The Portland daily press., 1900-10-16

NOW bWO b0l0phOuSb dIo uOO q uuAhhuO0'
In HaverhilI quicker service and cheap
or rate have been obtained. President
Gl1dden of the Erie company was in
Sweden this year and he reports that
Stockholm is the banner telephone olty Of
the world. One person in fourteen has a
telephone. In Stoughton, Mass, the rate
of our company is Sl8 The old company
charged rate of about $4'. You ought
to have about $500 telephones in this city.
BY our system telephones would be placed
among the common people OF this city.
Now it is a luxury OF the wealthy. In
Boston the New England company has
1O1 rates. The New England company
does not build bridges, 1t hires cheap
girls and thsy'H deliver your breath for
ten cents. If two telephone systems are
carried on there is no doubt at all 1t
would be for the benefit to Portland. A
new modern system installed here would
serve to lower rates The telephone
should be the poor mans friend.
If the New England company puts in
the knife 1t Will put It's officers out. Min
neapois, ST. Paul, Cleveland, Rochester,
N. Y, all through Indiana, there is net
work Of independent lines, They lay a
great deal of stress on Manchester, N. H.,
The receiver took the check of the New
England company for $4,000 where we
offered $40, 600.
In answer to question OF Mr.. Hale, Mr..
HoIbrook said he knew the New England
company thought the Eastern company
was slow. But it will get there.
You have not the least doubt you are
fully acquainted with the telephone ques-
tion, have youS' queried Mr.. Hale.
Nothing except about some lawyers, -
was the answer. Mr.. Holbrook told
several stories by way of illustration dur
ing his testimony and some little laugh
ter was raised
M. L. Power. for several years In the
employ of the Bell system. recited some
Of the advantages Of the new system.
Prompter service would be given. In the
new system a subscriber does not get the
hard sounds against the ear drum and
which injure the ear. In St. Louis the
people are thoroughly satisfied with the
Independent system. I have been in no
place where people thought that two sys-
TENS were nuisance.
To Mr.. Hale the witness stated that the
subscriber could get a knock in the ear
with the old system, which would not
be the case in the new company.
Mr.. Libby then read a section of the
public laws which stated that the tele-
phone company having the rights should
connect with other companies II so de-
sired and at rates as low as the company
asking that right.
This concluded the testimony for the
New England company, and Mr.. Hale
was heard. He thought thai petitions of
both of the companies should be first
heard.
Mr.. Libby thought his company stood
here in a much different light than the
other company asking favor. He did not
claim to be an expert, but as far as any
remontrants being heard he thought this
side should be now heard.
Mr.. Hale expressed the hope that both
petitions would be heard.
THE REMONSTRANTS.
Alderman johnson moved that the re-
nonstrants be heard and it was voted.
William j. Denver, assistant general
manager Of the New England Telephone
company, was called upon. lie began by
sarcastioaily explaining that it was not
perhaps necessary for him to make any
remarks, as Mr.. Holbrook had told all
about the subject, The gain IN the num-
Der of subscribers this year would be
about 10 600. We have about $3.50 miles Of
trunk line. With the exception Of AroOs-
took county we have lines connecting to
all points OF the state. In Portland we
had 1894 subscribers in September, '98,
in September go we had 1860, and this
year we have 1885. There are something
over six miles OF conduit, three-quarters
OF which are utilized. These represent
about $40, coo, about one-hfth OF which is
of benstit to the city. The greatest num-
ber of wires that we have put in duct
in Portland is 800. We have about 400
poles which represent about 10000. These
poles the city has free right to. More
than one-third of the company's revenue
last year was expended in maintenance.
There Is nothing remarkably new about
two different systems in city. Twenty
years ago Portland was about the only
city in the country where there were not
two companies. The Western Union
Telephone company and the Bell company
came together and consolidated. In
Great Darlington, Mass, somebody
started line but sold out to us at
sheriff s sale. In Augusta in this state
new line which was formed sold out to us
for forty cents on the dollar. think it is
easier to make more money in the teIe-
phone business by talking than by actual
Iy doing it. win prophesy that II you
have two telephone companies in Port
land you will soon have one. don't
know which company 1t win be, but it
win be one. The highest rate ever
known in Rockland was $50. In Portland