The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-08-28
HAVE AN ALLIANCE.
Telephone Companies Which Have a
Common Interest.

Mayor Bergundthal and City Engi-
neer. McCabe have unearthed what APP
pears to be a traffic alliance" formed
between the Missouri and Kansas Tel
ephone company and the Kansas Long
Distance Telephone and Telegraph
company for the purpose of, eVadlng
the prohibition of the city council
against the desire of the latter company
to enter TOpeka'S streets. Supt. Bay
less of the Missouri and Kansas COM
pany has today suspended work upon
the construction of a line in North To-
peka pending the investigation of the
alleged infringement upon the clty's
rights.
What Mayor Bergundthal regards as
suspicious in the conduct of the two
companies is that the Missouri and
Kansas people are building line upon
the same streets whose use was asked
by the other company, and is using IN
it's construction poles wearing the Kan
sas Long Distance lcompdny'S brand. II
was the presence of this stencil upon
the poles that attracted Mr.. Bergund-
that's attention. Immediately after the
Missouri and Kansas company was
halted in its construction work some OF
the employees were sent out with draw
knives and Whitfield the Long Distance
comDany's stamp off the poles As the
Missouri and Kansas company has
blanket franchise in Topeka, the con-
struction of the line might have caused
no comment but for the telltale stencils.
The Kansas Long Distance Telephone
and Telegraph company is toll line
company financed by eastern capital.
It has poles set for a line from Kan
sas City to Topeka, and it has evidently
been the intention to extend the line
north and west. The poles reach to the
city limits of Topeka at Garfield street.
They stand weather beaten and unused.
A year ago the Long Distance COM
pany asked for franchise inside the
city limits, but the council refused it
because of the rather vague wording of
t17ea a nd no fell
eph0ne poles were wanted on the
streets. Since then nothing more has
been heard from the company, although
it maintains an Office in the Office block
on East Fifth street The company
has no lines in operation and has no
way of getting inside the city limits by
itself.
A few days ago the Missouri and
Kansas company signified its desire to
excavate and to set poles in the streets
in North Topeka, and was given a per-
NIT to do so by the city engineer. 1t
was not until the poles were set up
with the name of the Long Distance
company upon them that the city Off
Gals became suspicious. Supt Bayless
was hunted up by Mayor Bergundthal
and rather spirited conversation en-
sued Bergundthal upbraided Bayless
for the seeming deception practiced Ny
him and his company, while Bayless
protested that his operations were per-
fectly legitimate. the Missouri and
Kansas company having established
traffic arrangements with the other
company. In the same conversation he
later stated that the Missouri and
Kansas company had absorbed the
Long Distance company. He promised
that the superintendent of the Kansas
division of the Missouri and Kansas or
ganization would appear in Topeka on
Friday or Saturday and show convince
ing proofs of the transfer of the Long
Distance company's property. He
stated that it would be but short