , " ,?," ".BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBbI BBBBBBBBBHbI ' - BBBBBBBKJIl. ''' JBkBBBBBkH IJlJlJlJlJlJlJlJlJlJlJlJlJlJlJlJlJlJlJlJBk, ' 1 AtBBBBBBBBBM PPPPPPPPJk 'iSSyijBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBl pBt -;:': vILsbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb! FOR AUTOMATIC Majority of Telephone Subscribers in Chicago Favor the Equipment Which Gives Direct and Secret Service. The Telephone Trust Hangs Methods Because It Insures Public Robbery. The Big Cities in England Are All Adopting the Automatic System and Why Should This Country Lag Behind. If the Trust Would Adopt the Automatic System There Could Bo No Possible Objection to a Lowering of Kates. Several of tho Aldermen have ex pressed wonderment that the big Tele phone Trust, which is lighting so hard- to maintain high rates, docs not adopt tho automatic system which has lowered rntes-and given satisfaction whorever tried. One alderman asserts that it Is pos sible to supply local telephono servlco In cities at two cents per call, plus a rental chargo so low thut every household could have service This would help the company's long distance business. Over capitalization and antlquo methods are what make telephono service botween cities far removed so high as to be prohibitive. The Telophone Trust will be fought by the people until it ceases to bo a monopoly and until Its charges aro as reasonablo as the government It self would charge for similar publlo service. People who Imagine that the pass ing of an ordinance by the City Coun cil will do away with a publlo demand for better conditions and lower rates in the telephone service are mistaken. Tho telephone is a necessity to the people and no one knows this better than the monopoly which controls It. The purchase of newspapers or tho purchaso of public officials will not help tho causo of monopoly. Tho newspapers which support mo nopoly have lost their influenco with tho public, which Is intelligent and possessed -of a good memory. Public officials who give away the people's rights or show favors to tho telephono monopoly will not bo for gotten. On tho contrary, they will bo prop erly branded and will be retired to prlvato llfo. The peoplo are In no fromo of mind to be trifled with. They aro showing this every day and at every election. Tho man who sells them out to a trust may win tho approbation of some milllonairo-owncd dally papor, but tho common cltlzon, who Is In sulted, neglected and overcharged by the telophono servlco, will not forget. There is ono thing that the avorago voter has a knlfo up his sleovo for. That thing Is tho public official who favors tho Telophone Trust. Aro tho people to bo sold out again lu tho matter of fixing telephono rates? Tho situation at proHent looks very funny. Export llonils' roport was far from satisfactory to telephono subscribers. It did not go far enough In the matter of rato reduction. Hut tho trust possibly to throw dust In tho eyes of tho publlo and of tho al dermen, protond to light ncmls' re port. Otio thing Is sure, tho peoplo aro aroused and tho adoption of a scheme favorablo to the trust will only fan the flames of Indignation now beginning to blaze. Tho Telephono Trust has n now schemo. It has Its employs call up nldermen and tell them that If they lowor rates to an honest flguru tho employes will loso their jobs. Tho uldremon can easily figure who Imvo tho moat votes telephono employes or tho peoplo who pay too much for telephones. From a learned "Export's" reports to tho City Council wo learn that: Telophono rates should be raised because tho Doll Telophono Company owns tho local telephone company. Because the Western Electrical Company Is also owned by the Boll Telephone Company. BecauBO the local telephone com pany Is obliged to buy all of Its equip ment and necesarles from tho West ern Electrical Company, Bccauso neither the Western Elec trical Company or the local telephone company would havo big enough prof its to suit tho Bell Telephone, which owdb them, It Chicago people were not prossod for a little more coin and their telephono rates raised. Becauso the local telephone com pany has Increased Its capital stock from the original $500,000 to $27,000, 000 and 15,000,000 more In bonds. Becauso the stockholders would not get big enough dividends on this im monso stock Issue If the peoplo of Chi cago were not squeezed. Therefore the telephone company has the norve to ask tho City Council to raise the rates on tho people of Chicago. The people of Chicago are to be used as serfs by tho Telephono Mon opoly and the last drop Is to be squeezed out of them. In the meantime It would be well I for the aldermen to Inquire Into the on to Antique an Easier alleged relations, In tho past, of cer tain city officials with tho abovo elec trical company, the twin of the local tolophone company, both being owned by the Bell Monopoly. Tho telophono gang want the coun cil to raise tho rates on all phones. To abolish all flat phones and make1 everybody take measured service. To put a nickel in overy phone be fore connection Is made. FIro Marshal Soyforltch asserted that as practically one-half of the fire nnd police alarms aro received by tele phono, ho did not favor the general Installation of the "pay-ln-advance" typo of telephono Instrument now be ing placed In various parts of tho city by tho telephono company. Tho old fashioned Trust phone servlco In Chicago Is getting worse overy day. Patrons nro constantly complaining of It. Wrong numbors nro constantly In ovldonco; the busy signal is given frequently for a "wrong number", whllo tho phono that Is called Ib not busy at all. Somo of tho operators are Importtnont. Others of them aro Incompetent. All of this works for a loss of business, tlmo and patience. Tho wbolo system Is an tiquuted, and out of dnto. It Is only rotalncd becauBo tho old company Is more Interested in piling up dividends than It Is In serving tho peoplo, A cent a call or at the most 1 cents a call would yield the telephone company a profit and save money for the people. In big advertisements printed la Chicago dally nowspapers April II, 1013, the concern ottering 114,000,000 of telephone bonds for sale, quotes a letter from tho prealdont of the com pany in which It is stated that telo phone "Earnings have shown a steady and substantial growth, having Increased from $3,129,238 In 1000 to $12,078, 300.57 In 1011, or an Increase of ovor 300 per cent In tho past cloven years," Why not give tho publlo tho benefit of this prosperity? On pago 31 of tho annual report of tho Bell Telephono system for 1912 wo find tho following Ingonous state ment excusing tho raising of rates: "Wherever thoso rates havo been Increased it has been douo by and with tho consent of the subscribers to the exchanges and with tho direct authority or acqulesconco of the pub lic authorities." This is certainly good. It would bo u safe guess to say that tho "con sont of tho subscribers" was novcr asked but that rates wcro raised "with tho direct authority or acqulea conco of tho public authorities," Are tho public authorities of tho city of Chicago going to acquiesce in a raise ot tolephono rates? Tho public Is watching tho telo phono situation closely, It has been milked so long to kcop up big divi dends, that a reduction of rates all along tho lino la demanded. Tho tolephono trust could mako money if its servlco was limited to threo classes of tho moasurod va rtoty nt $9, $12 and $20 por year. But It wouldn't pay olgbt por cent dividends. J ,;i-