Tucker v. Western Union Telegraph Co.

95 Misc. 287, 158 N.Y.S. 959
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedJune 15, 1915
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 95 Misc. 287 (Tucker v. Western Union Telegraph Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Tucker v. Western Union Telegraph Co., 95 Misc. 287, 158 N.Y.S. 959 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1915).

Opinion

Pooley, J.

The complaint alleges, and the answer admits, that the plaintiff has for a long time past, and now is, engaged in the business of dealing in shares of stock, securities and commodities, and for that purpose has maintained an office in the city of Buffalo; that the defendant Western Union Telegraph Company is a domestic public service telegraph corporation, under the laws of the state of New York, and has assumed the obligation to render equal service to the public, for just and reasonable rates, without favor or discrimination, and that it maintains and controls and operates various lines of telegraph throughout the United States, and between the cities of New York and Buffalo, by means of which it transmits messages, news, reports and other divers forms of information; that the defendant the Gold and Stock Telegraph Company is a like domestic public service telegraph corporation, controlled by the Western Union Telegraph Company, and that all of the business of the Gold and Stock Telegraph Company is the business of the Western Union Telegraph Company; that the Western Union Telegraph Company is engaged in transmitting quotations and prices at which divers sales and purchases of bonds, stocks, and commodities have been made upon the various exchanges and boards of trades in the various cities throughout the United States and, among others, the purchases and sales of stocks and bonds upon the New York Stock Exchange, and that [290]*290the Western Union Telegraph Company transmits the said quotations over its telegraph lines for the purpose of distributing the same to persons and corporation» who subscribe for such service, and takes the compensation fixed therefor by it; and that it distributes such quotations to its various subscribers by means of a direct telegraph wire, referred to as the “ fast wire,” to the place of business of the subscriber, and also by means of ‘ ‘ tickers ’ ’ placed in such place of business, which said ‘‘ tickers ’ ’ are operated through the Western Union Telegraph Company; that the defendants have a fixed rate for such service in the city of Buffalo, N. Y., of thirty-five dollars per week for “ fast wire ” service, and the sum of six dollars per week for “ticker ” service, and that said defendants are furnishing such service to a large number of subscribers in said city of Buffalo, N. Y.; that for a long time past the plaintiff has been and now is a subscriber for the New York Stock Exchange quotations, and that the defendants have furnished the plaintiff with said quotations, by means of said “ fast wire ” and “ tickers, ’ ’ and that the plaintiff has, at all times1, promptly paid the regular and fixed rate for said service, and, in all respects, complied with the reasonable rules and regulations of the defendants.

The complaint further alleges that notwithstanding that the plaintiff has paid to defendants in advance for said service's and had complied with all reasonable rules and regulations of the defendants, and is willing to do so in the future, the defendants, without cause and without notice, and with intent to discriminate against the plaintiff, and to injure him in his business, has determined to cut off such service to the plaintiff; that the plaintiff has demanded a continuance of such service, and has informed the defendants that he is willing and financially able to pay the [291]*291regular compensation therefor, and that he will comply with all reasonable rules and regulations of the defendants in relation to its use, but that the defendants unlawfully and wrongfully refuse, and have refused, to continue such service, although such service will be continued by defendants to divers and various other persons and subscribers in the city of Buffalo, and elsewhere in the state of New York and the United States.

The defendants aver that said quotations, particularly the quotations of purchases and sales of stock and bonds upon the New York Stock Exchange, are transmitted under and by virtue of the provisions of a written contract between the New York Stock Exchange and the defendant telegraph company.

They admit that subject to the provisions of said contract the Western Union Telegraph Company transmits said quotations and distributes same to such persons and corporations as subscribe for such service, and pay the compensation required therefor, under the conditions of the said contract under which the “ tickers ” are operated by the Western Union Telegraph Company, but deny that they are required to furnish such quotations by means of said ticker service, or otherwise than as set forth in said contract.

They admit that the rates of said “ ticker ” service and ‘1 fast wire ’ ’ service for the quotations of the New York Stock Exchange are uniform and fixed, and that subscribers are entitled to receive the same under the provisions of said contract, and that the rate of said “fast wire” service in the city of Buffalo is thirty-five dollars per week, and that the rate for the “ ticker ” service is six dollars per week.

They admit that they have been furnishing such “ticker” service to a number of subscribers in the city of Buffalo, N. Y., and admit that the plaintiff has [292]*292been a subscriber for the quotations of the New York Stock Exchange, and has been furnished by the defendant Western Union Telegraph Company with said quotations by means of said ‘ ‘ ticker ’ ’ service, and said ‘ ‘ fast wire ’ ’ service, and that the plaintiff has heretofore paid the fixed rates for said service, and has complied with the regulations of the defendant Western Union Telegraph Company, but deny, that without cause and without notice, and without intent to discriminate against the plaintiff, and to injure bim in his business, they determine to cut off said ‘ ‘ ticker ’ ’ service, and deny all of the other allegations in the eighth paragraph of the plaintiff’s complaint, save the allegation' that said ‘ ‘ ticker ’ ’ service will be continued to other persons and subscribers in the city of Buffalo, N. Y., and elsewhere in the United States, under and subject to the provisions of the defendants’ contract with the New York Stock Exchange. The defendants then set forth, at length, their several contracts with the New York Stock Exchange, and allege that by virtue of a contract now existing between the defendants and the New York Stock Exchange all applicants for continuous quotations of the New York Stock Exchange must be approved by the New York Stock Exchange before the Western Union Telegraph Company can furnish the quotations desired by said applicants.

It will be seen, therefore, that substantially all the facts alleged in thé complaint are admitted, except the charge that the telegraph company wrongfully refuses to furnish the service; and the defendants allege in substance that they refuse the service because the stock exchange has not approved of plaintiff’s application, and that the telegraph company is bound by its contract not to furnish the service to the plaintiffs.

The issues therefore narrow down to the proposi[293]*293tions, first, that the stock exchange has an absolute property right in the quotations collected and compiled by it; second, that under the contract of July 1, 1914, between the exchange and the telegraph company, the relation of sender and carrier of messages exists, and that to require the telegraph company to furnish these quotations to others than those approved by the stock exchange, would compel a violation of section 552 of the Penal Law.

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Bluebook (online)
95 Misc. 287, 158 N.Y.S. 959, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/tucker-v-western-union-telegraph-co-nysupct-1915.