The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-03-28
GRANGE NEWS INNING
 IN TELEPHONE FIGHT
HEARING ON MEASURES CON- TINUED BEFORE JUDICIARY
 COMMITTEE.

J. H. Hale of Glastonbury Rends Lett
 tsrs From Various Cities Using Inde-
 pendent service--Rates Lower andi Service Better--In Many Cases the Bell Telephone Company is Forced fo Improve Service---Otbers Speak for Repeal of Present Law.
 Hartford, March 27.--J. Howard Hale. of Glastonbury, was the first speaker when the hearing on several telephone bills was resumed before the judiciary committee at the state capitol this aft ernoon MT. Hale read letters which he had received from all the cities now using the independent service, includ- ing Kansas City, Cleveland, Dayton, O.; Grand Rapids. Mich; Fall River, Mass; Portland, Me, etc. The consen- sus of opinion from the reading of the letters was that the service was better rates lower, and in many cases the competing company had forced the Bell Telephone company to give better ser- vice. One letter mentioned the fact that foreigners found the automatic system the best, as under the old sys- tenn they could not make the girl at central understand.
 MT. Hale said he had personally in- vestigated in towns where they had both systems, and found a satisfactory condition, all saying that there was an advantage in that If one got out of ! order the other could be used He fur ther said that the preference of those who used both systems was for the au- tomatic system, because it was certain in its results and was quicker
 People in Connecticut who thought that two telephones would be disad- vantage and a nuisance didn't know what they were talking about, said Mr Hale, and he wished he could take the cohmittee out to Grand Rapids, Mich, and other towns in the west.
 The committee is open to invita- tions," said House Chairman Banks.
 Perhaps you will get one,n replied MT Hale, ''and we will pay 60 per cent of the expense if the Southern New England Telephone company will pay 40 per cent"
 !! MT. Hale said there were too many telephone central stations. Repeating the telephone law and allowing the au- l tomatic company to come in would re- suit in better service and cheaper ser vice.
 0. s. Wood, master of the Stsssssss-. grange, said he did not care to spealw on independent companies, nor to con demn the Southern New England Tele- | nh Nco9I 4a years ago Michael Kenealy, either in his capacity as chairman of the judi eiary committee or attorney for the tel ephone company, he would not say which, said that the Southern New England company was not in business for it's health, but for the money there was in it. MT. Wood said ttat at the last meeting of the State grange 1t was voted to advocate the repeal of the tel ephone law. The Southern New Eng land company had within the last two years extended itssulines more than it had in the pset live yearssS The coni- pany had 5Z00O telephones installed all over the state, and this was sufficient protection in itself without the aid of law so protecting them. In behalf of the State grange, he said, the people In the hills and valleys needed communi- cation with central districts, more so than those in the business districts. MT. Wood referred to various parts of the state where the toll charge was op- erative. He said that the Southern New England company could remedy this if 1t saw fit, and if 1t did not do 1t, then some other company. would As for himself, he said it was not a mat ter of how much he would have to pay for his telephone, but he represented the farmers, and every farm home in the state should have telephone in- stalled and this would only be possible by lower rate.