Willmar tribune., 1899-10-18
From the cazette:
THAT TELEPHONE DEAL.

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THAT TELEPHONE DEAL.
Willmar Stockholders Say it was
All Right-Entire Satisfaction
With Action of Board
of Directors.
A meeting of the Wi1lmar stock
holders of the Minnesota Central Tele'
phone Co., was held at the Office o1
President Tallman Tuesday evening
pursuant to call. The meeting was
called by the president for the pur'
pose of having the stockholders salts
fy themselves by a thorough examina
tion of the compapy's books and other
records that the recent sale of the com.
pany's line between Willmar and Min.
neapolis, and other transactions and
business conducted by the company
have been in the interest of all the
stockholders. Prior to the meeting
a committee OF stockholders. by re.
quest of the president. had made a
complete examination of the COM
pany's books and records and their
report was presented to the meeting.
Such a meeting would ordinarily be
unnecessary, but during the past few
weeks the Willmar Tribune has, in
numerous editorials, endeavored to
spread the impression abroad that the
sale mentioned above was 'sell out''
of the small stockholders; that the
business of the company was being
run in the special interest Of President
Tallman and other large stockholders;
that there was great dissatisfaction
among the stockholders with the man.
agemeut of the company's business,
and insinuating, at least, all manner
of crookedness; hence it was deemed
advisable to have a meeting of the
stockholders, comprising the repre-
sentative men of the village, that the
affairs of the company might be in
vestigated and the result of the in
vestigation be made public. Those
present at the meeting we're Messrs. J.
M. Spicer, E. S. Frost, A. J. Ekander,
w. T. Markhus, H. J. Ramsett, c..
W. Odell, Geo. W. Johnson, A. F.
Hanscom, Benz. Williams, W. J..
Plnney, P. P. Eddy, P. J. Haley, F.
W. Minton, Olof Olson, A. F. Elf
strum, G. q. Bitterness, B. S. Covell,
E. P. Sundfors, c. H. Sherwood,
Russell Spicer, Harold Frost, A. O..
Sather and D. N. Tallman, compris-
ing practically all of the stockholders
here. The report of the special CON-
mittee was presented, and the affairs
OF the company were gone over in de-
tail, and after most thorough and
searching examination the stockhold-
ers expressed their satisfaction with
the work and actions of the board of
directors, not only in the sale of the
company's line, but in all the other
business transactions. The following
motion was presented, seconded and
adopted by unanimous vote:
Moved, that the action of the
board Of directors Of the Minnesota
Central Telephone Co., in reference
to the sale of the Willmar- Minneapo-
lss line to the Northwestern Telephone
Exchange Co., and all transactions
connected Herewith, in general and
detail, and the contract made, be ap-
proved by the stockholders here pres.
ent.''
The above is evidently sufficiently
strong ratification of the action of the
board OF directors and shows that the
Willmar stockholders have every con-
tidence in the board; and as the stock
holders present at the recent annual
meeting OF the company unanimously
ratified the work of the board, it is
difficult to understand what grounds
the Tribune can have for a "kick. .
The Tribune editorials would natur.
ally tend to injure the company, and
no doubt have done so. What motive
the Tribune could have in attempting
to blacken the business reputation o.
the board of directors by spreading
abroad what proves to be entirely un
founded claims, can only be con
jectured. 1t certainly owes President
Tallman and the board of directors ar
apology, at least, as a small recon
pense for it's attack upon them.