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About Griffin daily news. (Griffin, Ga.) 1924-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 21, 1974)
Page 22 — Griffin Daily News Thursday, November 21,1974 CONTINUES THRU . AT GAW WP /ZV / GOODE DIWETTES * »* " »< NICHOLS A. T. & T. antitrust suit is filed By GENE CARLSON WASHINGTON (UPI) — In the largest antitrust action ever, the government is moving to break up the Bell System and its centerpiece, American Telephone & Telegraph, for alledgedly monopolizing the telecommunications business in the United States. The Justice Department filed civil suit Wednesday in Federal District Court here against AT&T, the world’s largest privately held corportation, and two key subsidiaries —Western Electric Co. Inc. and Bell Laboratories Inc. The government is trying to force AT&T to give up Western Electric, its exclusive manufacturing arm, plus some of its interstate telephone network, in order to promote competition and possibly reduce consumer rates. The corporation promptly served notice it would vigorously fight the case. “We are confident we are not in violaton of the antitrust laws and we are astonished that the Justice Department would take its present action with apparent disregard for its impact on the public,” said AT&T Chairman John D. deßutts in a statement from New York. He said the government action “could lead to fragmen tation of responsibility for the nation’s telephone network. If that happens, telephone service would deteriorate and cost much, much more.” Beef break to be brief DENVER (UPI) - An official of the American Nation al Cattlemen’s Association says beef prices around the country still are going down, but the break for consumers could be brief. “At present, beef and other meats continue to be an exception to the inflationary trends in prices of other foods and other consumer goods,” Gordon Van Vleck, ANCA president, said Wednesday. “But if feed and other costs remain high, eventually sup plies will be cut back and prices will rise.” The ANCA, which has been monitoring beef prices through out the country for the past several months, said Wednes day its study for the period Oct. 14-Nov. 14 indicated average bets cuts had gone down five cents per pound. The study, taken in 19 cities and based on average prices of five representative beef cuts, PTTD TCTril 47LQI Vriixlo JL JVI / K . - /.-/i ■ , BE READY FOR CHRISTMAS 1975. F*'lhfTWlVr JOIN OUR CHRISTMAS CLUB. YOU CAN GUARANTEE THE MERRIEST CHRISTMAS EVER FOR 1975. L-. rW“<W WITH OUR WEEKLY CHRISTMAS SAVINGS PLAN, YOU’LL HAVE ; ’ E Ilf CHRISTMAS MONEY GUARANTEED. AND YOU’LL RECEIVE YOUR I B| g P CHECK IN PLENTY OF TIME FOR BUYING GIFTS. ANY OF OUR | J?' THREE OFFICES CAN OPEN YOUR ACCOUNT. START TODAY. F' |f 'B H TM Commercial Bank & Trust Company f t J■ > CHARTERED 1889 GRIFFIN, GEORGIA MEMBER F.D.LC. A showed beef was selling over the counter for $1.33 per pound compared with $1.38 in October and $1.63 in November 1973. The average price of T-bone steak dropped seven cents during the past month and round steak was off four cents, the survey showed. Ground beef, sirloin steak and chuck roast each declined one cent per pound. Van Vleck stressed the ANCA did not label the study as definitive and it was intended to serve only as “a timely report of what consumers are paying for five beef cuts on the second Thursday of each month in 19 cities.” The study said highest beef prices —all above $1.40 per pound —were noted in Atlanta; Baltimore; Detroit; New York; Omaha, Neb.; and Portland, Ore. The largest beef price drops were reported from Chicago, Cleveland, Houston and Washington, D.C. Attorney General William B. Saxbe replied: “I am fully aware of the service that the Bell System has provided. Nevertheless, I believe the law must be enforced.” The case threatens to be long, complex and costly for all parties involved. A Justice Department lawyer predicted that the trial would not begin for at least three years. If all avenues of appeal are used, a final decision might not emerge until the 1980 s. In 1949, the government brought a much narrower antitrust suit aganst AT&T. That case was eight years in litigation before being settled out of court. In the present case, the three defendants are charged with “combining and conspiring to monopolize, attempting to monopolize and monopolizing the telecommunications service and equipment markets” in violation of the Sherman antitrust law. As a result, “purchasers ... have been denied the benefits of a free and competitive market,” the complaint said. Specifically, the department said AT&T had “obstructed” other phone companies, microwave companies, mobile phone services and satellite carriers from linking up with the Bell networks. The complaint also said AT&T directed most of its customers to buy equipment from Western Electric, its wholly owned subsidiary. The department hopes to divide Georgia Superintendent of Schools Jack P. Nix became president of the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) at the group’s concluding session in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. School chiefs from the 50 states and six extra-state jurisdictions began their annual conference Sunday. At a press conference following their Wednesday business session, the chiefs issued policy statements on education and the economy, shared ac countability. Amtrak leader will quit his job By DON PHILLIPS WASHINGTON (UPI) - Roger Lewis, Amtrak’s only president through the faltering 3%-year revival of the passen ger train, will resign as soon as a successor can be found. He told the Amtrak board of directors Wednesday he would quit as president and chief executive officer, ending all contact with the day-to-day operations of the national passenger train network, but will remain a member of the board. He cited “personal reasons” for his decision. Caught between a White House that wanted to phase out the passenger train and a Congress that wanted vast expansion, Lewis was cast as villain to advocates of public passenger trains because of his cautious approach to expansion. Critics said never believed the passenger train could be saved until the energy Smooth Hair Dry hair that is washed ev ery day will need extra con ditioner each week as will hair that has been color treated. Western Electric into two or mere competing firms in order to provide more competition in the manufacture and sale of telecommunications equipment. The Justice Department stressed it was not challenging the practice of allowing local companies to provide exclusive telephone service in an area. Nevertheless, the 23 local Bell affiliated firms that provide the bulk of the nation’s phone service were named as co-conspirators but not defendants in the case. The suit represents a tougher approach toward anti competitive and monopolistic practices by the Ford administration than during the term of former President Nixon. Ford already has asked Congress to approve stiffer penalties for antitrust convictions and was advised at intervals by Saxbe on progress in the AT&T matter. AT&T has assets of more than $67 billion and, with its operating subsidiaries, supplies more than 80 per cent of the nation’s telephones. Through its long-lines department it handles, at least in part, more than 90 per cent of all interstate telephone calls. Western Electric is an industrial giant in its own right with sales of more than $7 billion last year. Bell Laboratories is the nation’s largest industrial re search organization and conducts design and development projects for the Bell System. crisis caused an avalanche of new passengers, at which time it was too late to order new equipment and revise opera tions to handle them. Supporters, fewer in number, countered that Lewis’ problems were often not of his own making and that he sometimes made “near courageous” stands to prevent both railroads and the government from downgrading his trains. Reacting to congressional pressure, a new Amtrak board, appointed earlier this year, already has begun a search for a new operating officer who it TO THOSE CONCERNED ABOUT EDUCATION IN SPALDING COUNTY: First, I want to thank everyone who worked and supported me in the recent Board of Education election. In the course of the campaign I became acquainted with Yvonne Langford and believe, because of her awareness and sincere interest, that she will dedicate her efforts toward quality education. Few of us voted just to win a post for a candidate, we voted to help the children. Let’s all go back on November 26th and cast our vote for Yvonne Langford, to help fulfill our original purpose. My sincere thanks to all of you, zz Jean Boggs' (Political Advertisement) ■ was generally assumed would ! take Lewis’ place as president. Two men have been seriously * mentioned as possible Lewis successors: Paul Reistrup of the Illinois Central Gulf Rail ! road and Paul Cruikshank of 1 the U.S. Railway Association. Lewis, 62, is a former assistant Air Force secretary 1 and former president of Gener > al Dynamics. Much of his career has been in the aircraft industry. He became Amtrak president shortly before May 1, 1971, when Amtrak took over most of : the nation’s passenger trains. November Special KEN'S PHOTOGRAPHY 224 Meriwether St. is offering a school package special. I■B xlO For Only 2-5x7 moo 10 - Wallets v This is done in natural color There is no age limit Call for appointment now.. 228-3881 Kenneth M. Smith Photographer
