The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-08
DECLARATION FOR WAR.
lba Telephone Company Patrons De-
cline 10 Consider New Contracts.
,nscribers Agree to Order Ont Their In
struments Unless the Cut Rate Is
Conceded by the Company.

Qht.
ainly leA ;or Court room No l yesterday afternoon
our Cons : LARGELY attended and quite spirited.
mr. - n, ovrrassion of sentiment in favor of oppOs-
Se =, the course of the company in disregardng
pies R - new law was more aggressive and uncompro-
Nv % s Using than at the first meeting The court
ties ar was crowded and the meeting was fairly
ree an representative gathering OF the telephone pat
/ & - bDt mono of the officers of the company
foreio a rresent The speeches were brief but the
being 81 Assion generally bitterly hostile to the
rs nrst knanv and there uncomprOmising if
on a9s ~ an absolutely unconditional demand for war
as = tho question of a reduction of the rental
ouy o. hases to the statutory limit of SO month, to
III. &bjch all consideration of the matter of con-
sy was made subsidiary for the that
Officers e company had refused to accede to the propo-
Iearfa ton Of the committee for temporary arrange
ar ent until the difficulties could be finally settled
at all I Ia court The meeting presided by
us antn Dol Eli Lilly and Immediately after order
lf aled the following report of the proceedings of
Of trade ahe managing committee, which appointed
~ and last week, read by Judge Holman.
VI COST REPORT THE MANAGING COMMITTEE.
view = The managing committee appointed by the
Russ patrons of the telephone company, at the
Ing held at the Board of Trade room on Wednes
oDsts day, July l, 1885, entered promptly upon the
wess dcnarge of its duties, and report the following
ne Lu result of its efforts agree with the telephone
do NJ, company basis of settlement of the pend
gland ing controversy;
q poweaeN The committee organized by the election of
81 cone John ". Murphy chairman and John A. Ho
row. a man secretary. and held its first meeting
capias the ensuing afternoon Thursday, July ?. 1t
and aa was deemed advisable to notify the representa-
II Vauaa lives of the telephone company to be present.
most and accordingly its vice president and its super
ars ia intendent, and representative from its legal
nendg counsel attended the meeting and took part III
'aS Only the e. discussion ion u.,.u. g ,, -
cesT practical result The company asserted its pur
out pose to treat the law unconstitutional, and
zed also took the position that if valid law, it
I0kg should be interpreted to warrant extra charges
Re for exchange service etc, in addition to So per
FrenGa month prescribed by statute 1t also insisted
lr Sn that it was necessary for it to
lis tracts and that they must be of the character of
the those submitted to subscribers known the
er sine pink contracts" We endeavored the
aroma withdrawal of the contracts, and urged that
her g the situation might remain in statu quo until
iches the validity of the law should be passed We
Jared expressed the Willingness Of the telephone pat
zen po rOns to pay the prevailing charges until the
lraw on law became operative which assume will be
comp about Aug. Is We strenuously objected the
waYd clause in the contracts recitng the apDor
and mM tonment of the rental and contended that the
Is word sum paid by the subscriber to be under
es0ua stood as paid IN gross for complete telephone
policy service.
" be "a The conference ended with an agreement
las to meet again on the ensuing day, and that in
Her the meanwhile and SO long engaged
nd IN negotiating for settlement, matters between
nd End the company and the patrons should remain in
Butds statu QUO instruments being undsturbed and
ge E the call for subscriptions to the pink contracts
temporarily suspended.
viii An informal or nee was hef t a exfnng e
too a. legal adviser Of the company, in which 1t was
o suggested that the appOrtlonment feature or the
pripda new contracts, which especially objection
tor able, might be obviaed by indorsinS on the new
ltaee contracts stipulation that subscribers were not
y e. TO De deemed as acGuiesclng In the company
omns Interpretation Of the law by signing the same
, b Such a stipulation drawn UP, to be submitted
ne eve committee the following morning, and
1tc aptjO
,afor 4 to the company. Our committee refused to
10 Gp acquiesce in this modification and the company
# fbe Il was promptly notified thereof
av bpd The further proposition thereupon made
avs h from committee, that nasmuch as the com
DOM pany claimed the old and contracts were
IL srs similar, with the exception of the rental appor
bsn a tionment clause they should withdraw the new
fnng and the old ones, with stipulation
a NH ndorsed the latter requiring the company to
refund to the subscriber the excess over S. per
0mR# month upon the courts decision unfolding the
. a. law The company said it necessary to take
gvA8 time to consider proposition and as the next
tvnF. day the 4th, followed by Sunday the 9th,
did not hear from them until yesterday morn
- ing, when they refused to acquiesce IN our sug-
-, gostion. They put the refusal on the ground
clan that even if the law held constitutional,
but interpreted to justify the extra charges for
IT'S exchange service, etc, they would shl, under
rs tf the proposed stipulation be required to refund
a the excess. We at once responded that the stlp
ulatOn itself might regulate such possibility
- by providing that If the Interpretation was IA
onu orable the company it should not be required
ave- to refund the excess. Still the company refused
nrors4 10 agree.
tstes recess of several hours was had followed by
mh the following proposition by our committee to
atm the company
lew Indorse the following the old contracts: eff the
statute of Indiana respecting the charges be made
6 Iak by telephone companies, (Act approved April l3
5b 1SS5) held valid by the Supreme Court of Indiana
l# of civil character, the of 81 per
month after the statute takes effect shall forthwith be
refunded by this company the lessee If the
IN al is held valid. but is interpreted permit extra
co. charges for exchange the of So
$50 per month shall not be refunded"
This rejected and the following submitted
- TO in lieu thereof by the company, with the
e understanding that, if adopted, it should be
u Endorsed on the old contracts:
as The conpanv's uniform in the city of In.
dianapOlis and county of Marion, State Of Indiana
and viii be follows:
Residences within mile of the central Office of
she company 500 per year; for each additional
Fourth Of a mile fraction thereof So per year.
fR Business houses 500 per year. within one mile OF
the gal Office of the and Sb tor
each additional fourth mile fraction thereof;
these charges based from and after July l. 1855,
sFIM rental of $50 per year for the tele
- phones and the remainder for the additional services.
nHN material and facilities furnished by the company
D And it understood and agreed that if the act of
the General Assembly Of the State of Indiana known
As House Bill No. IA, approved April Is 1885, shall
be finally adjudged by the court of last resort TO
be invalid the Telephone Company shall be
within contract, and that if it is so adudced
q be valid but that the company is entitled under
the law TO charge for the additional service material
and facilities and above the telephone rental.
then the rental for the telephone proper shall the
- of $50 per year and the charge for such add
kS tonal facilities material and services shall
cient 70 bring the whole the stated
the within contract.
And the Central Union Telephone Company hereby
agrees 10 make collections under this contract in the
middle Of each quarter and 20 refund all moneys paid