The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-04

is very much greater on the independent
telephone lines Of the State than it is in the
central Union and Bell systems combined.
TOWNS TO BE REACHED.
Mr.. sheerin presented petitions for the
granting of a franchise to the New Com
panv from the following towns:
Franklin, Elkhart. Elwood, Connersville,
Cicero, Bloomington, Rockville, Danville,
Rushville, Noblesville, Maplewood, Lizton,
Center Valley, Pittsboro, Delphi Hazel
wood, Shelbyville, Lebanon, Logansport,
Greencagtle, Cloverdale, Roachdale, Balm
bridge, Plymouth Columbus, Huntington,
Worthington, Pendleton, Fort Wayne,
veedersburg, Dunkirk, Greenfield. Wabash,
Madison; Winannac, Lagrange. Rochester,
Hartford City Lafayette, Cumberland, La
doga, Anderson, KnightstoWn, Winchester,
Charlottesville, Annapolis.
These petitions are signed in the aggre-
gate, by more than three thousand of the
representative business men of this State"
he went on, and in many instances the
petitions contain the name of every bust
ness and professional man in the town. /
feel, gentlemen, that you will have no dis
position to ignore these petitions from
within and without this city. They are
signed by honest, earnest men, who knock
in straightforward and manly way at the
door of their state capital for admission
upon equal rights with those already in.
AS to tho financial ability of the New
Telephone Company to put up and success
fully operate a plant in this city, we as
sert that we are abundantly able to do so,
and are entirely willing to submit such
proof thereof as your honorable body may,
in the discharge of its duty, demand.
A. III. Address, of Lafayette president of
the Mutual Telephone Association of the
State, was the first to discuss what has
been accomplished by the independent tele-
phones and the dire need of connections
between the business subscribers of out-ot-
town companies with Indianapolis. La
fayette was about the first city to open an
independent exchange. 1t started with less
than three hundred subscribers amid great
difficulties, people fearing to encounter liti-
40 NHynG n
three years the number of subscribers has
been increased to nine hundred. Now, he
said, the business is past the experimental
stage and new company can have the
very best apparatus Lafayette has connec-
tons with IA towns, twelve of them at
places where there are no postoffices, so
be reached by mail. The opposition, he
said, have large trunk lines reaching to
far-away places, while the. independent
companies reach every little hamlet in In
diana will be able to do SO when an In
dianapolis exchange furnishes the connect
ing link between large fields that are now
not available from other large fields. He
said 1t would be impracticable fof the old
companies to furnish this character of selv-
he urged that the New Company be given
a fair chance.
WILL INCREASE CITY'S TRADE.
A. f. Reynolds, of Charlottesville, was
the next speaker. He said that the indie
pendent companies, while naturally enough
having selfish interests, believe that they
asking for concession not only bene
fetal to themselves, but to indianapolis as
well when they ask that the business men
who are their subscribers be placed IN COM
munication with the capital city. Referring
to the map that was hanging in con-
spicuous place he said that the red lines,
coming to within twenty to forty miles of
Indianapolis show that there is either
that is dangerous to approach. The indie
pendent association has been i'll operation
three years. In that time the number of
telephones in operation under its yurisdic-
ton has increased from 10000 to 1900 to
10000 outside of those owned by the Bell
interests. I'VE want into Indianapolis" he
said, because it is the best city in the West
for trade. because all our interests center
there. You have a map there showing that
we can put you in communication with more
than ten times as many cities as the opposi-
ton companies We are up to distances
within ten, twenty, forty, eighty miles of
Indianapolis. All we want you to do is to
let us in. Do you want us? Do you want
our buSinesS?'
George w. Beers, of Fort Wayne, presi-
dent of the largest independent exchange
in the State, invited the Board of Works
to come to that city to ascertain by per-
sonal investigation what kind of service
that city has with 1876 telephones scattered
over seven counties, with which 1t is in di-
rect communication. He said that the
cities of Indiana can scarcely exist with
do some of their banking in indianapolis
and have political and social interests that
center here" While they could not reach
distant points like New York, they could
demonstrate by making connections over as
many miles of wire as it would take to
reach there that the long distance service
is practically faultless.
Five years ago." said L. M. Zion, of
Lebanon, If that map had been hung up
and some one had said that is what would
be accomplished by independent telephone
companies you would have said it was all
speculation. You see that it has now got
beyond speculation. We come not as spec
ulative theorists, but presenting facts The
business men of Lebanon are demanding
that we give them connection with Indian
apoliS, but at present we are not able to
comply" He predicted that if Indianapolis
came into the independent fold in five years
the red lines on the map would be doubled,
asked that the petition of the New Com
pany for franchise be granted.
L. A. Frazee, of Connersville, spoke Of
the success of the movement in his part
of the State, where service is now had with
New Castle, Rushville, Brookville, knights
town. Cambridge City and other places
where the old company took out it's ex-
changes rather than furnish service at So.
He said that 1t was the duty of the board
to encourage the development of the tele-
phone business, and urged the board to as
certain whether the company is in earnest,
whether it has the proper backing and will
franchise. If it is, help it along, was his
advice.
AT ELKHART AND RUSHVILLE.
E. c. Bickel of Elxhart, said that If it
is true that one company is sufficient, then
there should somewhere lodge the right to
regulate rates. If there is no such right
then rates should be regulated by competi-
ton. Until the independent company got
into Ell1hart the cost of every possible con-
nection was AZ cents, with only one hundred
subscribers. Now the cost is reduced to 6
cents connection, with 355 subscribers.
AS the number of subscribers increases the
value of the service increases in proportion.
He said the residents of his county and
city would be most delighted TO be in COM
munication with this city.
According to A 3. Irwin, of Rushville
the exchange there was taken out when
are now three times as many phones, and
the rate is 6S 2-3 per cent cheaper than the
rate the old company would not make He
said that the Central Union Company when
it placed a mortgage on its equipment in
Indiana filed mortgages showing it had ex-
changes in twenty-siX or twenty-Seven In
diana cities while the map hanging before
with which Indianapolis would be in touch.
c.. A Reeve. of Plymouth, told how the
Central Union Company sent circulars to
prospective subscribers of the New Com
pany there, threatening to sue them for in
fringement if they subscribed The threats
were unaVailing and no one was ever mo-
Tested. IF a manufactures wanted to come
with some business already established here
would you deny him the right?" asked he.
mo of course not. Then why refuse this
company? Competition is the life blood of