Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1908-04-22
DIR. .JOHNSON'S
WARM REPLY
Tallman's Telephone Story is
False from Beginning
10 End.
Discusses The Telephone Questf.
on Now Confronting
the City.

0lsL NAsys
Editor Tribune; If the tele-
phone question in Willmar were
simply dispute between myself
and Mr.. Tallman as to how certain
acts of the council of 1897 should
be interpreted, or as to how any
subsequent action of his or mine
should be viewed by the public, the
prolongation Of this discussionwould
be entirely unne cessary. The
single fact-undisputed by Mr..
Tallman-that he has profited by
these acts, and l have not-that he
has appropriated the proceeds of
the mistakes of the council of 1897
to his own use, and / have not
that the goods have been found on
him, and not on me-These facts
we'll understood by the public
speak for themselves. There can
be no theft without appropriating
somebody else's property to ones
own use, and appropriating some
body else's property to ones own
use generally proves the larceny
So l say, am willing to leave the
public to form their own opinions
as between myself and Mr.. Tallman
as to the purity Of our motives in
all of these transactions.
In the last Gazette Mr.. Tallman
makes a desperate effort to show
that | have been used by him, to
do what | believed to be right-and
what has proved to be for the bene-
fit Of the Union Co. to be sure
but also that in doing so | was at
the same time serving him, and
that he paid me for this service by
giving me $500 rate for one
wire-two-phone to my office and
house. The whole story is false
from beginning to end. First,
there was no talk of another central
in Willmar at that time, to my re-
collection. 1t was in December,
1901. Second, I was stakeholder
of the Union Co. and was asked by
several farmers to attend. | had a
conversation with Tallman before
this meeting about connection facil-
tiles with the central here and, in
forming Tallman that l was going
to that meeting, he told me that
Phil Haley was going and l could
ride out with him. l did so and
took part in the meeting as stock
holder and an individual interested
in getting these local lines to work
in harmony. / advocated that the
Atwater people should own their
local exchange, and the balance of
the Union Co. should divide into a
Harrison company and Spicer
company. This view had nothing
whatever to do with one or two
exchanges in Willmar. Third, a
$500 per month rate for two phones
on one wire-one in my office and
one in my residences not half
rates, but was full rate then, and
is now to other people in this city.
In other words, l did not go to that
meeting as Tallman's representa-
tive, did not act as his representa-
tive, he never hired me to do so,
and never got what he says he
gave me as reward.
If anybody is interested enough
to test the truth of these state
ments it can easily be done. If a
committee of impartial men will
investigate the facts it can easily
be proven that | am telling the
truth.
Mr.. Tallman in his first letter in
timated that | got hostile to the
Telephone Co. when Mr.. Williams
wrote me last December that he
would have to raise my office rate
to $500, that the 'law-anti-pass
law-prohibited him from giving
anybody half rates.
Well, that was the first notice
had that | was having my office
rent at half rates. l was rather
surprised and l began to look
around, and l found others paying
extacly the same rates that | die
for the same service, and they were
not notified of any conflict with the
anti-pass law.
| Of course understood then thai
a telephone raise for me was on
| met Mr.. Williams and told hin
that l was always willing to pay a
much as others, that l wanted NJ
half rates, but that l would not pay
more than others. Mr.. Williams
told me that he would see about thi
when the board of directors met
AS a matter, of fact, my bills fol
January and February, 1908, wer,
not presented as usual, were. no
presented until March IA. Thes'
bills had originally been made on
for $500 month, but had beel
changed to $500 per month.
have these bills to prove what l say
What had happened about the earl.
part of March that should then b.
treated to an increase? Oh, yes,
had challenged Mr.. Tallman to &C