Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1904-03-29
NEW IElfPHoNf SYSTEM
Rural Telephones and the New
City System.

| The rural telephone matter
Icame up for consideration at the
sadjourned meeting in the county
fcourt room In this city on Friday
Vast, and received full discussion.
Pro- ositions were presented by
sMf. F. II. Stow, by Mr.. DeVar-
1ney, and by the Pacific States
COMPANY, now operating the
Hines in this city. iT
The Independent Co., repre-
Isented by Mr.. Stow, are working
10 obtain a franchise in Portland,
land their object in promoting
these rural lines throughout the
state is to have connections for
a long distance system already
established when the Portland
office is ready to work. h
I The Pacific States Co. held to
their former offer: Farmers to
build aud maintain their lines and
pay to the company $o per year
/ when phones are rented, and 81
tper year when they buy their
cwn instruments.
Mr.. Stow submitted several
propositions. He is anxious to
start an independent company in
this city distinct from the farm
ers' line. He offered to furnish
all the capital required; half the
capital, or whatever might be
needed after local shareholders
had completed their stock: His
proposition embraced complete
system to be built at Corvallis
with the phone rates at 81 per
month for residence, no more
than two 'phones on party line,
farmers to build and maintain
their own lines, owning their
own instruments, and pay 81 per
year for city and rural switching.
TIE second offer OF Mr.. Stow was
on a mutual basis, Mr.. Stow to
be manager of the company.
In both the right is granted stock
holders to purchase. the system |
at its actual cost and six per cent
interest at any time within ten
years.
The offer Of Mr.. DeVarney was
as follows: A company to bel
formed with a capital of 81, 500, /
of which fifty Corvallis citizens
should take fifty shares of stock
at $25 per share, Mr.. DeVar-
ney's company to carry the rest
of the stock. Rates for city SUBJ
scribers to be the: same as offered
by ethe Pacific States people;
rates to farmers not no exceed s.
per month and not less than 81
per month for each rural line, the
cost to be pro rated equally
among subscribers on said rural
line; Mr.. DeVarney to be mana
ger of the company, to serve with
out salary.
The Eastern people whom Mr..
Stow represents, and the other
independent lines, including all
companies outside of the Bell
and Edison lines, have more than
two telephones in the country to
the monoplies one.
The report of Mr.. De Varney, |
of Kansas City Company. was
the one favored by the meeting, |
as, with four phones on a line the
cost would be only so cents per
month, and with eight on line,
the cost would be but IS cents
per month. Mr.. Stow also rec
commended the adoption of this
proposition. a.
/ The meeting decided to divide
the city business from the county,
making each independent, and
a committee with power to act,
was appointed
AS consequence of this agi-
tation it will be noted that the
proposed advance of the local
Company on all new phones in
stalled, from $I.oo to $I.25 per
mouth. has been dropped.
The new company go into this
scheme as a pure business pro-
position, without any sentiment,
believing that it will pay anyone
to put money into it for the profit
that is in it. 1t is stated on good
authority, that Notwithstanding
the large number Of Telephone
companies in the country there
have been fewer failures than in