The San Francisco call., 1899-12-13
TELEPHONE WAR
IN SACRAMENT

SACRAMENTO. Dec. 12.-An extraor-
diuary state of affairs has developed here
in telephone circles and the city govern
ment has been called upon TO throw lts
weight toward the righting OF a grievance.
Ssue four years ago the Capital Iele-
phone Company was organized by nome
s.at5ital for the transaction or local DuSl-
ness with ultimate branches INTO EneIen.
boring counties. At that time the sunset
Telephone Company had monopoly OF
this field and f. eXacted all the tribute
the traffic, would bear, charging not only
a high monthly rental for Its instruments,
but making "A charge for every local
switch The advent of the Capital Com
pany changed all this and presently the
Sunset Company found that IL not only
lad 10 slash its rental, but abandon It's
switch charges as well, and at the same
time make a lively scramble for its share
OF the business. From a couple OF nun
dred patrons the Capital company mas
in four years succeeded in securing twelve
hundred subscribers in this city, while ats
branch lines have penetrated the sur
rounding section in every directlon. Nat
urally this condition was CALLING TO the
ergtwllile monopoly. and it would appear
that the Sunset Company has been resort
ing TO extreme measures IN order TO re-
gain its prestige and eontroI .haroho,5-
ers, Including such representative citi-
zens as Frederick Cox, George B. katzen-
stein, NJ. j.. Dillman, A. Heilbron, Frank
Ruhstafler, Herman Grau, Joseph Stef-
fens, A. A. Van Noorhies. and w. y.
Gerber has laid the matter before the
City Board of Trustees, presenting resolu-
tions declaring that the city VIII not pat
ronize any public utility using the munich
pal streets for its lines that enforces dis
eliminating contracts against parties,
which contracts prevent rival utilities
from entering the premises, OF the parties.
Trustee Bentley has proposed resolution
throwing out the Sunset instrument from
all the city offices and a committee of
trustees has been appointed To inquire in
-. u ffraG Of nff no Gaf
Telephone Company.
Said M j. Dillman, manager of the Cap
.ital Company, 10 The Call correspondent
"a systematic boycott is being waged
by the Sunset people against our COM
panys One large business house here,
having branch In san Francisco, mad
one OF our instruments. The manager has
received from the San Francisco house in
structions to remove the telephone at
/ once on pain OF loss OF Sunset trade TO
the San Francisco branch. John /. Sabin,
president Of the Sunset Company in San
Francisco has prevailed upon the heads
OF various big corporations having
branches here not TO use our telephones.
Al their uptown and downtown offices
here Wells. Fargo * Co, have our in
strument as well as the Sunset tele-
phones, but on each of our telephones Is
/ "A notice signed by Felix Tracy. the man.
arer, stating that no employe shall use
the Capital telephone except 10 receive
/ messages. and that all Office telephoning
must be done over the Sunset line The
/ Postal Telegraph Company has declined
4 To allow US TO install one OF our instru-
ments in its office here, the San Fran
cisco headquarters giving as an excuse
! that the Postal is using some Of the Sun
! set poles for its wires"
The Capital people declare that the Sun
set Company has tried TO harass Il by
! bringing suits against IL which had no
! foundation in law ar in fact, and that in
I various ways IL has sought TO crush the
! hgfne enterprise, Public sentiment APP
| pears TO be with the home company, for
| there Is no question that fits service IS
t'excellent and that Il has been the means
OF saving the merchants and household
ers from the extortionate demands for
Inerly- made blythe old Sunset monopoly.