The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-01-06

phones In service. In Allegen, win but
two telephones, shows tsn namss o 1
county officers, eto.
MoRE TOLL STATIONS AND MORE
MILES OF WIRE.
Besides surprising the Bell company In
numbsr Of telephones and exchanges. the
Independents have more copper circuits.
more miles Of wire. and about 203 more
toll stations than does the Michigan oom-
pany.
The magnitude OF growth 10 perhaps
best shown By list Of "A places where
the Michigan Telephone company Bell)
have total OF 100 Telephones and the
4Citissns Telephone oompsnys Indspsnd-
emit have $500 phones.
NO SELLING OUT.
Besides the phenomenal growth Of the
Independents movement, Its hearty sup
pert BIZ the citizens Of the state general
iy, and by certain communities especial
", makes a ssil out to the Boil Company
an act Of treachery TO the business CON-
munity; and no individual company or
exchange can so sell without the loss Of
business honor 10 the officers and dirso :
tors who should consent to such step
RESULTS OF MOVEMENT.
The Inder endsnt movement In Michi-
gan has resulted thus fT In the follow
ing!
l.-Lower rates for both exchange and
| toll service. 2-Bettsr ssrvios for ak
change and toll lines. 3-More telephones
In use and greater use OF telephones. A.
Greater consideration Of telephons users.
And, because 1t 10 In the interest Of all
the people Of the state. 10 will continue TO
grow and prosper, until through 10 every
community In the state-business. manu-
featuring. farming, fruit growing. all
will have permanently good telephone
service at reasonable rates and managed
by citizens Of the state. Never again will
the old rates Be restored or the old DOM
psny be given control Of the situation.
for telephone liberty and prosperity are
too sweet and too valuable to be- sur
rendered to any forsign corporation.
Why should Maias be pshind Michigan
In restoring to the public Its rightsf So
much We reply a. to the general ooo-
ditions as quoted from the paid articles
| from the Worcester Spy.
Now about ny Stems, read the following
| from business men and experts:
OFFICE OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS
AND GROUNDS.
Room "a, War Department..
Washington, June =, 1898.
This is to certify that the Ausomstio
Telephone service Is In use for some Of
| the Executive Offices In this city.
The system has tesn under trial for
| several months, and gives excellent SER
| vice.
Its use will probably be eztsndsd In the
future.
It's special advantage Is Its absolute
secrecy.
(Signed) Thomas A. Bingham.
Colonel U. 5. Army.
Since above date the system has been
very largely extended BY the U. s. gov.
srnnents dsparsms
REPORT OF MIR. A.. r. BENNETT,
n. L Il. K.
(Late Chief Engineer TO the National
Telephone Company" for Scotland, etc.,
General Manager to the ''Mutua" and
"New Telephone Companies" eto.l
Msssrs. The Direct Telephone Exchange
66 Old Broad Street, Il. q.
Gentlemen NIL have the pleasure 10 re-
port the results of my tour Of inspection
Of the Automatic Telephone Exchange In
the United States.
The fullest liberty Of inspection and
examination WAS accorded me. selected
the towns to visit. and ! WINS left to de-
wise my own tests and to carry thsm out
in my own way. My questions were free
ly answered. and the conduct throughout
Of the Automatic Exchange proprietors
and managers was strongly suggestive OF
confidence In the ability OF their system
to with stand Investigation. In some
cases, as at Geneva, Auburn, and Prince
ton. the local managers had not besn ap-
prised Of my intended visit, SO that took
them entirely by surprise. At 0eneva anu
Princeton the managers were absent at
tending to outside work, and had to be
sought for; the offices and switohrooms
were looked up, yet as ! proved at
Geneva, the Telephone exchange service
continued without Interruption.
ASHINGTON.
visited the White House and the
Army and Navy Departments, where
some 81 Automatic tnstrumsnts have
been working since last March. The I'm
mediate cause Of their inst Allation was
the need OF secrecy for war coDmunica-
lions passing bstween the President,
Minister'S, ana Executive officials, which
1t Was felt could not be secured by the
previously existing manual system In
which the operator had power to tap and
overhear passing messages. 1 saw Colonel
Montgomery, Chief Of the Govern lnsnt
Intelligence department, and Colonel
Bingham, Of the U. d. Corps OF Engi-
neers. who has engineering charge OF the
White House and other Governments
buildings 4 IN Washington. Both
gentlemen were exceedingly kind. and In
answer to my questions gave tbs Auto
mRtic Exchange an excellent character.
| it has fultllsd expectations: IT. operation
was certain; there had bean very few
faults; Its secrecy was absolute. 1 was
| shown the switchboard. which Is located
| in an attic Of the White House and 10
usually locked up there without any at
tsndant. At the tiins Of my visit q new
switchboard Of 100 lines' capacity was be-
ing erected in the same attic; It was be-
ing lifted with nifty switches Tor tmmsdi-
ats uss, leaving space for fifty more to
NEST future developments. Il was re-
marked by Colonel Bingham that this