Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-02-14

with this right to issue capital stock &c
such an amount as the directors ma,
vote and with their name changed &c
the Eastern Telephone Company. they
ask permission to exercise the powers
and carry on the business and do all
acts pertaining thereto in any state of
| country. They have gradually worked
this matter up to a corporation Of the
most extensive power and to q charter
which we are now asked to grant them
which II granted. will give them as un-
limited powers as any corporation that
was ever chartered by the State of
Maine. The progress towards il has
been gradual and the conditions are not
such as will warrant this Legislature
in granting to these gentlemen these
extensive powers. 1t is not the policy
OF the State of Maine and never has
been to give public service corporations
unlimited powers of charter, any num-
Der of them to do business over the
same territory. Take the steam and
electric railroads. it is not the policy
for them to be allowed to parallel their
lines and so with all other companies:
water. gas. street railways, etc.
| don't think you ought to be led a
stray with the idea that the New Eng
land Telephone Company or the service
that it has already established through
out the State is necessarily monopo-
ly-a grinding monopoly. The service
which il performs is TO be considered
and if this service is to be impaired,
so much the worse for the citizens of
Maine. AS far as we are concerned in
A,,l telenhnn
companies. The Eastern Telephone
Company in it's charter ask that they
may be authorized to construct, main
tain and operate lines between any and
all the cities, towns and islands there
of. etc, commencing and terminating
at such points as they may determine
This would give the Eastern Company
the right to pick out the cream of the
business in the State of Maine and i'm
pair the service that is now rendered
by the New England Telephone Com
pany. believe that this move is
simply made to get valuable charter
that it may trade upon and If the New
England people are forced to buy il the
time for low rates is SO much deferred,
If we create this company. The tend
ency Of the times is toward conSolida-
ton We make so much more material
for that consolidation and in that way
w cut our own fingers because the
public have 70 pay.
Now this Telephone Company comes
in with an entirely new proposition for
charter. giving them unlimited rights
throughout the State, claiming that by
so doing. the rates may be reduced TO
the citizens Of Maine. Well. they
started out with q $4,000 capital to DO
that and they have not filed their re-
turn TO show US how much we ought
TO have. ! claim that they do not pre-
sent a fair proposition to this Legsla-
ture for the extensive rights which
they now ask and that they ought not
TO have them.
Mr.. HIX of Rockland: When called
upon to decide which of two policies
is best for the public good, we have
had a chance to observe the practical
working Of each policy within the
State | hope 10 be able to interest
some member of this House by bring
ing to him direct evidence as TO the
working of the two telephone systems
in Knox county and possibly state a
few facts which may of use in ar
irving at a decision in this matter. Ana
do so from no personal motive, but
simply because the conditions IN our
county have made me believe thae the
fullest and most complete telephone
system ohtainable is essential to the
development Of the vared industries of
this state. second only to its trans
portation facilities.
In 1897. we had in the city of Rock
land l40 telephones of the New Eng
land Co.'S system. They We're hardly
satisfactory: they Were hard 10 talk
with. and with the exception of two or
three for which a rental of $15 year
was paid. We're practically worthless
for long distance service. And this.
understand, is the condition through
out a large part of the State, today.
For that service we paid S25 year FOR
house telephones. and $40 to $40 year
for business telephones. The towns IN
the county had q few telephones and
the villages usually one. In 1898 the
Eastern co. established its lines and
commenced operations. | will not at
tempt to review in detail the growth
Of our telephone business during the
past four years. Suffice it to say that
the Eastern Go. managed by some of
our most competent business men.
fixed their charges a practically one
half the rates We Were then paying.
They said then and they say now that
that is q normal price at which plants
may be established and operated all
over this State at fair profit The re-
suit Of this price is that business mas
increased and the number Of telephones
has risen from $40 to 965 in the city of
Rockland alone, and throughout the
county there are 1900 telephones. Thus
YOU will see that the value of our ser
vice has Increased six or seven times.
and we are paying half as much. To-
day | can sit in my office and receive
word from Boston or Portland that
some article of produce which | han
die is short in the market and is want
ed at higher prices at immediate de-
livery. and without leaving my desk
| can telephone to dealers and farm
ers in half dozen different towns,
some of them three miles from the Vii
lage, and within "A or Sc hours have
that produce at Il point where ii is
wanted or well on its way. The farmer
gets the benefit of the quick marke,
and advanced prices. the dealer gets
the additional business. | cannot con
ceive how the people of this State
could look with anything but condem-
nation on q Legislature that would re-
fuse to grant this charter. And fur
thor I haliaya that il would he DOING