The San Francisco call., 1896-03-10
Rates in San Francisco and
Throughout California to
Be Reduced.
IMPROVED SERVICE PROMISED.
Every Telephone User Will Be Pro-
vided With a Long.Distance
Instrument.

by the ISL OF july, 1851, III Is cApeCtcu w
have in operation not only in this City
but throughout the State telephone sys-
TEN that will be in every sense of the word
& competitor of the company now operat-
ing in this field.
The new company is already incorpor-
ated, and on Saturday last applied for a
franchise to construct and operate its pro-
posed lines in this City. 1t is known as
the Peoples Mutual Telephone Company.
Its directors are: James l.. Crittenden,
president; William H. Chapman, secre-
tarv; J. T. McCrosson, F. w. Spencer and
Reuben Tucker. Its capital stock is $5,-
OO0,000 divided into $4,000 shares of 500
each.
In an interview yesterday President
Crittenden spoke in detail OF the plans of
the company, which have much that is
novel and enterprislng TO commend them
to the public. He said:
"The company has been at work for
some time obtaining contracts from peo-
pie who propose to use Its instruments,
and has already over 1900 in this City
alone. 1t intends to put in none but long
distance tele ephones; that is, instruments
that can be used for service outside the
City as within the City, so that every one
to communicate with any part OF the
State.
Every part of our system Will be con-
structed of only tie best material obtain
able, and the instruments will be of the
very latest designs, including many i'm
provements not in use on the present sys-
TEN.
"Our rates will be S. month for rental
and cents for each local switch, but spe-
ciaI contracts will be made by which the
charge for switching will not exceed L cent
per switch. A Tree telephone will be
placed in every principal City and County,
State and Federal office in San Francisco,
and in the State Capitol at Sacramento.
"Our rates for telephoning between the
different points in the State will be about
so per cent of the rates now being charged,
and our service in all respects will be kept
up to the highest state OF efficiency, with
the idea of obviating all cause of COM
plant.
"One of the most in, portant features of
our plan is that every effort is being made
to interest in this company sll users of
telephones by donating to and distribut-
ing among them shares OF the capital
stock free of cost, so as to make this tele
phone company not only mutual but a
cooperative institution and enterprise, in
the management and control OF which
every telephone user will have a voice.
Each person who signs a contract for the
use of a telephone of this company will be
entitled to from one to five shares of fully
paid-up stock of the company, according
to the duration of his contract for the use
of one of the company's telephones, and
such stock will not be aSsessable. Twenty
thousand shares, or $2,000,000 worth of
stock, have been set aside for this part of
the plan, the object being to secure per-
manent subscribers, for no compromise or
d. Ill N1l,
Com pany will be made by this company,
and it will under no circumstances sell c.
dispose of any OF its rights or contracts
and will continue to be an active opposi-
tion telephone company.
"Our reason for asking intending SUBJ
scrbers to sign contracts is that this oppo-
sition company has to meet one of the
the world, and we can only hope for
success by making the actual users of our
telephones interested in the profits OF the
company. as we do by donating to them
shares of the stock in the manner
described. The plan cf securing contracts
is the only wise and prudent one open to
this company, for no business man and no
man of sense would invest and expend
$1.000,0 600 to introduce an opposition tele-
phone system against the powerful Pacific
Bell Telephone monopoly upon the mere
promise on the part of users. of the tele-
phone that they will use his telephone
after it has been introduced.
eve have not yet begun construction on
any part of our system, having delayed
doing so until we were assured of sufficient
support to warrant Us in going ahead.
This we consider We now almost have, and
have therefore applied for the franchise in
this City,. The lines of the company
throughout the State can be constructed
without any franchise, and satisfactory ar
rangements will be made with all opposi-
ton telephone companies in every city
and town of this State. As soon as the
franchise is granted by the Supervisors of
this City, and we secure contracts with a
majority OF the telephone users in this
City, forty or fifty working parties will be
put to work in the City and throughout
the State.
''In order to encourage the use of the
telephone by the press of the State we
shall make special rates for newspaper
dispatches, and will endeavor to give q
press service that will meet ali the exact
ing requirements of such an und rtaking.
Among other things we shall endeavor to
give the papers almost direct connection
with their correspondents, so that they can
communicate with them at any time of the
day or night.
''After the work of construction is begun
the rapidity with which it will be carried
on will depend in part on the amount of
support We receive from the users of tele-
phones"