The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1907-01-15
HEARINGS
WILL BE BEGUN
THIS EVENING

At the hearing TO be held this evening
the executive heads and board OF direc-
tors OF the Home Telephone company
Will be announced to the city council
committee.
The companys petition for a franchise
10 do a telephone business in this city
will be advocated by experts and attor-
neys from out OF the state. and demon
strations will be made OF instruments
said 20 be new to the local telephone ser
vice.
The hearing will be continued tomorrow
afternoon. Thursday evening and Friday
afternoon. during which time II is ex-
pected that the case OF the petitioning
company will be laid I'm complete form be
fore the committee.
The Providence Telephone company Will
then present its side OF the case. oppos-
ing the granting OF franchise TO the
the next fortnight. II is believed, the com
mittee will make report to the city
council.
Judge Thomas Il. Lee. of Barney Il
will be It's legal representative at the
hearing. while Walter h. Vincent VIII
represent the Providence Telephone com
pany.
Judge Lee will introduce Hon. Albert r.
Smith, an attorney Of Bunalo; Hon. How
ard HendTickson, president or the lnde-
pendent Telephone company, or Albany
and Charles Sumner OF Toledo, one or the
best known Western representatives OF
the anti Bell interests Roy l.. Manson
an expert electrician and telephonlc en-
gineer OF Elyria, o: William w, Dean
chief engineer OF the Dean Electric COM
pany OF Elyria: r.. Maxwell Eaton gem
eral manager OF a number OF independent
telephone companies In the vicinity OF
Niagara Falls. and Theodore M Brush.
a Cleveland Independent telephone mag
nate.
number OF citizens OF this city who
have informed Judge Lee OF their Wlshes
20 speak I'm favor OF the establishment OF
n competing telephone company In TINS
city, will also speak.
Judge Lee says that the Home Tele-
phone company, III IL gains a franchlse
in this city. will be connected by long
distance telephone with the Metro
politan Home Telephone company OF
Boston. which was recently granted
privileges in that city The work of
construction will begin the very next
morning after the ordinance is ap-
proved by the city council and Is signed
by Mayor Mccarthy, Judge Lee says
The construction plan of the new
company. he says. is TO lay conduits
through the back streets and alley
WAYS. which, beside being more
accomplished. None OF the Providence
Telephone companys material or con-
veniences is 20 he used, he says, as
under the terms Of the older company's
franchise the percentage Of the profits
OF that company which now goes into
the city treasury would stop and the
municipal government thereby be de-
prived OF considerable income. The
Home Telephone company. he said. in
tends TO make a similar proposition
10 the city.
The Home Telephone company pro-
poses to inaugurate one main eN-
change covering all sections OF the city
and Pawtucket. There viii Ue uv
branch exchanges. but main eN-
change capable Of accommodating as
600 subscribers.
The telephone sets are 20 be installed
for So and there will be no measured
service" All telephone subscribers
will have unlimited service within a
similar radius as at present. The
amount paid for the use OF the tele-
phone will he based on the length of
time IL is used during n set period
This time Is 10 be measured by n
meter" attached 10 every telephone
Talking viii cost about 25 cents an
hour.