Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1904-02-19
FAVORS MUTUAL PHONES
Subscriber Believes Farmer Lines
Will Soon Be Allowed to Enter
the City of Portland.

tHS SAty OI FOFULdnds
DALLAS, Feb. 15.-(To the Editor. -
Seeing an article in your paper con
cerning telephones and telephone sys-
TENS, 1 desire to give some of the
views of subscriber to a mutual
system. 1t would appear that the fact
that mutual telephone central sta
tion is to be established in Dallas has
called forth much comment on the
subject.
1t must be remembered that the
mutual telephone venture is yet in its
infancy in Polk county; but in the
lower valley and around McMinnville,
Amity, Newberg, and all surrounding
towns, the mutual central stations
have as good service, day or night, as
can be found anywhere, and give free
exchange with all mutual systems.
The expense of building mutual
lines is about one-half of the total
cost. Here few facts as to line con-
struction might not be amiss The
Salt creek-Mill creek line cost its
members $14 per share. It's phones
with six-bar magnet generators cost
us $14 each. A three-bar generator
(the ringing device) is all right for
lines running to a central station in
series Of one to five on a line, but are
not satisfactory on a mutual line con-
tanning from Is to 20 phones. AS to
paying $14 or $15 for instruments, it
is like buying a cook-stove or sewing
machine-once bought, they last for
long time, with an occasional replac-
ing of batteries.
AS the Observer states, it is but a
matter of a few months until the
whole community will be network of
wires. With the installation of a
mutual central station in Dallas, lines
from all parts of the county will term
mate there, and the business man who
would be in the swim must have a
mutual phone, and will receive free
communication with all lower valley
points What business man will not
avail himself of this chance for COM
munication at cost, rather than pay
from 81 to 81 so rent per month and,
besides, pay tariff rates every time he
talks out Of town.
Now, as to the difficulty about run
ming our line into Portland. Such
small 0bStdcfv5 49,
small company of farmers might be
easily scared, but the entire common
wealth will soon be concerned The
mutual system had some difficulty
about coming into Dallas, but county
roads happened to be established prior
to the incorporation of Dallas We
presume the same weakness exists in
any town.
In conclusion, I would say that the
Observers hope that the whole country
will soon be connected in one system
will take place, but by the mutual
system.
j. H. BROWN.
[The subject Of telephones is one of
much interest among the farmers in
Polk county at the present time, and &
lhe OBSERVER gladly gives space to the t
above communication Mr.. Brown l
sets forth the advantages Of a mutual c
line in fair and impartial manner,
and it is evident that he has given i
much thought to the building and S
operating Of rural telephone lines. He d
IS mistaken, however, in his assertion a
hat the Salt Greek farmers had q
,rouble in getting into Dallas with
heir mutual line. The fact is that a
he city council and farmers reached a |
agreement within five
minutes after they met to discuss the O
natter of d franchise. The city has [
certain rules regulating the size and d
Kind of poles, height of wire above the
streets, etc, and these rules apply to
LII companies doing business inside
llG COIpOIdbc lllIlUS. vic VI buGSG
'ules is that none but square poles
,an be used in the business part Of
own. The farmers did not feel that
hey could afford square poles, 50 it
vas suggested to them by the council
hat they run their line along the alley
n the rear Of the business blocks in
tead of setting their poles on Main
treet. This proposition was entirely
to the farmers, and was
accepted by them at once, The same
was made with the
armers line leading into town from
he south, and no word of objection
las ever been heard from the stock
folders Of either company concerning
he course pursued by the city in {
granting these rights-of-way.I