The Democratic advocate., 1897-09-18
TELEPHONE SERVICE IN CARROLL.
Some History Of Telephone Companies and
Some Reference to other Industries.


The Western Maryland Telephone Com
many of Carroll County has issued a circular
In its subscribers to counterfeit the efforts, Of
the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Com
many. which has reduced its rates in order to
increase its business.
When the Chesapeake and Potomac Com
many first entered Westminster the rate for
phones for local use was placed at Sl2.5O per
quarter for advance payment Although the
rate was high, complete service was promised
and many persons had phones put in. The
service outside of Westminster was of very
little use. so little in fact that subscribers be-
gan TO drop off In Westminster until not a
dozen were left, while the service out OF town
never was of any special use.
The Western Maryland Company was or
ganized to occupy field thatthe Chesapeake
and Potomac Company would not occupy;
The people wanted quick communication, and
enough were willing to take phones at a
moderate rental to make the service general
AS soon as the'new company was organized
the Chesapeake and Potomac tried to stop
the building of new lines by reducing rates.
The rates were still too high to insure extended
use of their phones, so the new company went
ahead and built telephone system such as is
valuable to the people. Nearly every busi-
ness house has a phone of the new company,
nearly all the lawyers and the physicians, two
of the three drug stores, the newspaper offices.
livery stables and number of private dwell
ines. This Is in Westminster, the number of
subscribers being between 80 and 100. Lines
were built to every section OF Carroll, nearly,
and there are a number of subscribers in
every important town, except Mt. Airy. The
subscribers are so numerous the service is val
liable.
The Chesapeake and Potomac, is learned,
is again making an effort to get subscribers
here and to enlarge its business. The re-
duced price will not insure as large number
of subscribers i'll Westminster as the home
company has, while its lines running ont of
Westminster do not reach so many towns in
Carroll as those of the home company, and
the higher rates Of the Chesapeake and Poto-
mac Company would prevent it from having
so many subscribers as the home company.
These facts are presented so that the people
may know what they are doing. If the Ches-
apeake and Potomac Company should succeed
in so dividing business that the home CON-
pany, whose lines are built by home money,
and whose affairs are managed gratuitously by
home people, should not be able to stay in
the field, there is nothing to prevent the for
eign company from increasing rates. An in
crease of rates means a reduction of subscrib-
ers, and a reduction of subscribers means
curtailment Of the usefulness of the system
in fact in a short time Westminster and Carroll
county would be without any telephone system
worth mentioning.
The people of Westminster and Carroll
should sustain its home enterprises better than
they do. Nearly every enterprise started IN
Westminster has met with serious opposition.
beginning with the gas company nearly twen-
ty-seven years ago. Instead of being sus-
tanned by home people, obstacles have been
thrown in their way. Let us resolve to stand
by home enterprises. Let us begin by stand
ing by the home telephone company.