The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1897-11-12
NO INFRINGEMENT,
Attorney Cray Takes Advanced
Ground on Telephone
Matters.
Northwestern Must Connect Up With the
Proposed New LEGAL System.

A meeting OF some of those who are
interested in the proposed new local
telephone exchange company was
held in Parlor "a" of The Saulpaugh
this morning, Chairman Plymat pre-
siding.
H. E. Hance opened the meeting
by stating that the committee had
met with some success in soliciting
subscribers for stock and instru-
ments,, but that it would now be
better policy to procure the services
of a promoter, who could give his en-
tire time to the work and push it to a
success. There had been talk OF the
Bell patents being infringed, and it
would be we'll to see where they we're
at.
Attorney Cray was called upon and
made a statement in regard to the
legal aspects of the case. He said
that there need be no fear in regard
to infringement of patents. The Bell
companies would threaten suits and
might even start them, but nothing
would come of them. These suits are
not being started any longer in the
Northwest, and the Northwestern
company is parallelfng the Blue
Earth Valleys line. If the latter
company was infringing upon patents
held by the former, suit would have
been started instead of a parallel line
built. What is wanted is a strong
local company. Unless the local COM
pany is strong, it would be better
to have outside capital build the eX-
change, as it would stand a better
chance of receiving favors from the
the city government in the long run
Local ~jealousies might find their way
TO the city government in the case OF
a weak local company.
Continuing, Mr., Cray said that a
telephone company is a public cor
poration, and he saw 10 eason why it
should not come under the laws gov
erning the public carriers, the rail-
roads and telegraph lines. This be-
ing the case, the Northwestern COM
pany would have to connect with the
local exchange. 1t would have tC
supply an instrument to the local
central office, and could not refuse to
do business with the patrons of the
local company at reasonable com
p%ensation. This question has never
been raised in the courts, but he
thought that when it was raised the
courts would take the ground that
he had indicated. He thought that
the city authorities could require any
company coming to Manka
to, that had taken land for a right Of
way and was a public corporation, tt
furnish facilities for all alike or take
away it's franchise and drive it from
the city. If public sentiment does no,
compel the Northwestern company
to furnish these facilities. the public
authorities can and will all along the
line.
Mr.. Plymat said that he saw NJ
reason why Mr.. Cray's statement wa.
not entirely correct. In reply to
question, he said that it is proposed
to raise $4,000 capital to build tn,
proposed local system, and secure sub
scriptions to 300 instruments, which
vas believed to be easily possible.
One gentleman present said tina
he had received a letter from a frienC
who was connected with a Bell com
pany, and who said that $40, 600 t.
S15, 900 and possibly $780, 900 would b,
required to put in an exchange.
Mr.. Hance said that at Menominee
Wis, a plant had been built at a COS
of Sc, 500, with 1873 instruments on tn,
start. AT New Ulm, the system hat
been put in at less than $40 to tn,
instrument. and at Rochester, wher,
the system was rebuilt three time
and the most expensive materia
used, the entire cost was not over Sc
to the phone.
Fl. A. Patterson said that a tele
phone man at the last meeting hat
said that the new company SHOULD
not figure on less than $50 to tn,
phone.
Mr.. Hance said that the compan,
could contract Tor a plant at $40 t,
the phone.
A letter from w. Kalbach, a bust
ness man Of Oshkaloosa, Iowa, wa
read, giving the following informa
tion regarding the local telephon'