The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-12-03

ltN hAlh NN WtA Ahb btHtfA tN AfNfAkthE
rates, as telephone rates, for all places
in the state, because conditions were
different IN dilleront places and a reason
able rate should be established for the
service received and the cost OF operation.
He believed ia an appeal from the COM
mission to the courts,
Move to Choke Independent Companies.
w. Il. Aldrich Of Barton Landing, the
next speaker said that he represented
I the independent telephone interests, the
people and companies lines and exchanges
from the Canada line 10 Bellows Falls
on the cast side Of the mountain The
people opposed the public service com.
mission because they believed il would
mean raising rates by using the Bell
interests as weapon to destroy eompe-
titon. The interests he represented based
their belief on two PREMISES the intln-
ences evidently working for the bill, and
certain parts Of the subject matter OF
the bin.
In connection with the influences at
work he referred 20 what Mr.. Senter
said about the article in the Express q
STANDARD, and said that he had informa-
ton that the official referred to was
working for the bill and had interviewed
many personally in the interests Of the
bill and that he said he had a signed
statement from D. Buchanan OF the Peo-
pies Telephone company Of Barton; that
the Official as a director Of a company
which was a branch Of the telephone
monopoly approached him (Buchananl in
a proposition 90 regulate rates which
meant making rates more profitable.
As far as the commission itself was
concerned be believed the state had a
good railroad commission and that the
state should not turn the commission
into q Observation-Disclosures commission. The
bin would place toe. much work upon the
commission to carry out the details or
business in which the competition Is
sharp. He referred 10 the working OF the
bill in some respects, TO the detriment of
independent companies; for instance, the
one which gave the commission power,
after public hearing, 70 allow compet-
ing company 20 come in II .for the gen
eral good Of the state" He believed that
it would be hard for a company coming
into a town TO show that it was for the
good OF the state"
More Opposition to Bill.
Mr.. Seoley OF the Citizens Telephone
company Of ST. Johnsbury spoke Of bin
426 and oppose the measure on the
ground That he believed it offered legal
means to give TO the Bell Telephone
company what It could not obtain when
forced TO fight against fair competition
He went on to give details Of the tele-
phone business TO show why he believed
the bill was not fair TO independent com.
panies.
Governor Defended.
+. c. Williams Of Newport arose with
Gre in his eyes and offered a strong de-
fence Of the governor. Referring to the
article in the Standard he said, that
every inhabitant Of deceney in Newport
believed it to be one Of the most dirty
lnsinuatons possible on one of the
most honest. high minded men in the
state the governor of Vermont This
remark was received with applause.
He went on TO say that the publish
9 o. The piper referred to was heavily
interested il bhe Independents telephone
company in Barton. and WIS also re-
lated To one Of the Buehanan's referred
10 by Mr., Aldrich He said that The
town Of Newport had always given this
company what it desired and that il
had been allowed TO string its wires
underground on the main street. He
said it was true tliat the governor hel /
one share of stock in the Passumpsic |
Telephone company and was direc
tor and at the time that be was made |
a director he told the directors that he |
was in favor Of the supervision By the
state Of public service corporations, |
and that if he was ever made governor |
ne should stand for such measure.
That was about two years ago.
Then MIR. Williams took up his own
ca Sc, answering the reflection on him
self in the article referred to, as he
took 1t. 1t insisted that he was per-
sonally iterested in the passage Of the
hill, He scored the speaker from Bar
ton, who entered upon his discussion of
the merits Of the bin with suspicious of
his character He said that he was in
terested in no corporation in any way,
telephone on other and that it was not
a Bell 'elephone measure as some seem
ed to believe. H said that he sup
it to be right and because the party /
to which he belonged and Of the com
aittee Of which ha was chairman, had
promised it. Naturally he would sup
port IT. He closed BY referring to the
phases in the editorial referred to which
were similar TO those said several
times by Mr.. Aldrich. insinuating that
if he did not write the article he was
lround when II was being done. He
went on further and discussed the
merits of the bill.
Mr.. Aldrich got IN later and took
ssue with Mr.. Williams in what he had +
10 say about the article being CON
lemned by all the decent people of
Newport. lie said that he did not re-
member that the article cast any per-
5onal reflection upon Mr.. Williams.
Author of The Bill and Others.
Air. Barber, author Of the BILL asked
dr, Aldrich several questions and drew
rom him that if the clause above re-
erred to were changed from best in
prests of the state" to best interests
# the community, he would find no |
ault with that particular section.
Cnairman Redmond of the railroad ]
commission spoke for short time, but /
i'd not feel that his position was such
hat he could discuss the bill with good I
aste, being at the head of the commits |
ion ON which would develvc the du. $
les of the new commission if il were
rcatcd. In answer to Mr.. Williams 9
question ais to whether he had seen any l
hing ia the bill that would give the
}cll telephone company any special ad
antage. replied taat ne did not, ex
ept that the commission might keep