Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1905-07-18
WOOD COUNTY PLAN
In PENNSYLVANIA
Plan OF Local System Urged
Observation-Disclosures Becom=
inc Strong in All States.

ing Strong in ALI States.
There has recently come to our
hands copy of a pamphlet published
in Pennsylvania, and containing an
appendix written 10y one of our citi-
zens, Judge john A. Gaynor. The
pamphlet refers to method Of
establishing independent telephone
systems, Many such systems are
being established in that state, and
more are being urged among farmers
and others living in the smaller cities.
The book is written by Scion G.
Thayer, of Rochester, Pa. He had
heard of the establishment of the
local independent system and It's
success through an article published
in the Review Of Reviews, and writ
ten by Judge Gaynor, and he wrote to
those interested to learn the facts in
the case. After learning the method
under which the local company was
organized and its method of conduct
ing the telephone business, and above
oil, CilC CICGpIlCSo anu SOOo
tion prevailing under the same, he
became much interested in the
"Wisconsin Valley Plan," as he calls
it.
Concerning that plan, he says in
part: THE plan which | shall
describe originated, believe, with a
Judge of the Probate Court of Wood
county, Wisconsin Judge John a.
Gaynor) and there is now system
thoroughly established throughout
the Wisconsin valley, of which he is
the proud author, and which has been
in successful operation for ten years;
therefore we call it the Wisconsin
Valley Plan The reasons / became
interested in it were:-frst of all, it
was royal success; second, it was
Just and equitable; third, il does away
with two telephone systems in the
same place, as we'll as monopoly.
THE fundamental principle in
vOlved in this plan is, first; that each
member of the whole body of people
SO organized, shall stand on an equal
footing with all the others. No person
is able to accumulate stock or
power in the company except as he is
a greater user of the service, and if so,
he should have greater power.
Second, that no person may
speculate on the stock; it always being
at par and reverting to the company
when not represented by an equal
amount of service. In short:-no man
is ever making money out Of it except
through the service, or from SER
vice rendered.the company by him."
Then follows description of the
methods, more in detail, and made
clear by the means of using ferry
boat plan for an illustration. He
shows further wherein the independ.
ant systems furnish even better
service for less than the Bell system
does, and explains why this is so.
In the appendix, which is in the
form of letter from Judge Gaynor to
Mr.. Thayer, the writer explains the
method further, and tells the history
of the organization of the local
system. A part of the letter reads:
There is no question and there can be
no question with regard to the merits
Of the plan for giving good telephone
service, The only difficulty in con-
nection with it is in getting the
people TO get together and take stock
in the corporation. When it is once
organized, it is like school district:
elect good board of directors, let
them hire good manager as they
would hire good teacher, placing the
responsibility on his shoulders, let him
hire his expert assistants, and hold
him for results
At this time in speaking of the
power being gained by the independ-
tion Of their increase ia strength.
Few industries have undergone a
more violent transition from a
centralized control of production to
uhiluiioCu AudhuldoUul@o vi APPARATUS
than telephony, and the period of
greatest activity began with the
census year 1900. Having, after
tremendously expensive litigation,
established the supremacy of it's
patents, the Bell telephone system
enjoyed for some years undiSturbed
possession of the field, but the
moment these patents could be
assumed to lapse, competition broke
in from every quarter, with the result
that the industry has of late under
gone an extraordinary development,
doubling its figures from year to year.
and witnessing thorough revolution
in methods, apparatus and rates.
Beginning about 1S94-1S95, independ-
ent telephone exchanges Sprang up
like mushrooms all over the country;
but more particularly in the middle
and northwestern states, and by 1900
1901 they had attained total of about
2,75O exchanges, with 100000 sub
ScriberS and an Investment of
$3.50 ,OO0, 900. apparatus being furnished
by at least three score manufacturers.
In Wisconsin the independents
have over 5 81 a zoe telephones, which
number is greater than the Bell
fnlonh0nnc in hn or in