The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-16

j. s.
general manager of the company, who
said;
I'VE have given 1t no consideration
whatever"
Another officer said that it is an err
ror to suppose that many Of the sub
scribers Of the company pay the maxi
mum rate Of $240. He said that fully
20, 900 Of the $4,000 patrons have changed
to the message rate, and that the aver
age cost to them is only q little more
than $50 year. He said that the
great stumbling block in the way of
a new company would be the difficulty
in obtaining the first 5000 subscribers,
as no one would want telephone UNI
less he could be assured that he would
have some one to talk to.
The Herald says editorially
1t begins to look as If the people OF
this city may after all secure relief
from the exactions of the telephone
monopoly.
The board Of trade and transportation
having vainly fought for legislative aid
to this end at several sessions of the
legislature, now takes new and more
practical course, and one which we
hope will prove more successful.
The new company promises to furn-
ish improved telephones at less than
one-half the present charges and pro-
poses the introduction OF group sys-
tenn whereby inmates Of apartment
houses may secure the service at trif-
ling expense. All this seems almost
too good to be true, but the new enter
prise Is in the hands of successful men
of affairs, and their plans are perfectly
feasible and will have the hearty en-
dorsement and support Of the public.
Right here in Worcester, telephone
opposition which has been talked qui-
city for years, is assuming q decidedly
businesslike aspect There was
meeting Thursday night Of a commit
tee made up Of Henry F. Harris, u. z.
Curtis, William Hart, William II.
Burns and It. o. Plummer, who were
appointed at meeting some weeks ago
| to investigate the advisability of form
ing an independent telephone company.
The committee have made careful es-
Inmates Of the attending expense Of in
stalling a system of this sort, one that
will give perfect satisfaction, and feel
more than ever confident that it can be
done and furnish good service for about
! one-half the rate now paid for tele-
| phones.
At this meeting the matter was thor
| oughly talked over. The question Of
| long distance service may be overcome
here as in Haverhill, where the opposi
| ton has a strong foothold. In that
city the plan as advertised in the cata-
| logue, is to have a long distance in
strument installed at their central Of
fee
| The subscriber may come to their
| Office and talk with parties out of
town, or give his message to the OPP
orator, who will in turn submit the
message to Its destination, the sub
scriber paying the regular toll charge,
as matter Of course,
This thing is being done in other
| places, and the committee at the head
of the opposition movement here feel
that the same thing can be done In
Worcester, which overcomes one Of the
difficulties experienced
| Mr., Harris said to The Spy man yes
terday, that the committee would have
another meeting within q weeks time,
when additional data would be submit
| ted, and at that time call would be
| issued for another public meeting.
| The committee has worked carefully
with the idea in view of being able to
submit plan when the time comes,
that would prove feasible and practi-
cable, one that will meet with the APP
prevail of the people. AS they go into
the matter DEEPER they are more than
ever convinced that the scheme is
! feasible, and one that will meet with
the hearty endorsement of the best peo-
! pie of Worcester.
| The committee feel that to obtain the
best results, a company should be cap
italized for as small amount as praetic-
able. Most of the old companies are
capitalized for large amounts. 1t is
| deemed much larger than is necessary,
with the result that the fixed charges
form no small amount Of the operating
expense. This fact during the past year
is said to have been the cause of the
New England Company giving up ex-
| tensive construction work that had
been planned
| Another expense with which the old
companies have to contend will be done
away with by the new company. Every
| instrument used by the New England
Telephone and Telegraph Company is
rented from the American Bell Com
pany. What rate is paid is a profound
secret, but 1t has been estimated that a
| handsome royalty is charged
| An independent company will pur-
chase their instruments outright and
do away with this continual drain
| Mr.. Harris idea Is to interest the
| strongest business men in Worcester in
the company and to allow the people of
| Worcester the privilege of talking
through instruments of a company in
which they have a personal interest.
| Meanwhile the Peoples Telephone e.
| 1OtC6 ebPii COMPANY, VI WHICH Israel L..
| Currier is president, is working the city
for subscribers. Mr.. Currier says there
is nothing new in connection with their
| plans for the future further than that
they are securing a good number of
| subscriptions.
| In reply to a question as to what he
had to say regarding the report that
! representatives of his company had
been representing to different ones that
his company and the latest movement
in the field were Identical, Mr.. Currier
said he did not believe any such state
ment had been made.
| Il certainly do not wish to have any
thing to do with this second movement
| in any way" was his remark.
DAYLIGHT BURGLARY