Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-29
WAR ON BELL TELEPHONE
Keystone Company Planning for an
Active Campaign.

From the Philadelphia Ledger
The Keystone Telephone Companv will
make an effort to enter New York, Boston
and Chicago within few months, according
to an official of the company Those places
are now controlled by the Bell corporation
which Is using every means, it is said, to
! maintain its monopoly.
Plans for an invasion of this territory
have been carefully discussed within the
last six months following the success of
the keystone system in this city and of the
Independent lines elsewhere. Those who
are promoting the contest refuse. to talk of
its details. but one of the financial agents
said yesterday: New York will have an
independent system under way within
twelve months.
1t is understood that the keystone State
Telephone Company, which is controlled by
Representative Robert H. Foerderer and
John M. Mack. managers of the keystone
| Company in this city will form the basis
| for the extension of the independent SER
| vice.
| On Wednesday the keystone State Com
pany will open its long-distance service,
| which will give 1t connection with Pitts
| burg and the other sections of Pennsylva-
MIA. with Buffalo and New York state, with
Baltimore and the south and with Cincin-
| natl and the west.
| By agreement effected with the United
| Telephone and Telegraph Company and
other concerns operating Independent lines
| the connections named will be made There
| has been no consolidation Of interests ac-
cording to officials of the keystone and
| United companies, and the agreement is
| called traffic arrangement"
The lines said to be included in the "traf-
fic arrangement are the United, which ex-
| tends into Lancaster, Dauphin, Lycoming
and other counties; the Standard, operating
in the Schuylkili valley; the Interstate, with
| a system covering New Jersey; the Eastern
| in, and nd NH oF
| fords the necessary connections with the
| south and west
OF those lines the Maryland is first in
Importance at present, by reason of its
| has completed direct trunk lines to Ches-
| ter and Wilmington to meet the Maryland
| lines. Twenty pairs of lines were installed
| to Wilmington, of which ten will go d.
rectly to Baltimore.
C. e. Wilson, general manager Of the
Keystone company, said yesterday that the
Independent telephone Instruments now in
| use outside OF cities where no entrance has
| been effected are 1000 600 in excess of its
rival In Pennsylvania there are 1855 600 in
| dependent phones In use and controlled
under the traffic arrangement" by the
Keystone State Company. OF that number
| It is said that $500 arc in operation in this
| city, with contracts for 5000 more.
In connection with the fight to Ae made
Is said that the only other city Of impor-
tanoe which has no Independent line is
| washington. It Is not intended to attempt
| to establish service there until the New
york; Chicago deal has been consumngated.
Regarding financial Support, which win
be required in unlimited quantities to ip-
sure tho success Of the project. 1t ts said
| that several men who are prominently
| Identified with big commercial enterprises
viii be connected with the scheme. Most
| Of the Independent country systems were
Sons3ructeq by local capital and absorbed
81 the larger concerns when they had been
placed on q profitable basis.