The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-03-13
OF Interest to East SiderS
Some Telephone Franchise Talk.

NJ 1AeOI00l u
Some Telephone Franchise Talk.
The Evening Times is noted for it's
fairness in presenting public issues,
and as business man would like
to present the telephone question as it
appears to me.
The granting of a franchise to any
company is not a serious matter, ex-
cept when it lays the foundation for
a burden upon the people.
If franchise Is granted the Tri-
State company it will inflict such
burden upon the business people. In
the first place the company has no
lines reaching Crookston-the county
seat-or any of the towns throughout
the northwest, and it will therefore
be necessary for the business men
who have to use the long distance. to
still keep the other line. This will
double his telephone expense without
increasing the facilities.
The franchise sought, provides that
80 long as there are less than 100
phones in use the rates shall be $50
for business houses and 500 for resi-
dences, and when more than 100 and
not more than 200 telephones are in
stalled the price shall be 500 for BUSH
ness phones and $50 for residence.
There is no limitation on the price
when more than 200 phones are in
stalled, but from the erased part of the
franchise, the next hundred are raised
to $4S for business phones. The pres
ent number of phones in the city, if
duplicated, would put the rate at $50
and $36, and the idea of competition
becomes absurd, as there would be
two prices with one service.
Judging by the policy pursued else
where, the company will put in a large
number of residence phones free for
a few months, and once this is done,
the business men are actually COM
PEELED to install phones to attend to
I, the trade which reaches them over
these agencies. The present rate is
$3.50 for business phones and $3.50
for residence, the same as the avail
able rates under the proposed
charter of the opposition concern.
1t is also true that people who now do
not have phones would not put them
in without some extraneous consider
ation-such as free service for a
period. The Tri-State does not,
therefore, offer single advantage to
the public that cannot now be OBJ
tanned from the Northwestern.
But II by free service, number of
residence phones are installed then
the business men will of necessity be
compelled to put them in also. Now
If this free service was any benefit to
the public-more than the molasses to
catch the fy-the business people
would not complain But the Tri-
State company is not engaged in the
telephone business for pleasure, and
any one knows that 1t will not fur
nish free phones for any reasonable
dength- of time. Again judging by
the experience of other towns, we
have right to conclude that the free
phones are used only until the bust
ness men are forced to install them
and then the business men will be
used as a club to start the $3.50 rate
So that in d remarkable short time the
two companies will be on an equality
SO far as prices are concerned, the
citizens will have nothing they could
not get at the same price from the
present company, and the business
Ieople would be- compelled to pay for
two things, one of which Is absolutely
useless. It. is hard to find a sensible
reason why two lines should run
from one place of business at cost
of $36 per month when one would do
the same work at half the price.
Nearly one hundred business men
have protested against the granting of
the franchise. This would indicate at
least two hundred phones. half of
which at least would be business. The
average price would be $50 per eyear
each, or an annual burden of $4,000
to the people of this city, and during
the 20 years of the life of the fran
chise asked 1920, enough to pay
bonds for the city improvements
needed to make this the most delight
full city in the state.
am not a Northwestern or any
systems man. I am heartily in
favor Of, and SO is every other bust
ness man in the city of granting a
franchise to any company which will
reduce our present rates. At pres
ent the exchange at Oslo is being
operated at a cost of $500 for bust
ness and $1.25 for residence phones,
and when similar rate can be pro-
cured for this city will be the first
to advocate it.
Business Man.
Superintendent Casey, superintend-
ent Of the Polk county schools. makes