Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-10-31
ROBBER RATES MUST Go.
The Wausau Telephone Company
Ready For Business.

The Wausau Telephone Company now
has It's system in, ready for use, and
Wausau business men will no longer
have to submit to being robbed by that
monOpOllstlc octopus, the Wisconsin
Telephone Co. Her sister cities of the
Wisconsin valley are asked to join her
in delivering telling blow to this most
grasping monopoly. Marshfield already
has telephone system of its own:
Merrill has organized a company to put
in one; Grand Rapids and Centralia
are ready to begin work just as soon as
Wausaus system is in operation and
found to be satisfactory; Stevens Point
will no doubt discover before long that
it is to herinterest to follow Wausau' s
example. The Wisconsin Telephone
company is bound to be driven out of
the Wisconsin valley.
1t was last January the movement
was started in Wausau that eliminated
in new telephone system for this city.
Grand Rapids and Centralia took the
initiative in an effort to secure lower
| telephone rates and asked Wausau,
Merrill and Stevens Point to join them
The Wausau Business Mems Associa-
ton issued a call for meeting of bust
ness men at kickbusch Hall on Jan. Is,
and at this meeting a remOnstrance
against the exorbitant rates charged by
the Wisconsin Telephone Company
was signed by all present, and the next
day by the balance of the telephone
users of the city. y. Heinemann, H.
z. Maynard and Robert Kickbusch
were appointed a committee to confer
with the Wisconsin company to see if
lower rates could be secured.
On Feb. eth, i'll answer to a call
| Inv Tn 81
meeting of committees appointed by
the cities named in the foregoing paIa-
graph was held at the Hotel Bells in
this city, and it was then agreed to
continue the Wisconsin telephone
service provided that company would
grant rate of 81 a month for business
| places and ST a month for residences
! This proposition was sent to the tele-
phone company, and by request of
Manager Mcleod of the Wis. Tel. Co.
another meeting WAS held at Hotel
Bells on Feb. Dist, at which he was
present. Instead of making any con-
cessions, Mr.. Mcleod tried to convince
the meeting that his company was very
liberal and fair in the treatment of its
patrons and was operating on a very
small profit. His statements were given
the credit they deserved and the meet
Ing adjourned, convinced that it was
useless to look to the Wisconsin Tele-
phone Company for fair treatment. 1t
was agreed that each committee shonld
try to work up a sentiment to organize
i'll its city Il local telephone company
and all unite in getting systems put in
at most advantageous figures, and ulti-
mately to connect the cities by line
put in by all.
We are pleased to know that the bust
ness men of Wausau have gone on with
their local telephone enterprise and
now have it ready for use. How long
are the business men of the Twin
Cities goingto lay dormant and allow
the Wisconsin Telephone Company to
rob us longer. Since the Wausau Com
pany is ready for business they offer
the following prices:
Now that the Wausau Telephone
Company is about ready for business,
the Wisconsin Telephone Co. discovers
that it can furnish telephones for a
smaller rental than heretofore, and
offers after Nov. LIST to supply phones
for business places at monthly rental
of Sl.25 and residences 81. But its
scheme won't work. At Merrill and
Stevens Point the same company is
charging SIS and s..
This shows that if they can furnish
phones in Wausau where they have
competition that they can do so in these
cities. Push the work along here and
lets have an exchange Of our own.