Willmar tribune., 1908-05-06
VICTOR Il. LAWSON, Editor and Manager
WEDNESDAY, MAY 6. 1908.
TACTICS OF THE TELEPHONE
TRUST.


telephone rates, number of phones,
etc., in twenty-five different Min
nesota cities. We print the same
again in this issue. because we con-
slider the story it tells of the great
est Importance to the citizens of
Willmar, who will in all probability
soon be called upon to decide d.
rectly by their ballots whether or
not they wish the city to take over
the exchange and operate it in the
interest of the people and taxpay-
ers of Willmar.
The statement shows conclusively
that the tendency in every Mime
sofa city where the Bell trust con-
trolls is towards maintaining small
Ter number of phones at a high
rate, rather than extending the sys-
TEN at popular price. 1t is to
be presumed that the larger num-
ber Of people in a city that may be
reached by the telephone, the more
useful the same becomes and of
more general utility. Independent
home systems have stimulated the
use of the telephone in every one
of the cities named in which there
are such systems. Wherever To-
cal home company has been organ
lied to compete with the Bell trust
it has as a rule succeeded in secur-
ing the bulk of the business in an
incredibly short time. There is
one feature that does not appear in
the statement above mentioned, and
that is that in all the large towns
where independent companies are
competing and driving out the Bell
trust. the latter are using induce
ments in order to hold the business.
In Red Wing, prominent business
man writes us that the Northwest
ern has practically no established
rates. This man writes: ''Three
years ago, just before we opened
our exchange, their rates were
about the same as our present ones,
except that they charged $1.25 for
a four-party residence. When we
opened up in May, 1905, they at
once cut their rates as low as Is
cents per month for private line
residence and $1.OO for business,
and many phones were put in abso-
lutely free. They then had about
the same number of phones they
have now, while we have grown
from nothing to 1,400." Yet in
the report fixed up for Willmar
people to read Redwing was given
as only having the one trust system
and rates were given at $500 for
business and $3.50 for residences
per month. In Albert Lea, Austin
and other big towns where the
Northwestern is fighting to retain
a nucleus Of phones for their ex-
changes they are throwing in one
residence phone free with each
business phone rented. Is it not a
little nervy to quote high rates for
these cities (where they are actual
ly giving away service) as a justifi-
cation for high rates at Willmar?
The rates charged by the trust
are made to meet the exigencies.
Where they think the people will
not stand for high rates. they make
low rates; in towns where they feel
safe from interference they charge
high rates. In Fergus Falls, where
they have 700 phones, they charge
So, ,25 for business and 81. 90 to 81. 50
for residences. In Brainerd, with
only half as many phones, they
charge $3.50 for business and SITE
to $3.50 for residences. The fact
that they proposed a raise for Will
mar proves that they believed they
had the situation nailed down here.
In Owatonna the Bell trust has
800 phones, but their rates are only
$500 for business and 81 90 to ST. SO
Tor residences. At Willmar, with
200 less phones, they claim they are
losing money at these rates. The
company has given some notice of
a raise Of rates at Willmar. So fa1
they have not attempted to enforce