The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-01-31
\ CENTRAL STATION
OUTSIDE TELEPHONE LINES WANT
IN INDIANAPOLIS.
Promise tn Connect All Cities I'm the
state If Local Franchise Is Prop
erly Protected.

Representatives Of about twenty-five indie
pendent telephone companies of the State
met yesterday afternoon at the Commercial
Cub building to consider plans for the
formation of permanent State organiza-
ton for their mutual benefit and protection
Nearly every town of any size in the State
has an independent company supplying
telephone service to and from ten to fifty
local subscribers, and many of the smaller
towns have Accommodation but there
is no central point of communication and
many towns cannot telephone to Indianapo-
lis without paying high rates of toll to the
long distance companies In issuing the
call for the meeting held yesterday Mr.
A. Il. Reynolds, secretary of the Home
Telephone Company, of Charlottesville,
called attention to existing conditions and
suggested a line of action that would secure
communication with this city. He said
that as Indianapolis is about to let a new
franchise 1t would be we'll to secure an
agreement from the Board of Public Works
to insert in 1t clause providing that any
company accepting it should agree to fur
nish service to patrons of the independent
companies at fair rate of toll.
1t was said yesterday that the Bell Tele-
phone Company had been invited to enter
the organization, but 1t Is feared that the
old antagonism of the Bell company to any
concern that might be regarded as rival
viii prevent it's becoming a party to the
plans. The Bell company's lines extend
along the main railroad lines, and it was
argued that if the Bell company were to
come into the pool every town in the State
would be in direct communication with this
Of ffair hot he
of immense vale to the merchants and
manufacturers of every county. If the Bell
company declines TO enter into the agree
ment the independent association will put
up lines of wire connecting every town and
then try to secure from the Board of Public
Works a franchise to operate in this city,
when they viii put in a central station
here. 1t is held that If any company Sc
cures from the city of Indianapolis new
franchise without clause requiring it to
furnish service to the Independent compa-
MES great harm will be done the business
men of Indianapolis. and they will be asked
TO cooperate in securing such action from
the Board OF Works.
Among those present yesterday WERE T..
: H Andrus secretary and general manager
Ramsey, president, and A. E. Reynolds,
secretary of the Home Telephone Company,
Charlottesville: Delos Thompson, president
and G. G. Sigler, secretary Of the Jasper
County Telephone Company. Representa-
tives were also here from the American
Electric Telephone Company, the Stroro-
berg-Carlson Company and the Western
Electric Company of Chicago, the Elkhart
Telephone Company, the Carroll Telephone
Company of Delphi and the Frankfort Tele-
phone Company.
The organization of the association was
but partially completed yesterday, and the
meeting was more in the nature of pre-
liminary conference than an attempt at
definite action at this time. Other meetings
will be held later when plans will be per-
fected and permanent organization will
be formed.