The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-04-13
LONG DISTANCE PHONE.
General Meansy Discusses from Company's
Standpoint, Granting Of .Charter.
REASONS FOR OPPOSING MAXIMUM RATE
Tho President of Tho American Long
Distance Telephone md Telegraph
Company Expresses His Opinions
ora the Present Telephone War ana
Argues for GrRntiug OF Franc llisc

The application of the American Tel
ephone and Telegraph Company Of Nlr-
GINA to the city Councils for authority
to use the streets Of this city for the pur-
pose Of their business has been the sub
ject OF general discussion IN this connec-
tlon for some weeks.
The company making this application
was organized for the purpose OF con-
STRUGGLING telephone and telegraph lines
within The State of Virginia. with view
to connecting various points within that
State with the long distance telephone
system now in opera ton throughout
that section of the country between the
Atlantic ocean and the M!ssLs sippi river,
and between Canada and Washington In
the East. and Wisconsin and MISSISSIPPI
pi in the West. Lines are now In process
OF construction between Chicago, ILL.,.
and Minneapolis and Duluth, Mimi,
and between Davenport, Ia. and Oma-
ha, Neb., and it now contemplates eX-
tending its system into the South
through Virginia. tho Carolinas, Geor-
gia and Florida to New Orleans, La.
representative has secured from General
Edward p. Mcaney, the president Of the
company, the following statement:
In making this application"
said General Mcancy. the com
puny is following line Of
COnuuCL heretofore pursued Wherever
It has extended Its lines, and It does
not feel justified, from the nature Of
the extensive business that 1t proposes
doing, to he limited by the different
municipalities through which its lines
pass to any specific class OF telephone
business. l think the rcasonableness
and logic or this position will be readily
comprehended. One community might
require, as condition precedent to our
using It's streets, that we be confined
to long distance telephone business only.
prohibiting us from exercising our
rights to do either a telegraph or a To-
cal telephone business, and another
community might require that we do
the local telephone business and alb
stain from doing n telegraph business,
etc.
What this company IS really pro-
posing to do Is to establish q national
telephone system, SO that any telephone
customer properly equipped and con-
nected with Its lines. may talk to any
equipped. throughout the section cover
ed by It's lines
n reply to his query as to his COM
pany entering the field Of local telc-
phone business, General Mcaney said:
This company does not propose to
enter the field OF local telephone bust
ness but IT is absolutely necessary that
IL
system organized. equipped and opcrat-
cd In accordance with the requirements
for long distance business And In
case 1t is unable to make n traffic ar
ranSement with companies now en-
gagged In the local telephone business,
!, must be in a position TO establish
such telephone facilities. The mere
building Of trunk lines without ade-
quate terminal facilities would be un-
profitable to the company, and would
not furnish satisfactory facilities to the
general telephone users.
IN all the cities connected with this
system" remarked General NIcaney, "a
large number or public stations have
been established for the purpose Of fur
nishing facilities to persons not tclc-
phone users. While the establishment
or public stations provides for a certain
class OF business, 1t does not provide Il
class Of facilities wanted and required
ny the frequent user Of telephone SER
vice"
In answer to the question why his
company objected to the establishment
of maximum rate General NIeaney
said:
THE American Telephone and Tcle
graph company or Virginia, while It
regrets extremely that it is not III a
position TO accept what is generally
called maximum rate, in case it should
1uSe TO accept q maximum rate both
as n matter Of policy and for good.
and as it believes. sufficient business
reasons. Throughout its entire system
IN the United States 1t has not accepted
from any municipality the fixing Of q
maximum rate and this question Of Il
maximum rate has presented itself in n
great number Of instances when an
pications have been made for permits
sion to use the streets Of various cities
A maximum rate accepted in Norfolk
would establish q precedent that In our
future extensions would be most dis
astrous. The maximum rate fixed in
Norfolk would practically be n prece-
dent to our entering any other CITY
IN the South or upon the route of our
proposed extensions. The question OF
fixing rates can only be logically dis
posed OF by careful examination OF all
the conditions that exist in the differ
ent places that we may enter. a rate
which would be reasonable under the
conditions that exist in Norfolk might
be entirely too low for many places
other than Norfolk or too high for some
other places. TO undertake to Law down
general rule for ali places for local
telephone service would show lacl,
OF clear understanding OF the PROPOSE