The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-01-19

Mr.. Fsrnham said that In washinsto
the government. national and district,
had 100 Bell telephones against 20 su-
tonatio phones.
As to the cost NJ the new system COM
pared with the Bell, Mr.. lFarnham said
that the new system had to nave experts
while the Bell system did not There
fore the Ball system was cheaper.
Mr.. Earnham was cross examined by
Mr.. Whittssey Of New London. In answer
TO questions Mr.. Farnham said that he
didn't 10 90 Augusta TO find out the
fauits. de went to see II 1t was worth
buying ny the Bell company. II 1t had
been good thing they would have
bought 1t. He didn't know where the
Fell people were to get the rights. They
didn't get 1t, heoauss they didn't want
10. He had testified against the system
In four or i've oocs'i ons.
The witness was asked q question, start.
ed to answer IL. was iuterrup ted, and
after lively minute or two, was alIo ed
by the Mayor to answer II as he saw DIT.
He didn't know why it was that II 1t
failed to work half the time In Augusta
10 was put In tbs engine houses of that
city. He thousht this WAS for political
reasons. He didn's know It was used for
operating railroad trains In Washing
ton the President and his cabinet ofiio-
ials have automatic phones, but they
are tired Of them as he had reason to
know. He didn't know why the govern.
msut had put In seven extra phones
lately.
The oross-sxaminatlon and redirect
Of the witness continued for over an hour.
Mr.. Hale then introduced documents
to show that In Manchester where they
have tried an independent telephone
company they did not nna 1t beneficial
to the public. Two companies made
telephones q nuisance to any business
man. Among other lsstsrs was one from
J. h. Libby. who thought two telephones
would become q nuisance and he could
see no particular advantage to be gained
by admitting the new company to Port
hand as the citizens are now well served.
This ended Mr.. Hsle's srgu ment.
Mr.. W. G. Eaton then quoted many
letters from Subscribers OF the automatic
system oommsndatory Of the new sys-
tenn. He also read q letter from the
manager of the 80. 900 subscribers ex-
change of Chicago which was also oom-
mandatory of the new system. de also
produced letters from subscribers In
Princeton, n. J.
Ii was IL 10 when Mr.. Hale began his
argument. He said that only one ocrpo-
ration of this kind can exist In q city Of
this size and that It would be an injury
to every business man to allow the new
company to come into the ,ity because
the business man must pay for two
phones This company has not put In
one word as to the men who are beh ind
IL. The Dirigo company has been doing
business since 's3 ana In '9s their taxes
OF S246. 50 was not paid.
"They are paid now said Judge
Foster.
~ don't know that" said Mr.. Hale.
81 state II on my honor" said Jud ge
Foster.
This company asks for the privilege
of putting low current wires Ienesth
high tension wires. 1t would be danger
ous. They raise a houl because the COM
pany from whom we lease our instru-
ments Is rich. Our company is barely
paying its expenses. Is the new company
able to do business here? The automatic
system is not a satisfactory system as
many persons have testified.
Judge Foster Do you admit that the
Bell Telsphons company has male S43. =
0o0, 90 profit In eighteen years on a capt.
tai of so 600. 0O0."
MIR. Hale.-"The company l represe Mt
Is not the Bell company"
Judge FosteT-''lt is the same thing"
Mr.. Hale-"No 1t is not the same
thing. The company represent has bare
iy made three, four aud now ak per cent
divide nds on Its stook after paying the
rental OF Its telsphonss."
Judge Fostsf-"Of whom do you rent
the telsphoness"
Mr.. Hale-'Of the Bell company"
k"rhen you sre q part of the Bell COM
pany." said Judge Foster.
"No We are not Doesn't your com .
pany lease Its telepho ness'
Judge Foster-"But you admit that
your company has made forty three mil
lions of profit.
MIR. Hale explained that this was not
the fact as the New England company
has only raia Fix per osnt on Its stock, II
fair dividend
Alderman Moulton asked when Mr..
Hale concluded II the new company
could maintain lower rates than the old
company II the old company is now mere
ly making a living profit. Mr.. Hale said
they could not and live.
Judge Foster then spoke for the petit
TONERS. he said that the company was
ready to offer sufficient bond to protect
the city. l stand behind what say.
Shall man be deprived Of Justice be-
cause he is not q millionaire. We ask
nothing from the ctr but the right to do