The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-06-24
x "a S T ~ II
Sears the q The Kind You Have Always BOugs
'ls4 Of ANIAzzI
DUAL TELEPHONE is VETOED
Governor Barnes Kills the Arkansas
Valley COInnanY Ordinamce


Guthrie o. T., June 23.-At a meeting
Of the city council last night Mayor Ber-
key vetoed an ordinance granting fran
chise to the Arkansas Valley Telephone
company, a proposed rival to the Mis-
souri, and Kansas Telephone company
which is operating the system already es-
tablished in Guthrie. In his message ac-
c0mpanyiEg the veto Mayor Berkey gives
the following reasons as demonstrating
the impracticability of a dual service:
''First-That the experience In other
cities where dual systems have been used
shows that two systems rather than be-
ing convenience are pronounced by sub
scribers as a nuisance and as causing an
Increase of expense to the business ele-
ment of the community who are forced
to have as many telephones as there are
systems.
''Second-In the city of ST. Joseph, Mo-,
the old company was furnishing service
at s55 a year for business telephones.
About four years ago the council of that
city granted a franchise for a dual tele-
phone system and fixed the maximum
rates to be charged by the new company
for business telephones at $40. Since then
the two systems have BEEN in operation.
The old company has neither lost sub
scribers nor reduced rates, but is still
charging the same which it charged be-
fore the dual system was constructed. a
large portion of telephone subscribers in
that city. especially business and profess
sional men. have been forced to pay for
double telephone service by taking a tele-
phone from both companies, because it
was found that no one system had all the
subscribers. The cost of telephone ser
vice to most subscribers in that city has
therefore been increased from $50. the
rate charged by the old company, to 500,
the combined rate of both companies, and
this state Of affairs has continued and ex-
lists in that city to this day as the re-
suit Of the construction of the dual tele-
phone system. In the city of t. Louis
there exists a dual telephone system. The
charges OF the old company before the
construction of the dual system vere, and
ever since have been. 800 for business
telephones. The rate of the new company
is $50 for business telephones The old
company has. it is claimed, as many sub
scribers as it ever had. but an additional
burden has been placed upon many of the
subscribers. especially the business men,
by making it necessary for them to pat
ronize both companies at the combined
rate Of $50 instead Of 500, the price they
were paying before the construction Of
the dual system. 1t has been stated TO
me that good results were obtained in
Chicago by the construction OF a dual
telephone system in that city. In the
city of Milwaukee. where I am informed
the rates are practically the same as in
this city. a telephone franchise was ap-
Piled for and a canvass made FOR sub
scribers. but the schema was abandoned.
In the city Of Topeka dual telephone
system was constructed, but after a hard
struggle 70 rexistence was sold out at re-
eeiver's sale. The same or similar con-
ditions have resulted in other large cities