The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1895-08-29
THE TELEPHONE QUESTION.
Report of Committee Appointed by the
Merchants & Traders Union.

The Merchants & Traders Union,
in view Of the fact that there is
serious danger OF many OF our citizens
being compelled to subscribe for Two
phones, or suffering much incOn-
yenience ard loss, desire to lay before
the community the following facts,
viz:
The Bell Telephone Company after
obtaining franchise On the under
standing that they would charge SIS
for business phones raised the rate to
S64 without valid reasons therefor.
Efforts have been made for more
than two years to get reductiOn
from those rates, which were deemed
exhorbitant, with practically no
effect, till it became evident that
without decided reduction rival
system would be established. Then
they made rate of $40, which was
considerably higher than was offered
our people by a responsible company
for a system guaranteed to be as good
rs the Bell.
In April, 1895, an offer was made by
d responsible company to give salts
factory service for S34 and Il commit
tee representing the Chamber of Com
mercc and the Merchants 81 Traders
Union, in order to show all fair deal
ing toward the Bell Company, and to
give them an opportunity to reap the
benefit OF their established plant,
waited upon a representative of that
company and offered to stop all agiLa-
tion for lower rates, and consideration
OF rival system, if the Bell Company
would give rate of 1886 and were told
repeatedly and emphatically that the
Bell Company could not and would
not grant a lower rate than $40 and if
that was not satisfactory to the citi-
Zens of Winston Salem they could go
ahead and get another system.
At meeting Of the Chamber of
Commerce, held May End, 1895, a propo-
sition was received by that body
from the Inter-St Telephone
and Telegraph Co, to build a
first class system, equipped with long
distance phones, and the most COLI
plete exchange equipment, and would
guarantee as good, if not decidedly
better, service than the Bell Co. is
now giving, provided they could get
100 subscribers at $34 for business
places and $40 for residences.
After full discussion of said proposi-
tion, "i5 was voted that the Cha amber
approve the proposition Of the Inter
State Telephone and Telegraph Co,
to put in phones at $40 and $34 per
year, on yearly contracts, provided
the instruments prove satisfactory to
the telephone committee.
Since the Interstate Co, have be-
gun the establishment of system,
that so far as it has gone shows very
superior construction, the Bell Co. has
reduced rates to $2S and $lS and have
been trying to get the citizens of Win
ston-Salem TO sign contracts for their
phones for one year at those rates,
with the evident object, as we believe,
to drive out the Interstate Co. and
then increase the rates. In this con-
nection, it is proper to state that the
Interstate Co., proposed to write
their contracts for five years and
modified the proposition at the re-
quest of the committee.
In view of tl:se facts, the Merch-
ants 81 Traders Union would unite its
influence with that of the Chamber of
Commerce in requesting all our citI-
zens to enter into No contract for
| telephone service for longer period
| than three months, until the charac-
ter of the service given by the Inter
State Co. is fully tested, and if that is
| found to be in accordance with their
| guarantee, we think that both policy
| and good faith demand for them the
/ patronage of all our citizens.
f. @. BROWN,
| ID. S. REID, Committee.
/ JOE JACOBS,