The Somerset reporter., 1904-08-18
Farmers' TeleDhoue Co.

instant, on the petition OF the Farmers !
Cooperative Telephone Company for |
authority TO enter the town and estab- I
lish lines Of poles and wire on every
street and road therein, in accordance t
with the specifications in notice that
appeared in the REPORTER four weeks
ago.
F. L. Ames, Ed, Of Norridgewock
read the petition, explained the plan OF
the company's rganization-co-ope
tivc-and the duties OF the officers.
Every patron Of the company must be
subscriber to one or two shares of stock
at $1,000 per share and have the use of
one telephone instrument for each share
Of stock. The expense to subscriber
to start with was given as, stock $1,000;
equipment, Sl2 90; etcs., Sl.00-$23 90.
The subscribers are then charged the
actual expense of operating the line, pro
rata. The company has now 200 sub
scribers to stock and purchasers OF in
struments in the towns of Madison.
Starks, Norridgewock, Mercer, Fairfield
and New Sharon. He did not want to
crowd the New England Company,
neither did be want that company to
keep the Farmers company out. He
said the poles in the streets were no
trouble. Two telephone lines in town
and even three work well even in a
II =
Mr.. Ames then called upon certain
gentlemen present who spoke briefly in
regard to the working of the line.
Mr.. Taylor of Fairfield said he secured
fifty subscribers to the stock in Fail field
and stated the Farmers Telephone Com
pany WAS all right and its instruments
worked we'll.
Mr.. Bowman Of Fairfield said he could
not see why the Farmers line should
not be allowed to come into the shire
town of Somerset. Farmers Of the sur
rounding towns should have connection
with the county seat.
Mr.. Buzzell of Skowhegan read the
names of certain subscribers for stock
and instruments sufficient to ensure the
building OF the line in his section.
Mr.. Eben Leeman Of Starks said he
had secured 81 subscribers in Starks
himself and the town would in time have
IS. The company would not set poles
where they would be Objectionable in
the streets.
c. X. Allen of Mercer, c. l.. Holbrook
of Starks and others spoke in high terms
of the working of the cooperative telC-
phone plan in their towns.
Mr.. l.. A. Goudy of Portland, mana
ger of the Northeastern Telephone Com
pany, spoke at some length in regard to
his line. He denounced the New Eng
land Company rs monopoly, somewhat
crippled now, as the patents on their
Bell telephone instruments had expired
some two years ago. The independents
are making great inroads on their terri
tory. They have 100000 subscribers
in the country to 2 900, 900 with the New
England Company. He explained the
reason his company did not install its
lines here when they got permission of
the selectmen, two years ago, which we
understood him to say was because of
depression in the telephone affairs caus-
ed by the sell-out Of the Eastern to the
New England. He explained the cor
struction Of his company's lines from
Portland to Lewiston and Auburn, to
Pennington and the Rangeleys. 1t has
900 instruments in service in Portland
and 1000 subscribers in lewiston and
Auburn. He deprecated contracts or
agreements between the New England
Company and certain newspapers in the
State, by which he claimed those papers
could not oppose the interests of the
company.
Hon. S. j. Walton made inquiry in re-
gard to connection with the Bell Tele-
phone Co. in order to avoid the intro
ducton of more lines Of poles in town.
danger point. The only objection he
had, personally, was to further poles
and wires on our streets.
Mr.. Ames explained that they could
not use the n. (. poles unless they hired
all their instruments of the \. f. Com
pany at the very high annual rate of
81 90 for each instrument
A. K. Butler, Esq. stated that he az
peared for the Central Maine Telephone
Company that is to have a hearing next
week for authority to install lines in
town outside the limits of the Village
Corporation, and inside these lines the
company will make connection with the
New England Company.
A general Informal discussion follow
ed in which Dr.. Ames of Norridgewock,
Mr. Holt of Fairfield, Mr.. Allen of Mer-
Ger, +. p. Vies A. X. Butler and others
joined.
Mr. Ames for the Farmers Company
made the proposition for the selectmen
to allow the company to enter the vi
lage on four streets, one each, north,
east, south and west upon any streets
designated by the selectmen.
This appears to US to be a reasonable
proposition that would give the company
them access to the business houses ana
county buildings in town and give bus-
II ess men whatever bentlit there may e