The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-01-06
TELEPHONE COMPETITION.
The Results Shown In the State
of Michigan.
independent Companies Have More
Exchanges and More Telephones
Than the Bell Company.

The Dirigio Telephone Company OF
NJ Inc would make the following reply TO
the Bell Telephone Company's article OF
the date Of January 8, consisting OF az
tracts from the Worcester spy and the
Boston Record:
The Michigan Telephone Company. q
branch or subordinate Bell company. has
for twenty years been doing business In
Michigan, and until within about four
years has had complete monopoly OF the
shts. 1t made the exchange service
RATS In Detroit, say to $is0 for business
and $50 and upwards for residences. In
other portions OF the state, the office ts'e-
phones averaged over SO and residence
si0,-tas Grand Rapids rates ranging
from $50 t, $50 per instrument for busi-
ness places. 1t issued stock to the
amourt OF g., SEQ, zoo. which has sold at
various prices, aud foI years PAIL six
Per cent dividend.
In the fall of 1894 certain prominent
business men OF Grand Rapids made ap-
plicstion for 81 year franchise for teie-
phone exchange purposes, the same limit
ing ssrvice rates to $50 for business places
within a one mile radius and S4 for
resids noes, which franchise was granted
and formally acoertsd In January. 1895.
Following the date Of acceptance OF the
Grand Rapids franchise, the Michigan
Telephone company established Uniform
rates April 1. 1895, In the stats outside OF
Detroit. sis for business places within .
half ~ lila with 50 for each additional
quarter mile, and SO for residences. stat
Ing ta,t these were the very lowest rates
at whi,h exchange service could be given
and leave any margin Of profit.
No improvements were being made
none were promised, and the officials OF
the Bell company constantly assured the
public that no lower rates could be nor
would be made.
Three m onths before the Citizens CON-
pAny of Grand Rapids began service, the
Bell company, April /, 1896. reduced its
rates to ga for business and SIS for res,
dsnos Telephones anywhere In the city.
LOSS OBJ SUBSCRIBERS.
Tho June, 1885, directory Of the Bell
company showed that IL had 1881 tele-
phones IN service. Inc loss Oh suDscriD6rs
to the Bell company was go heavy that In
November, 1896, free residence Telephones
were given TO all users Of the bell tela-
phones in Grand Rapids. and solicitors
were put out to secure tther users on the
same terms. This free service was CON-
tinued nearly. ur quite two years. during
which time the Bell mum bered from 1000
to 1900 telephones, they haing 1899 tele.
phones on January !, 1899. FER the official
report of the Michigan Telephone oom-
pany.
GROWTH OF GRAND RAPIDS CON-
PANY.
The constant growth Of the Citizens
Telephone company Ii shown by ths fol-
lowing statistics from Its last directory,
May, 1899.
Telephones in service June. 1896, 400
Telephones In service sept. l, 1896, 1460
Telephones In sarvioe, Jan. !. 1897, l1i6
Telephones in service April %, 1888. 1896
Telephones In service May l, 1899. 2s4l
The telephones In actual service In
Grand Rapids on August l, 1899, based
on the most reliable figures obtAinabls
were the following;
Business. Residence. Total.