The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1907-05-10
BENNINGTON. VT, FRIDAY, MAY 10, 1907
IMPORTANT MOVEMENT.
Consolidation Of Many Double Systems in
One.

Consolidation OF Many Double systems IL
One.
The extent TO which the newspaper
press OF the country Is daily giving
evidence OF the consolidation and uni
ficatlon OF the telephone system OF var
ious communities Is one OF the most
noticeable phases OF current events.
In It's issue OF April 18th the Los An.
geles Times prints the following from
the neighDoring and enterprislng little
city OF San Bernardino, which has for
few years had two telephone systems;
Merchants OF San Bernardino have
taken up fight against the luxury
OF paying tribute to two telephone com
panies. AT meeting OF the San Der.
nardino Merchants Protective Associ.
alton, Wednesday, the matter was
discussed at length and a committee
was appointed 10 obtain the signatures
OF oil the n Merchants OF San Bernard
mo TO an agreement 10 subscribe for
only one phone. Merchants ore now
signing an agreement to stand Dgether
In the fight"
EditorIally the Times OF the same
date says: "a sensible move has been
made by the business men OF San Ber-
nardIno 10 their campaign for single
telephone system. 1t will spread. II
all break out In other cities where
people are FESTIVE under the expensive,
narassing, nonsensIcal double tele.
phone nuisance. A greater outrage
Than this two telephone abomination,
tLos Angeles has two sysiems) never
was fols,ed upon community. There
will he great uprising against this
illogical and indefensible rate OF
things. IL cannot survive. Il would
be irrational to oblige citizens TO
AXE domestic water from two sources
and pay double rates"
In lie issue OF April ith the Mar lon,
o. Daily Star edltorlally reIofces that
the experience OF that city with double
telephone service Is approaching an
end. 10 view OF plans for the consoli
dalton OF the variors telephone inter.
ests OF Marion county under one man.
agement, largely local. the Star says
The publication carried q welcome
announcement 10 the Marion public,
and with u the recorl 81 q step for
ward In modern telephony. Long be
fore Marion had the dual telephone
service" the Star continues, this pa
per argued that the telephone vas
rIehtfully a natural monopoly. To.
happily the public has always SHE'D At
the word monopoly, bal the truth ~
mains, the tclephone, n lie fullest II
aciency Is q natural monopoly. To
the subscriber, the only cricient tele.
phone IL the one that reaches every
other telephone. The competitive
system requires The patron who wants
full service 10 e'lploy both lines OF
service q, double cost and endless con.
fusion. Much OF this, Marion knew
before we had two systems. Hut there
vas that lrrcprcssible feeling OF need
for competition. Marion would mot
have boon happy without trial OF Two
systems, because promoter had appeal,
ed 70 that unavoidable prejudice
against monopoly, aud nov that W,
have had the experience, there Is re-
iolcing 10 contemplate a return 10 one
system"
Mr. W. @. Harding OF Marion 10 q
published letter written 10 citizen oI
Indianapolis under date Of April I,
said; Before Marion knew the woe.
OF dual service argued that dual ser
vice was undesirable, though JOINED
In the establishment oithe independent
system. This was scemlngly-dn incon-
slstency and IL was such. but | believed
that there was profit for the compel
ltor aad consented 10 join In the neees
sary evil. We built veil and sirov,
for the ideal service but We soon learn
Cd that We h d added tax 10 the pub
Tic burdens which paid dearly fer th'
service. The business man who wished
10 make his hou,e available 10 al
phones was Obliged 10 carry boil
phones at q double cost. The dwelling
that was kept within telephone call o
all residents or professional men an,
needed long distance service was oh
lIged To have both phones with III
double cost and inevitable confusion
In short What seemed bcautifo
dream In promotion was very much 4
. Il niohffu n IN In reail.atloa -