Arizona republican., 1907-05-25
A PROGRAM OF PEACE
IN TELEPHONE BUSINESS
An Important Conference Of tire Bell
and independent Interests Next
Week.

Chicago. May 24.-Details of a plan
to bring lasting peace into the rela-
tons Of two great war-ing clements
in the telephone business II the Unit
ed States and Canada are to be re.
vealed in Chicago ten DAYS hence.
wher the annual convention of the
International Independent Telephone
association will begin at the Aud.to-
rum hotel. The entire floors of the
big hotel have been reserved for the
Loco delegates to attend the conven-
ton and the manufacturers Of tele-
phone apparatus who plan electrical
displays for Chicago's visitors. The
convention may commit the country's
$3.50. 100000 independent telephone in
terest to a program OF peace with the
Bell interests which they have fought
for years.
The method by which competition
fatal to dividends is to be done away
with is known among Independent tel
phone managers as the Indiana idea"
IL is the latest development from the
struggle for supremacy i'm that state.
where the independents have nearly
100000 telephones in operation The
BEL interests have proposed To with
draw from all competitive towns in
Indiana except two. provided the in
dependen. companies will take the Bell
lines into their switchboards and de-
liver to the Bell companies such toll
business as can not be sent over in
dependent lines.
Telephone men expect that If the
Indiana Independents will agree to the
of he I.r
the latter will follow the agreement
by a proposition to Ohio Independents
similar TO that in Indiana The re-
suit promises to be better servi-e for
hundreds Of thousands Of telephone
users all over the country and more
profits for the hitherto warning inter-
ests
Although the independent companies
VIII discuss a business arrangement
designed to restrict competition 10
some extent there viii be no general
cessation of effort 10 extend the in
dependent lines. Telephone develop
ment of the country. the independents
contend. depends largely upon comre-
tition. As proof of this they point to
Kansas CITY. competitive town.
which has $4,000 more telephones than
Washington. noncOmpetitive city
with 10000 more population. Like ar
gument is presented by the figures
from Minneapolis and Cleveland.
which combined have 712.000 popula-
ton. but support more telephones than
Boston. noncompetitive city with
100000 population.
In considering Washington's tele-
phone situation the independents are
hopeful Success Of a syndicate re-
Gently formed To build an independent
system in the capitol city will mean
that users of Independent telephones
all over the country can talk with their
representatives at the seat OF govern
ment by wire soon. Independent lines
now extend to Alexandria. Wa. less
than fifteen miles from the White
House. When this GAP is filled con-
versation with points i'm Colorado in
the west. North Dakota IN the north
west. Texas in the southwest. and
Florida in the south. will he possible
from Washington over Independent
lines. II would affect S.5p0.O00 users
% Independent phones.
The telephone convention. TO contin-
ne three days. will be called to order
on June by President James p. Hoge
Of Cleveland. Representatives OF thir-
ty state organizations Of independents.
having n total OF 1000 companies on
their membership lists. WI be pres
ent.