Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1902-12-18
PLAYING THE HOG.
That is What The
Dakota Central Tele-
phone Company is
Attempting to do
With The Peo-
pie of Mil
bank.
The Company at Last Runs up
Against a Determined Spirit
of Opposition to its
Hoggishness.

bank, the result of the Dakota Central
Telephone Company attempting from
time to time to crowd it's patrons more
and more in the matter of rates and
general conduct of the business until at
last the patrons have refused longer to
submit to the impositions attempted and
threaten to withdraw entirely and set
up an independent institution of their
own.
A few years ago when j. i. w. Zeit-
low, of Aberdeen, undertook to extend
his telephone system over the country
he evidently didn't have a dollar to do
busiyess with, and he started out pass
ing the hat from town TO town begging
for money to enable him to build his
line. Milbank contributed some 800 to
$500 III cash and took tickets redeemable
In future telephone service. Then when
the line reached Milbank, the local man
ager, w. M. Thomas, went around town
begging people to put in private Ihones
at their own expense. 1t cost each indi-
vidnal who put in a phone from $50 to
$22. The wires were strung ever build
ings and anywheie to support them, as
the company was too poor to erect the
regulation poles. Then a monthly fee
of 20 cents was charged for switching.
After a while the local manager said he
couldn't afford to perform the service
for this price and raised to so cents.
This was c~hcssfal.y paid. BY and by
the company commenced to make good
money and they were able to buy their
own phones which they rented at 80 q
month for business houses and 81 for
private residences. Then they erected
regulation sized poles. Then they COM
menced to crowd the owners of private
phones who had bought them at the
urgent request of the company when it
Didn't have the money to provide them.
The company informed the private
phone owners il they wanted to retain
their instruments they must pay one
dollar per pole for every pole the line
was strung over. This meant a tax Of
from $40 to $50 to each private phone
owner. Then the company offered to
buy the private phones for $40 apiece,
but the phone owners preferred to retain
their instruments. Other little charges
of expense were then charged up the
private phone owners. Finally two
weeks ago when the company moved
into it's new block notice was served
upon the private phone owners that
they must either sell u and rent, or be
cut off. Considerable deception was
practiced in connection with the whole
deal. Matters had now reached a point
where there was nc telling how far the
company would proceed in the matter
of charges if it could succeed in bull
doing and freezing ont the private
phone owners, and the latter determined
to stand u against further encroach-
ments. They have accordingly united
in a signed agreement to refuse toaccede
to the arbitrary demands Of the company
and that if the latter insists upon its
demand, to proceed to organize an inde-
pendent system. The renters are also
signing an agreement to unite with the
private owners to cooperate with them.
In the meantime a whole lot of phones
are cut off from service among the bust
ness men, and the renters say that If
they cannot talk with tie business
houses they will throw up their instru.
ments at the end Of the month. There
is a whole lot of funny work in connec-
ton with the deal and patrons are
highly indignant. AS a matter Of fact,
for a long tire the service has Deen
unsatisfactory from the fact that there
has not been sufficient help at the tele-
phone c~entsal, and frequently patrons
have had TO ring and ring, and then
hang up their receivers because they
could get no response. Then, again,
frequently while talking they would be
nnceremoniously shut of in the midst
OF a conversation. Altogether the whole
deal has been rotten, aud the patrons
have at last got very tired and are plan
ming to organize an independent sys-
tem."-Grant County Review.
It will be remembered that this same
company tried to pat in our local service
and has tried in many ways to be a
detriment to the Webster City Telephone
Conpany. Milbanly had better put in
Il service Of their own as we have done
And they viii not Re robbed over there
and yet 4 good deal better satisfaction.