The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1908-02-27
HOME TELEPHONE
COMPANY REPLIES

COMPANY REPLIES
After the circular addressed to the
Hood River Farmers Telephone Co. 4,
signed 10y committee composed OF j..
W. Moore and A. e Staten, came into
prominence, the linme Telephone Co
was interested TO find Out if the con
ditions as set forth In the report OF
this committee we're wholly true.
The following letter is the result:
Portland, Ore, Feb. 20, 1908.
Mr.. p s Davidson, Hord River, Ore
Dear ir:-In compliance with your
request of the 18th instant | went to
Oregon City and made the investiga-
tion Of the statements contained in
the circular addressed to 81 he Hood
River Farmers Telephone Co." and
signed A. q. Staten.
tundated) j. W. Moore.
and beg leave to report as follows:
First AS to the equipment and ser
vice both we're satisfactory.
These statements reter to both the
"Pacific States Telephone & Telegraph
Co" and the "Hone Telephone Go. "
| found vastly different opinion
among the people who used both
phones. While tie Home Company
rendered almost perfect service to its
patrons, there was an almost univer
sal disgust with that rendered by the
Pacific States Co because of the in
efficiency, tai diness in answering calts,
particularly long distance ones, 1t re-
curing anywhere from "half an hour
to half day" to secure Inneotions
so one could transact any business
and then the service rendered was
very imperfect. On the contrary the
service of the Home Telephone Co.
was always prompt, efficient and
courteous, and In every way satistac-
tory; all the time required was invar-
iably given to its patrons ard no in
terfei enoe by operators butting In
with waiting" "ain't you most
through" etc.
Both companies have up-to- date
equipment.
Second: When the Home Company
went Into Oregon City to establish Its
plant 1t found small system there
that had been put in by three or four
of the citizens, because Of the very
poor service that was being rendered
by the Pacific States Company. This
system was taken over by the Home
Company and at that time there we're
just thiityfve t35) phones in use
through the system aud five of these
we're "dead head" phones.
The Home Company now have, OF
this date In working order and daily
use, In the city
lot phones,
have all their wires under ground,
laid in oonduits and In first class
shape, have over six hundred t600)
subscI ibers that come into their Office
and the number is daily on the In
crease. These subscribers are from
the surrounding country and are par
TALLY as follows;
Molalla, 1876.
Beaver Greek, 200.
Clear Greek, 100.
Total, 495.
TaggartviIle. 200-Now being con-
nceted up.
Logan, RedIand, New Era. Mex
burg, Canb by. and other points through
out the Willamette Valley. Counfc-
tious with the principal citio4 in the
valley ale nov to be had In Albany
there are the following connections:
City, 300.
Farmers, 2O0
Corvallis Farmers, 800; city. 500
Lebanon, Soda Springs. Sal, H.
Woo bErn, Marquam and many
Others, aud the system Is being rapid
ly extended.
All the farmers who do business
with Oregon City are connected up
with the home Company, and will
not use the Pacific States Company
under any consideration because of
the past treatment accorded them.
The Home plant at Oregon City js,
ss heretofore stated, an up-to-date
one. The business is increasing In a
satisfactory rate and degree, while
that OF the Pacific States, am in-
formed, is decreasing.
Third: AS to phones being taken
out OF places where they have be N
installed When the Home Company
started out after the business they
had solicito 4 who worked solely up
on commission and they (the solici-
tors) made all sorts ct promises to
secure signed contracts upon which to
collect their pay and the company
would not stand for all they promised,
but continued service for all phones
free of charge for some three mouths
or more, when they then commenced
to make charge, and thirty (30l
phones we're taken out from those
places where parties would only &C
cept something for nothing "
The statement that "many of the
largest business houses had never
made use of the Home phone, etc,
among them the Willamette Pulp and
Paper Company"
The facts are that the Willamette
Pulp and Paper Company have pr,
vate line In the city extending to
their attorneys office and they sell
dom have use for anything but long
distance communications and then
nearly exclusively with their office in
San Francisco, Cal, and | have 1t
upon good authority that they would
gladly have left their name out of all
the telephone directories because of
the nuisance of having their men fire.
luently called to the phone during
business
Fourth: The Pacific States Company
directory of the latest date shows
hat it has tie following number of
phones In service;
Farmers, l56.
City, 493.
Total. 694.
The assessors books, however, show
hat the number upon which it pays
zssas "a -ss~@sSSsszxs