The Indianapolis journal., 1885-07-02
RESISTING THE MONOPOLY.
Patrons of the Telephone Company
Agree to Decline All Its Propositions,
And Will Insist Upon Paying the Rate Fixed
by the New Lava Statement of the
COmpany's Position.

There were fully two hundred telephone pa
irons present at the meeting which was held in
Board of Trade Hall yesterday afternoon for the
purpose of taking concerted action in opposition
to the companys endeavor to continue the old
rates, contrary to the law passed at the last ses
sion of the Legislature limiting the rental to
three dollars month. The meeting was charac
terized by somewhat determined spirit of
aggressiveness, and the conflict between the
company and its patrons, as was stated in the
resolutions which were adopted, promises to he
bitter and protracted"
COL Eli Lilly was chosen chairman, and
Court" Holiday was made secretary. After
stating the object of the meeting, the chairman,
on the motion of Mr. Alfred Burdsal, appointed
committee on resolutions, consisting of A.
Burdsall, Theodore Griffith, and Fred
erick Ostermeyer. There was
recess during the absence of the committee, and
the time was occupied in conversation, in which
there was general expression of opinion re-
gardine the course that should be pursued.
telegram from S W. Williams, of Vincennes,
the author of the telephone DILL, was read by j.
e. Sullivan. Advise subscribers the dispatch
read, against signing any contract to pay more
than the legal rate. The company's new con-
tract is bad on its face. Don't sign it, l would
have attended the meeting if l had known in
time that it was to be held. Don't be bluffed'
The resolutions reported by the committee were
| as follows
Whereas corporation exercising decisive
control over the Of the telephones in this
city has assumed the attitude of defiance of the
| legislative authority of Indiana, and seeks. by
| unexampled quibbling to elude an express
statute of the State. therefore,
Resolved, 1t has become necessary for the
patrons of that company to assert and
| their rights Hereunder, Action to that
end must be promptly taken and vigorously and
intelligently pursued. The determination of
| the company to evade the law must be overcome
| by greater determination part to sup
port it. We recognize that the contest between
| the greatest American monopoly on the one
hand, and the citizens of Indianapolis on the
other promises to be bitter and protracted. We
will stand alone, save supported by public
| opinion, but our powerful adversary will receive
aid and comfort unlimited from the vast cor
| porate circles of the country interested in it's
| triumph: 1t is all important therefore, that
| the gentlemen WHO may be charged with the
duty OF representing our interests shall receive
| the earnest, active and continuing support and
| practical encouragement of not only ourselves.
but al citizens who hope for the preservation OF
our laws against either the direct assaults the
tiOns.
1--WE believe our interests can be best protected
through the medium Of managing committee.
Our number is too great to enable us to act
otherwise We therefore authorize the chair to
appoint from among the patrons of the telephone
company committee of FIVE members, to whom
| shall be committed the entire management of
our interests in connection with the pending
controversy. For the purpose of supplying such
committee with practical means a subscription
| will be called at this meeting for such sums as
| may be named, and we assure the managing
| committee of our confidence in them and our
| intention to steadily and substantially support
| them in in their work, and we eXhort them
to discharge their duties vigorously as well as
| inteigenty to the end"
| Itwas suggested by Philip Rappaport that there
| should be an additional resolution advising all
| telephone patrons not to sign any contract or
| agreement without the recommendation Of the
executive committee chosen by the meeting. as
| it was important that in all their proceedings
| the patrons should act in concert. The sug-
| gestion was adopted.
e. NJ. Johnson suggested that it would be
| we'll for the meeting to understand in the be-
ginning that the law reducing the rental of tele
phones is not in force yet, and will not be until
| sometime about the middle Of August
| Mr.. d. II. Wiles said that he thought it advis-
| able to proceed slowly, and he believed that by
acting in the proper spirit any difference exist
| ing between the company and Its patrons could
| be amicaby adjusted. He believed that if the
| subscribers treated the company fairly they
would be treated in the same way. The tele-
| phone service in Indianapolis is as good as in
| any city in the country and it should be
maintained. He thought it would be advisable
to appoint committee to confer with the officers
| of the telephone company, to see if there could
| not be some amlcable arrangement agreed upon.
| If the company could give satisfactory proof
| that they could not afford to rent their tele-
| d
efficient service, he believed that the patrons
would be willing to pay what might be neces
| sary. There is no doubt he said, that $40
| year is too much royalty to pay on these tee
company fairly We don't want to kill the
| service"
jackson Landers said that the charges of the
company were not uniform; that there was one
man present who had receipt showing that he
had been compelled to pay $3.50 quarter for
telephone Washington street, while the usual
| charge had been S. month
r. j. c. Pendleton. who opposed the telephone
Gl When When it s.;a came up for passage in
him that the proposition of Captain
| Wies was in the nature of compromising on
the law. He thought that the company had
received better treatment from the city and
| from the patrons of the service than the patrons
| had received from the company He opposed
any compromise, and said, that the people Of
| the city should organize to fight the company.
| DR.. Houghton said that since the meeting had
been called he had investigated the question now
| being agitated, and from the information he had
obtained he had reached what he believed to
be an unprejudced conclusion. The patrons
desired to treat the company fairly and they had
! done it, The company had assured the public
that the law was unconstitutional and yet
! without proving it so, they asked that it should
be violated. AS law. abiding citizens he thought
there was but one thing for the telephone out
and-outers to do-and that is to adhere strictly
to the law until its unconstitutionality is
established by decision of the Supreme
| Court. Until then, accept no arrangement but
| the lawful one. To sign the new contract sent
out by the company would be violation of the
law Before signing any contract, allow the
question of the constitutionality of the law
passed by the last Legislature to be settled by
| the Supreme Court not by the telephone