The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-14
LITTLE MORE STOCK NEEDED
NEW TELEPHONE COMPANY's
PLANS BEING PUSHED.

The Desire of the IncOrpOrators 10
Have All the stock Taken in Sa-
vannah-Expected That an Ex-
change Building VIII BE Secured
Within Few Days-Mr. Rowland
Tells What Opposition Companies
Have Done at Some other Places.
No Test Case Yet Made.
The work of the new telephone compa-
ny to enter the field here in opposition to
the Southern Bell Telephone Company is
being pushed, and within short time, it
is stated, steps will be taken toward put
ting in the exchange.
Mr.. John T. Rowland, who has conduct
ed the new company's affairs, says the on
ly thing it is now waiting on is the sub
scription of few thousand dollars more
of stock to complete the $50, 900 paid in cap
ital, which the company will have when it
begins business. Letters have been receive
ed from parties outside of the city Offering
to put up the rest of the capital, or as
much as is desired, but 1t is the intention
of those interested in the company if pos
sible to have every dollar of the stock
taken in the city. and the distribution of 1t
among the citizens will be as wide as it is
possible to make it.
Mr.. Morris w. Thomas, who built the
exchanges in Charleston, Augusta and
other places, expects to construct the ex-
change here. He has been in the city
several days awaiting developments. Sew
eral places have been talked of as loca-
tions for the exchange, and while efforts
are being made to secure the place most
desirable, nothing definite in this direc-
ton has yet been done. Within the next
week or two, however it is expected that
the exchange building will be secured.
eve have advertised residence tele-
phones at $685." MIR. Rowland said, land
these will not be on party lines, but sep
arate and to themselves. Our contracts
will of course, be made for a year, and
all of our rates will be % per cent. lower
than those offered by the Bell people. We
are satisfied that we can put in a resi-
dence telephone at 81 a month, and a bus
mess telephone at SO a month, and make
money.
I'm many instances where local opposi-
ton companies have been started the
Bell people have had to cut the rate, and
often put in telephones free. In Lynch
burg, Va, the Bell Company's rates are $12
year LOT business ana 30 IOT residence
telephones, while those of the opposition
company are $2S for business and $18 for
residence telephones, and the opposition
company has three times as many sub
scribers. In Charleston the opposition
company has about 800. and In Augusta
more than 900 subscribers. All of these
statements are facts, and l challenge their
contradiction.
II do not care TO name any definite time
at which we will put in our plant, until
we are ready to put 1t in. There u.s. OF
course, liable to be some little delay, and
for that reason we would rather wait I'M
til we are ready to act, and then let II be
seen what we are going to do. We have
nearly GOO of the Bell subscribers already
signed up, and l am satisfied we can get
1000 as soon as we start; In fact, / may
say l have every assurance of it. We
have got to fight pretty big corporation,
with plenty of money, and when we begin
we want 10 be prepared to do Il.
I'm speaking to me on the subject, Mr.
Gentry, who represents the Bell people
told me he believed he could whip one