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Show TELEPHONE TRUST IS DISSOLVED Dissolution of System Dominating Domin-ating Washington, Oregon and Idaho Accomplished Amicably. Portland, Ore., March 26. The so-called so-called telephone trust by which the Bell system dominates the lines of Washington. Oregon and Idaho was dissolved without a fight here today when a decree accepted by the telephone tele-phone interests and conceding the government's demand was eutered in the federal court. The decree adds another step in the peaceful reorganization of the so-called so-called telephone trust and makes specific plans for the restoration of competitive conditions in the Pacific northwest Jt ends the suit under the Sherman antl trust law brought here last July by the attorney general. gen-eral. In compliance with its terms the Bell company will give up its holdings hold-ings in the Northwestern Telephone company with lines from Port Angeles, Ange-les, Wash., to Corvallls, Ore., and In the Interstate Telephone company, with lines from Spokane, Wash., Into northern Idaho. The acquisition of those two long distance companies, the purchase or the Home Telephone company of Spokane and of exchanges ex-changes competing wtih the Bell in Seattle, Tacoma and Bellingbam, was contributed to the alleged combination combina-tion in restraint of trade which led to the suit Novel Proposal Made. Concerning the Home company the decree offers a novel proposal and makes it "possible for the people of Spokane to regulate their local telephone tele-phone system. The decree provides that the Bell company must sell its holdings in the Home company, but if within three months the city of Spokane determines that Tt is in her interest to consolidate the two exchanges ex-changes under the Bell's control, application ap-plication may be made to the court for the necessary modification of today's to-day's decree. The modification will be made, however, on condition that the Bell company open Its local telephones tele-phones In Spokane to the interstate company, which operates long distance dis-tance lines Into Idaho, giving the interstate in-terstate access to all the Bell and the Home's subscribers in Spokane. No plan is provided for separation of the exchanges acquired In Seattle, Seat-tle, Tacoma and Bcllingham because of the fact they have become identified iden-tified and comingled with the Bell companies in those cities, but a plan of connections has been set forth In the decree, designed to lead to sharper sharp-er competitions. Patrons of the northwestern company, the second long distance concern to be given up by the Bell, shall have the right to communicate with Bell patrons in i those cities. The Home company of Portland is allowed access to the long distance of the Boll on the same terms as Bell patrons. The decree condemns as unlawful all contracts by which local companies compa-nies agree to give their long distance business' to the Bell exclusively and prohibits that company from accepting accept-ing benefits under such contracts. Tho usual prohibition Is entered against the formation of a like combination com-bination in the future. Washington, D. C. March 26. Negotiations Ne-gotiations for a settlement of the government's Pacific anti-trust telephone tele-phone suit have been in progress here for, several months. Shortly after af-ter Attorney' General McReynolds announced an-nounced the agreement with the American Am-erican Telephone & Telegraph company com-pany for the disposal of Its WeBtern Union Btock and for the opening of its long distance llneB to other companies, com-panies, his assistant In charge of trust prosecutions, G. C Todd, took up the task of. bringing the Pacific suit to an end without further court proceeding. proceed-ing. The negotiations lasted several weeks, but an agreement was reached about ten days ago and the decree was written here and forwarded to Portland. Officials of the department depart-ment believe that through It competition compe-tition will be restored and intensified, but surrounded with safeguards against future attack |