The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-04-29
COUNTY TELEPHONE men
Are not Afraid That Deal
will Fall Through. .aj
If the Bell Company RS Endeavor-
ing to Stave off Legislation They
Know Nothing About 1t.

state that men prominently con-
nected with business and official
circles there do not think that the
Bell Telephone company intends to
consolidate its interests with those
of the local Independent companies
throughout Ohio
1t is believed that the Bell
company caused this report to be
circulated in order 20 delay any
legal action which the officials OF
Ohio might be contemplating
against the company because OF
its alleged violation Of the law.
1t is well known in financial cir
cles," says one press report from
Columbus, "that there has been
great unrest i'll. the camp of the
telegraph and tclehone interests
of the state ever since the agitation
was begun for a thorough investi-
cation of the illegal methods Of the
Bell monopoly and to secure legisla-
ton providing for state regulation
of telephone and telegraph rates
and to compel telephone companies
to interchange long distance SER
vice. -
Fred E.. Cutlery, director of
the Marion County Telephone COM
pany and a member OF the COM
mittee which has been negotiating
for the purchase Of the local Bell
interests by the indepedent cor
poration, stated that while he has
no knowledge of what is being
done toward similar mergers
throughout the state, knows that
there is nothing feigned .about
the deal in this city. If the Bell
conany is going into the transac-
ton for the mere purpose Of stav-
ing off telephone legislation, the
Marion county company is not q
party to it.
The deal in Marion will come
off as was originally announced,
several weeks ago, il is stated
There has been some delay in
closing up the contracts. but there
is practically no possibility of
the deal falling through.
"As far as am concerned,
am in favor of having the Bell
and the independent companies es-
tablish an interchange of long
distance SERVICE says Mr.. Guth-
cry. 81 favor it, however, only
where 1T can be arranged that
there will be no chance of the
Bell company lowering prices for
the purpose of putting its independ.
ent competition out of business.
During the last session Of the
state legislature it was generally
known among telephone men that
a law for the regulation Of tele-
phone service and requiring an in
terchange of long distance service
was being contemplated. We ex-
pect THAT such a measure Will be
introduced at the next session of
the legislature. +"
Up in Bucyrus, where it.is re.
ported that the Bell company will
sell cut to the Crawford County
Telephone company, it was rum
ored last week that unlocked for
difficulties would cause the deal in
Marion TO fall short of consumma-
ton. The directors of the Marion
County company say this rumor is
unfOunded.
The directors Of the Marion
County company say it is eener-
ally understood in Telephone cir
cles that the Bell company wants
to dispose Of all of its local ey-
changes in the smaller towns Of
the stale. The competition offer
ed by the independent companies
has been too strong and as re-
suit the Bell company has besn
losing money in these places. The
deai in Marion is only one, Of
many t99 be pulled off in the
$, state Whether gtllis .procedure5 on
the port b9fto the Bell . company is
done to haKsAybeaping ON the lnro0
posed ta|ephppe Legislation, Off.
clalS of the local, b, oom,,a,,,,