The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-04-17
NEW PHONE LINES
Troubles and Expenses of a
New System
OLD SUBSCRIBERS FORCED
To Pay Expense of Outsiders
Cheap Line.

| pany in Wichita composed OF outside
men. Everybody in Wichita who has a
telephone now breads to see the inaugur-
| alton Of another system. The new sys-
| tenn will be patronized by some people
| probably a hundred or so. The man VINO
! has a telephone now must have the new
system because there will be somebody,
probably several people that he can
reach without it There will be more peo-
| pie, many times more, that he can't reach
| without the old reliable system now III
USE and of course he can't do without
! that. He can't get the long distance &C
commodation by anw new system He
| can not reach any of the towns in south
ern Kansas, Oklahoma or Missouri with
out the old system, and the wholesaler,
the jobber, the distributor, must reach
these towns. The livery stable men, the
hotel men, the railroad depots. all the
public offices as well as wholesalers must
have the two phones. This is double ex-
pense with less efficient service and the
trouble that always arises from two
phones. Nearly all of Wichita's 200 places
have the Bell phone now. The service is
moderately expensive and efficient. VIII
it be good business judgment to allow
outsiders, men who are simply out some
where hunting a foothold, TO come in and
lumber up the streets with poles and
obstruct the city with wires for con-
venience q little cheaper and very much
less efficient at the expense Of old sub
scriberS who are the support and push
of the town? 1t is folly 70 assume that
a cheap service can be efficient. The
Bell people are here. They reach all the
important places of business in the city
and all the important towns in Kansas
and Oklahoma. BY the first or middle of
May the long distance line to the east
will be completed. 1t is an Impeachment
Of the business Judgment Of Wichita
merchants to suppose that they Will give
up this system for a new outside system
that has only a few local and unimport-
ant subscribers compared with the bust
ness of the Bell Missouri and Kansas
phone, as now in use. And yet there will
be enough to force a good many people
to buy two phones. The people who have
phone snow must pay for it, Why not
wait until the franchises of the present
company expire and then let new one
to the company offering the most super
ior advantages?
The following dispatch in the Kansas
City World from St. Joe tells something
of the evil of a double system:
st. Joseph, No, April 10-The business
men of this city-bankers, merchants,
lawyers, doctors anr representatives of
every branch of the commercial class
are against the double telephone system
The telephone, ever since its introduction
has always been regarded as necessary
the discovery has been made here that
where two companies operate in a city
that it would be profitable for the pa
irons to purchase one outfit and throw 1t
into the river. The merchants of this
city are planning to shake off one COM
pany and return. to the good old days
when telephone bills were not so numer-
Gus as they are at present"
The condition of affairs here is SINH
lar to what it is in Detroit and other
places where the promoter has ventured,
only the situation in this city differs in
that the old company has not reduced its
rates. Formerly the rent of a telephone
for business purposes was $50, while at
present the rate is $50 per year. This
seems strange, for does not the pro-
moter say that telephones will be put in
for less money than by the old company?
Yes, he did say that. but the merchants
here find that in order to be thoroughly
equipped that they must have the old
and new telephone in their stores and
offices and that the scheme, instead of
Sc ali, Oh
one, or as one citizen expressed 1t, too
much telephone"
The organization of the second COM
pany in this city in October. 1895, was
the same as elsewhere. a promoter
talked with the merchants and secured
cash TO buy poles, wire and other neces-
sary materials. The promoter had very
little difficulty in securing a franchise.
He promised the city in return police
and fire alarm signal sytem, and a con-
tract was let to the Bell company few
months ago. The city is still waiting for
profits. and will continue TO do so. The
promoter extended his field of operations
to the country and organized a company
exclusively for the farmers, to whom he
sold stock. He told the farmers that it
would cost 500 a mile to stretch the
wire, and that he would divide the stock
with them. each takingg s1O0 worth. The
farmers purchased stock and the line
was constructed at a cost Of SIS per mile,
so it IS said He then sold his stock IN
thu company and quit with profit Of
S125 10 every mile that was constructed
The promoter left the company in charge
OF local stockholders who one year later.
owing to their inability u meet demand
from creditors. were compelled to go into
the hands of a receiver. The company
IS at present managed by the United
States Trust company. OF Kansas City.
Nearly every business house has two
telephones, the number in use beng
lfso-the old company having SO sub
scrlbers and the new one so.
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