Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-12-19

Nhf'E- - y dllllllSnllti. Preston Il. De-
vine: Edward d. Harwood W. S. Ladd.
-; Mariner, Jos: w. Haley. Fred Fisher.
William II. Reid. Chas. &. Hunt Fran,
/ Clark +. 3. Purinton. c: W. Jones,
purlnton, Bcnedict +. Maner. T. Stone
Hewett x Turner \. r. Fuller. II. II
Lee X Co. Webber Il Gage, Patnaud 4
pomerleau W. J: a. Collins, II. Cher
ner, Tabor: Carey x Reid. Joseph +
Young, G.. Il. Johnson. j. A. Mel can n
". Church. \. r. Folsom. Geo D. Has
keH =
Lewis a. Goudy Of Portland presi-
dcnt and general manager Of th. Djriyn
90. then addressed the board. He
wished To state that the Dirigo Co. has
perfected an alliance with independent
telephone companies to the west of US.
so mat through trunk line service with
Boston. New York ana elsewhere may
be had
The company has spent during the
past year said Mr.. Goudy. more
than $ioc,ooo in perfecting its plant.
S-5oo0 of which has been expended for
the exclusive use of the automatic sys-
TEN. The stockholders Of the company
comprise about 200 citizens of Maine
Seventy five per cent. of them reside
in Cumberland and York counties Such
men as Hon. j. p. Baxter, Samuel H.
True. Randall 4 McAllister. Thomas
Laughlin and Thomas p Beals. repre-
senting $4,000, 900 of capital are in
terested in this company.
The rate charged by the Dirigo Co.
III the seven exchanges now in opera
ton in Franklin. kennebec. Andros-
coggin and oxford counties. is $l5 for
8
use. In all the small places we shall
enter. the rate will he as above. In
Portland the family rate will be $2l
and the business rate s36 annually.
against So ana SS7 as now charged by
thetNew England 60. We propose to
give Individual service. where perfect
secrecy car he had, for $24 and $50 in
Portland
Mr.. Goudy then explained the plans
of the company in the matter of estah-
fishing underground conduits. He was
asked 1uestions by Mr.. Cornish and
ny some Of the aldermen.
F. j. G. Little stated that he circulat-
ed the petition for the signature Of citi-
:enS and only three had refused to sign
it. From computation made by him
he would say that the signers repre-
santed four-fifths Of the tax payers of
the city.
L. &. Cornish addressed the board IL
opposition to granting the prayer Of the
petitioners.
Twenty years or more ago, SAID
Mr. Cornish. the telephone was in its
infancy. The New England Telephone
Company came here to establish It's
system on the one side as a business
proposition and on the other side 10
! give public service to the people. The
| New England Company now serves in
the cities Of Augusta. HalloWen ana
| Gardiner 1876 subscribers for one toll.
! twice as many as the Dirigo Company
| has in the whole State of Maine
Il feel As if I was trespassing upon
| youn to come here to ask anything AT
your hands. You have always treated
! the company well, ana | believe YOU
/ will continue to do SO. The Dirigu
! Company comes in here and asks that
! it may have the right to enter this city.
not merely To complete its trunk sys-
/ tem-for that might be done through
I Manchester much cheaper-but to es-
I tablish a general distributing Of service
through the city
The New England Company is Civ
/ ing good service. No complaint has
! been made, concerning it. at all events.
! II this new company comes in here
/ business men ana others who now usr
our telephone will be obliged to hire
| two telephones. Where two telephone
/ companies exist in any city both COM
4 panies must be patroniz"d. If the new
company does business at reduced rates
! over its line the cost OF telcphon" ser
vice as u whole will really be increased
| to patrons. They must Eay for two
telephones whore now they only pay
/ for one and yet obtain no better Ser
/ vice than they are now securing. TWO
| competitive telephone companies can
| not long do business in any ont place.
Telephone service is different from
electric light, water. express or even
railroad service. If business men are
obliged to use telephone at all, they
must use both companies service. be
cause some of their customers may
have one system and some the other.
The question is will it help those peo-
pie who use telephones? Is it going 70
help the city to establish another COM
pany here? This is to be decided by
YOU, and upon YOU rests the RESPONSE
hilty Of deciding this matter as You
think it should be decided.
Mr.. Leigh said that regardless of the
statement of Mr. Cornish that Their.
had been no complaints he wished 70
say that there have been complaints Of |
both inefficient service and eXorbtant |
charges. The New England Company I
has never given low rates only when I
the club Of competition hung over its |
head.
Mr.. Cornish has read TO you from II
pamphlet about two telephone services
in Detroit Michigan. But Rockland in
this State is not referred to by him. In
that city the people have two tele-
phones for less than they used TO pay
for one, and with them they get better
service. We i'll Augusta want the trade
in the surrounding towns-in Belgrade
and Sidney ana Riverside ana else
where The New England Company
has never done anything for cheap and
perfect service unless forced to do 50
by competition.
Mr.. Goudy closed for the petitioners
by stating that he was TO meet the