The labor world., 1899-11-04
an expressed desire to build to- thu
head of the lakes.

an expressed desire to build to. the
head Of the lakes.
"We received them with open arms, -
continued the mayor, land assured
| them that anything within reason they
might ask for they could get. 1t soon
| cropped out, however, that they wanted
Ia local franchise. The franchise Of the
| local company was ABOUT to expire.
| The common council and myself had
been elected on an issue that no more
! franchises should be granted unless
they were open to competitive bids. The
long distance company declined to give
us any satisfaction when we asked
them what their schedule of rates
would be for the use Of their phones.
We thought this was a point on which
we should be Informed as it was a
question that certainly seemed to be
of a public nature and one on which
the public should be informed. If tho
prices We're satisfactory then all right
have been severely criticised 1t has
been said that if it were not for me
we would now have the Ions distance
service. Certainly the council had as
much to do with the failure as myself
We were bound to draft and receive
Bids but the local company did not
submit any bid. AS for myself +
should have favored giving the local
company the preference even on
higher bid for I would not consider it
right to interfere with their invested
capital; neither was I anxious to have
another company come here to add
their poles to the crowded condition of
the streets. It IS a purely business
matter and the man that said Repub-
lican will have to be elected in order to
insure a long distance telephone SER
vice for the city, insulted the Republi-
can party. The new local company has
begun to establish it's system and its
schedule of rates is about half of that
of the present local company. I re-
ceived today telegram from the |
Mississippi Valley Telephone company |
of Minneapolis, which says that it will |
give Duluth the longLdistance service |
in the near future
Mayor Truelsen suggested that the !
people wait awhile and then, perhaps, !
after the independent line reaches here
the Bell people will be ready to come
in on reasonable terms. He was not in
favor of making it necessary for peo-
pie to have two telephones, one for
local use and one for the locg distance
service.
F. A. Patrick of the Stone -Ordean-
Wells company said that the business
OF Duluth demand the long
distance service. He said he thought
the mayor was right. Mr.. Patrick said
he was willing to wait and take
chances
e. Lomasncy of the Duluth Telephone
company was present He was asked
a number Of questions at different
times regarding the long distance tnlc-
phone company and the cause of the
failure of this city to be denied the
service. Mr.. Loulnsnry'H statement
covering the various questions, WAS in
substance as follows:
i see no justice in the idea of bring
ln:s the present local telephone COM
|nny into this controversy. The Scr
vice of our company has been criticised
BY the mayor. l will say. and without
n" service of our company I'd TO the
lilit Vi lilt IRE NlS us GOOD as can
De hai in the world. We have been
obliged TO get along since the fire with {
temporary facilities. but new ones Of
he Very best arc coming, and they will
,c here in due time.
'-\s for the long distance telephon,
natter | VIII say that til" present local
company has nothing whatever 10 do
vita =. The long distance company, a.:
IS name implies, is Il service distinct
ro:l any other. l TO not represent the
oHS distance company in any way.
'hr mayor has asked me il We would 5
nnnert Duluth subscribers with the :
nnS distance company. rs you know,
: not yet in Duluth. II | N'ri',. t. want
o talk WIKI n!;:vrs out>it!,. of The mead
It the lakes cities | Wnu1, have 20 81 !
. Superior - do ii. That Ought to En y
explanation of our ability to :
nnllrrt Duluth with The long diStunrvI I
nrvirc at superior. t
considerable has been said about Il
telephone systems. | will G
ay, not with any desire to prejudice lt