The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1904-03-23
FOR RURAE. .fHONRS.

TUN A0AAnlf 0VNHos
Local conpany Organized Ont
side coneaaies Make Bids for the
| = Business.
A Temporary organization of an
independent telephone company for
the purpose of building and operat-
ing rural lines in Benton county,
was effected at a meeting of citizens
atthe county court room Saturday
afternoon. The meeting was at
tended by about 80 farmers and
half as many Corvallis citizens, and
the proceedings occupied about
three hours. A tentative plan of
organization was agreed upon, and
is incorporated in constitution and
bylaws, the terms of which, how
ever, are subject to change at any
time. The general management
underline arrangement is vested in a
board of seven directors, consisting
of the following citizens: County
| Judge Waters, A. T. johnson. J..
r. Smith, 2. II. Davis, Robert
johnson, Ed Wiies and George
Linderman. A meeting of stock
holders is to be held in the same
room at one o'clock next Friday,
when the board of directors will
make report, and further matters
of important interest will be dispos-
ed of. Enough developed at Sat-
urday's meeting to indicate that
the movement for rural phones is
deea-rooted, and that extensions
of lines under some plan, and their
wide use in adjoining farm homes
is almost certainty.
A feature of the proceedings at
the meeting was very favorable
offer by the Pacific States people to
enter into an arrangement with ref
erence to the rural lines, and a
similar offer by F. H. Stow. late
manager of the Columbia Telephone
line in Portland. Mr.. Thatcher,
for twenty years manager of the
Bell telephone in Portland. was
present in person, and made the
offer for the Pacific States people.
He said his company proposes that
it farmers will build their lines to
the city limits Of Corvallis. he will
rent them Bell phones at IS per
year and give them free switching
on all Corvallis lines and rural
lines connecting with Corvallis. Or
he will sell the farmers Bell phones
at $3.50, and give them switch.
ing in Corvallis and over rural
lines, for $2 per year, F. H. Stow,
representing the Empire Construc-
tion Company, who desires to con-
struct and operate a new system In |
Corvallis, made similar offer and
with reference to city lines, added |
that he would make rates in Cor.
Wallis for residences at 81, and rnatt ! !
not more than two phones would
be placed on a party line. The
offer of Mr.. Thatcher, for the Pa i
ci6c States people stated that the
arrangements ne suggested might
be made for period of one year,
and if at the end of that timeit was
found to be unsatisfactory, the con-
tract could be terminated. Both
offers at the request of the meeting
were submitted in writing to the
board of directors.
A spirited dispute in which plain
words were used was a feature of
the proceedings. Mr.. Stats. a
Polk county farmer, and Mr.. Mer-
rill of the Pacific States Telephone
Company, were the star performers !
in the wordy war. Mr.. Stats had
a distinct hostility to the Bell phone
people. and did not minee words in
stating his position. He asserted
that the phones supplied by the
on a rural line in Polk |
county were not satisfactory. In
the course of his remarks he advis-
ed the meeting to beware of an en-
tangling alliance with that sys-
tenn. Mr.. Merrill took up the de-
fense of his company, declaring |
that wherever complaints had been
made proper and satisfactory In. !
struments and service had been
supplied. +!
The plan under which the new
telephone company is organized
provides for a capital stock of S.
600, divided into 200 shares of $25
each. The stock is non.transfer-
able, except after being first offered
to the company. No member can
hold more than three shares Of
stock. The company can equip