Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-09-15
THE TELEPHONE MEETING.


raeetirg was warm, the debates lively ana
the spirit decidedly belligerent. There were
present D. DeBernardi, n. L. Drew, John
Mcneil, W. A. Houghton, w. r. Strong,
CT Wheeler, Il. G.. Smith, a. S. Hop
tins. J. II. Carroll, L. C. Montford. Z. F.
Smith. Matthew Cooke, Henry Fisher, y. +,
| Goodhue, w. NJ. Lyon, j. ii. Pratt u. IL.
! Stafford, i. J. Gregory, Joseph Stetfens, ".
| a. Battlefield, George Z. Bates George w.
| Conway, George Scroth and few Others, in-
Guiding some of tho employees OF the new
| telephone company. W. 4. Houghton
called to order. John Mcneil was chosen
President and Mr.. Houghton Secretary OF
| the meeting. The Chair stated the object Of
the meeting TO be to consult relative to the
telephone ire operated by j. b. Gill, the
rentals on which had been paid to Gill for q
year in advance for service which he had
abandoned, having sold cut to the new teie-
phone company.
NJ. II. Brewer moved that the employees Of
the new company be requested TO retire; 1t
was q private and personal meeting.
J. II. Carroll was NOT afraid to have them
remain. and alter some talk the no.lon was
lost,
MIR. Houghton said he was renter on
CLIPS line for q year After Directing to pay In
advance for second year, he arranged the
matter with Gill, telling him ne had heard
he was TO be-frozsn out. GIL then gave him
written guarantee of service and possession
and use of the instruments for year. and he
paid him S54 on that. Soon after the new
COMPANY came ia Gill abandoned the lines to
it, and the service ceased, telling doughton
to apply to the new company, bat that lnsti-
tuition refused to carry out the till coutracr,
except at higher rates and a payment OF so
= = |. ,Er 1anf
switching. He had estimated that 1t would
cost about $3.50 year to an ordinary bust
ness house, and that was outrageous. La
New York city subscribers connect with the
whole line in the city and H0boken and
jersey City, and pay only 81 90 tor the SER
vice and nothing for service. The Gill sub
scribers had been grossly swindled, and he
hoped the business men wouid not submit to
a new swndie by the new company. n. j..
Drew said he had paid Gill SOL for years
rental. and inside of two months thereafter
had been cut off. By paying $50 bonus the
new company would put him on at higher
rental. lie objected and wouldn't stand it.
A, S. Hopkins said the new company Of
ferei to put It in his house for $50. with 81 80
per month rental to the expiration Of Gill's
term, and 81 thereafter, # he would agree to
continue On year thereafter, and pay two
C nts switch. He replied that he had in
the past, and could in the future, do without
the telephone. He told them he believed
they were bound to carry out Gili's contract,
but they repudiated being under that obliga-
ton.
NJ. T. Brewer had three instruments of
CID, all some months to run. The new COM
pany tried to intimidate him, and made false
statements as to who had subscribed with
them. He told them they had done so. He
went TO SEQ Gill, who said he had full author
ity for his leasing of instruments. He told
Gill he and others would stand by him, and
he saw merchants to that end. and they
agreed to it. Finally Gill told him that he
had been frozen out that it was cold
blooded swindle, and to protect his subscrib-
era he had sold out and the new company
had agreed to carry out his contracts.
Mr.. Drew-He said so to nae, too.
Mr.. Brewer continued at length, denounc-
ing the whole transaction bitterly, and alieg-
ing that very many of the new company's
patrons had paid nothing to it, but had been
favored, and all others are to be charged
roundly to make it up. He asked Mr.. Ladd,
of the new company, why he was cut off, and
ne replied, "Oh, it is the fortune Of wal"
Last night Ladd asked him what terms he
wanted to name them, and he'd report to San
Francisco. He told him he wanted no favocs
wanted all to be served alike. He moved
it as the sense OF the meeting that the mer-
chants leave the new company severely
alone.
MIR. Carroll related mis- experience Three
representatives of the new company had been
to see him. lie proposed to them that they
keep ellis contracts, and then if he chose
hs'd psy the $50, or refuse to subscribe. as be
might determine. The new company claims
that it must put IN the new style Of bell.
Well, it costs SIC, or only s., eco for say 100
patrons, and for company Boosting so much
chat was not q big sum.
Mathew Cooke favored resolutions insisting
that the ola contracts be kept.
Mr.. Buttertield stated the terms Of
special offer the rev company made him,
which involved circuit something ike the
old.
i. f. Smith stated the terms on which the
State Board Of Agriculture went on the Gill
line in May, paying him S36. Tho new COM
pauy demanded bonus ct the Park AID at
the Pavilion. He refused for the Board. He
had offered to square accounts II they would
run both free during Fair week.
Mr.. Lyon said the swindle was by Mr..
Gill. not by the new company. ellis ser
vice was defective. He neglected it badly.
He had examined the list of the new com
pany, and told them on such a list he would
not pay ten cents year. tie thought the
new instruments worth the $50 over Giil's
Old ones. For him to go on, the line must
have bonus he deals with. lie moved for
committee to confer with the new company.
Mr.. Drew thought Gil had worked his line
very well.
L. Z. Smith-They threaten Gill with an
injunction.
Mr.. Houshton- Why didn't he wait for it?
MIR Drew-They cut off the railroad Off
ces and that hurt seriously.
Mr.. Bates-Ihe contracts are with Gill.
We have no claim on the new company. All
We eau ask Of them Is TO give the same or as
good service as Giiis, poor as it was. At TIE
end of that time the business men could an
swer II they would pay the $50 bonus or not.
Mr.. Carroll and Mr.. Cooke again spoke,
and Mr.. Platt gave his views, that the line is
of no use unless business men generally go
on it that they should make proposition
to the new company to pay $50 or $50 year,
or whatever is enough, but no bonus Of $50
and no switch fee. That refused, he would
go for cheaper telephones or 90 without. Oae
thing was sure, no more advance payments
In his. ellis unexpired terms should be
credited TO the subscribers By the new COM
pany. Mr. Houghton favored sending a
COMMITTEES. Mr.. Brewer objected to mer-
chants going hat in baud to the new CON-
pany Name a committee if desirable, but
let the new company come TO the President
Z
for one, to come at the beck of the new com
pany.
Mr.. Houghton stated a case where one sub
( scSiber had fought the new company and
made it yield and keep ellis contract. One
ought not be treated one way, and one an
other.
Mr.. Brewer said Gil told him the new
company could connect TO operate the old
line for $40, to carry out ellis contracts.
Mr. Carroll favored polite action, and not
! becoming too hot. He urged that commit
tee G named 70 confer.
After some further debate and the with
drawal of several amendments, a new resolu-
ton was formulated and unanimously
adopted, as follows:
Resoircd, That a committee of three be appointed,
Of which the Chairman shall he member, to con
fer with the Sacramento Telephone Company ard
state 70 them that It the sense OF the meeting
that they should fully comply with the eontFse
made with Gill if not, that the merchants ie;
| them severely alone.
| The meeting then adjourned to the call Of
I the President.
BREvITIEs.
| The river Is now at very low stage, hav.
| ing yesterday reached down to the feet
inches mark.
! The weather yesterday was extremely sui
- A..