The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1902-04-01
OPTION SECURED
FOR $25O,OOO
Board OF Trade Has Taken the
Matter Up and Will Dispose
of Stock on Popular
Subscription Plan.

Canton citizens are planning to buy
out the Stark county telephone plant,
and run it on an Independent cooper
ative plan. The matter has been un-
der consideration quietly for about ten
days. A meeting OF some of the par
ties interested was held Thursday
night and a general meeting of the
board of trade and business and pro-
fessional men was held Friday night,
when the scheme was launched fully.
The actual work of taking subscrip-
tions is to begin at once under the di-
rection of the proper committees.
The board of trade first took the
matter up and William A. Lynch, A.
M. McCarty and II. B. Stewart were
appointed a committee to get an OPP
ton on the plant. They visited Cleve-
land and conferred with the bankers
committee and the Everett-Moore rep
resentatives. and secured an option to
take the plant at actual cost and in
terest. This is estimated to be little
less than S25O,OO0.
Not only was an option taken on the
Canton plant but arrangements were
entered into to take the Alliance, Mas
sillon and all the interurban and
country lines upon the same basis.
CANTON PLANT FIRST.
The scheme is first to land the Can
ton plant. and then interest the Massil-
lon and Alliance business men in a
similar scheme later. Those who
have the matter in charge, principally
representatives of the Business Mems
association, the board of trade and
professional men, are very confident
that the plan can be carried through
and that it will prove good invest
ment.
An effort will be made to have each
subscriber to Stark phones in Canton
take a share of 500 and many will
take large blocks of stock. One person
has agreed to invest $4,000 in the
scheme, another $1,000. and many
Others slightly smaller amounts.
1t is thought that the number OF
phones can be raised to over 1000
and it is thought that the plant will
pay 12 per cent upon the investment.
The movement grew out of the pres
cnt telephone war. It is considered a
solution OF the rate fight, and so far
as learned the users of phones are in
favor of the scheme.
The Stark County Telephone COM
pany has a so year contract, it is said,
with tho United States long distance
company, and this contract will be
transferred to the purchasers If the
sale Is made. which will insure a
long distance service.
just what occurred at the meeting
Friday night has not all been made
public. but the following statement
has been prepared and authorized by
the committee of the board OF trade:
STATEMENT OF BOARD.
The telephone question having as,
sumed an acute form in the city by
reason of the recent summary action on
the part of the Bel telephone manage
ment in raising rates, number OF bus
mess organizations took the matter uI
through their representative members
AS concerted action under these condi'
tions was impossible, the matter was
finally called to the attention of the
board of trade by many interested par
ties, and the board was urged to en-
deavor II possible to bring about unity
of action between the various interests
This led to the appointment of com
mittee to investigate and report about
ten days ago. The committee consisted
of William A. Lynch, A. M. McCarty
and II. B. Stewart. This committed
in due time made report to the board
30 th,at ri m n m
difficulty in the telephone situation lay
in the fact that business and profes
sionel men had been constrained to ust
two telephones because their custom
ers and patrons used different phones
whereby the supposed competition be
tween the telephone companies instead
Of producing a reduction Of cost OF tel
ephone service, largely Increased 1t
and that added to this burden was tn
action on the part of the Bell peopl
in raising rates without any explana
ton or conference with either tn
consumers or the public authorities.
COMMITTEES SOLUTION.
The committee further reported tina
In its opinion the present movemen
would probably result In concentratin
a large amount of business upon tn
independent exchange owned by tn
Stark telephone company, but that thi
would not solve the difficulty, and tina
within few months at least the ser
vice would again be so divided betwee
the two companies as to force upo
business men the necessity of usin
the two phones. The committees re
port was further to the effect that tn
best solution of the whole questio
would be found in the purchase Of on
of the exchanges by the citizens. A
It was supposed that the Stark tele