St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1885-10-01

case and if Judge Ross will hear an
agreed case it will come up before the
December term of the supreme court.
If the court will not hear it the states
attorney will probably bring suit
against the village for the $500. There
is no i'll feeling in the matter the whole
thing being difference of opinion on
questions of law.
THE TELEPHONE STRIKE.
The increase in telephone rates goes
into effect in st. Johnsbury to day. As
all but four or five of the subscribers
have signed the contract agreeing not
to submit to the advance rates, and as
the document has been handed over to
the telephone managers, it is presumed
that the bulk of the Instruments in this
village will be removed as soon as the
work can be done. Such is the expec
tatiOn on the part of both managers
and subscribers. In this action the
New England company is consistent.
The increase in rates has been general
and the protests from subscribers
equally so. One of the managers was
in town last week and said that the
average Withdrawals from the circuits
in other New England towns had been
about 20 per cent. and that about half
this number generally returned. The
st. Johnsbury protest, however, is diff
ferent from those usually drawn up,
and it looks rs though pretty general
clean-Out would be the result. Just
where the whole thing will end nobody
can tell.
There is considerable feeling that
while the telephone company may
trnthfully claim that the old rates are
not remunerative, yet that they would
pay handsomely if the stock was not
so heavily watcred. The Lowell Con-
rier says:
The feeling is that the company
wants to bleed the public, while at the
same time ignoring the fact that all
the rights it enjoys come from the
public. This the people will not stand,
and, the talk is, the monopoly will be
taught a lesson. The professionals say
that they are to be charged an out
rageous price in order to pay dividends
on millions of dollars of water, and
they don't propose to do any such
thing.
1t is said that the New England tel
ephOne company is the successor of IL
number of other companies. 1t was
organized under the laws of New York,
with ii capital of $I2 200, 900, mostly
water. The American Bell telephone
company owns So, 500, 900 of the stock,
thus controlling its action. When it
was organized it went through New
England buying up local exchanges,
paying III many cases too big u price
Its dividend earning capacity, says the
Free Press, is not equal to its watered
capital, consequently its stock has de-
clined to about 30. The present in
crease in rates is IN attempt To make
it earn dividends. 1t is understood
that they contemplate paying divi-
price of the stock so they can float
some of the treasury stock held in re-
serve for extra construction account.
Manager Bingham telegraphed to the
telephone company yesterday for in
structions, and received dispatch last
evening ordering him to remove the
protestOr's instruments at once. Mr..
Bingham is taking them out this morn
ing and probably all the telephones in
the offices of protesting subscribers
will be removed before night.
Manager Bingham has been in rath-
cr trying position throughout the
trouble hut, while being true to the
company, he has done all in his power
to serve the subscribers.
The refusal of the st. JOhnsbury peO-
pie to submit to the eXtortion of the
telephone company will not probably
ruin the company, but it is broad hint
to the rest of the world as to how mo-
nopolies can he squelched.
MUSIC HALL, SUNDAY EVENING.
st. Johnsbury will observe the tenn
perance centennial next Sunday even
| ing, when union service will he held
in Music hall, beginning at $50 O'clock
Mrs. Mary II. Hunt of Boston, the wO-
man who first conceived and executed
| the plan Of introducing temperance
text books into the public schools, will
deliver the address. Mrs. Hunt was
one of the prominent speakers in the
Boston centennial, and also at the state
meetings of the w. G.. Il. u. in Brattle-
borO the past week. "She has com
manding presence" says the Cincinnati
Enquirer, "and speaks with clear
ringing voice, handling her subjec
with strength and carnestness, arising
to eloquence." A special treat hai
been prepared for this meeting i'll the
way Of music, which includes solos 10y
Mrs. Wallace, singing by double
| duartette, etc. Centcnnials have
way of coming around only once il
abont 100 years and it is expected tina
/ L. 10,