The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-07-01
1t Is Similar to the One Which
Existed in Richmond for
Several Years Up Until Re-
Gently.
Deliver CONVENTION
CUT-AND-DRIED AFFAIR.
1t Is So Considered by Indian
aians and They Show Lit
tie interest," Other State
News.

indianapolis Ind, July 1.-The set
tlement of the. telephone controversy
at Richmond has been commented on
in indianapolis, where the innocent
spectator" is nervously looking on and
wondering how soon he will be caught
in squeeze. Many features of the
Richmond situation. as it was before
the compromise settlement between
the rival companies, exist in the In
dianapolis muddle, and although plan
after plan has been put forward, there
seems little hope of satisfactory un-
derstanding unless much ground is
given.
There are two companies in the In
Gianapolis field. and each is struggling
for the big share of the local patron
age. The indianapolis New company
was the legitimate >outgrowth of the
demand of local telephone patrons for
competition. They got it. In the
meantime the Central Union, which is
allied with the long distance system
that is reaching out its tentacles. in
an effort to establish a telephone mo-
nopoly, improved it's service and soon
became a strong competitor for local
patronage, regaining much of the
ground it had lost when the New COM
pany jumped into the field. The New
company finally fell into the hands of
/ stock jobbers, and its local identity
SO far as stock holding was concerned
was practically lost. An application
for a new franchise, with the privilege
of higher rates, finally brought the
unsatisfactory system of a double tel
ephone service to a head. The city
suggested consolidation. The finan-
cial condition of the two concerns was
| investigated. and the committee of cit
! izens and experts recommended that
| the two companies merge and that the
city meet the proposition with a fran
chise permitting fixed increased rates
| There the matter stands, and while the
proposed rate increase meets with dis,
approval, business men and patrons
generally believe this to be better than
compelling them to use two phones
| 1t is understood that the contract en-
tered into between the Richmond
companies does not contemplate an
! increase in rates, but the indianapolis
situation can never be solved, if by
consolidation, without higher rates
| The Central Union has made a flat
offer of S750,O00 for the property oi
| the New company. its recently apprais
! ed value being $S00000. This is con
sidered fair by the city. but it has beer
| difficult to get the two companies tC
drop their jealousies and get down tt
business. Each processes to see il
every move of the other an effort tC
get the upper hand, and while man!
believe that the consolidation viii
finally be brought about, there is 4;
rock road down to the consummatioI
of such a deal. Richmond is to b.
congratulated.
Such cut-and-dried affair. This il
the way the Denver convention il
looked upon. and when it is consider
ed that the enthusiasm and the strug
gle were going full speed at Chicago
two weeks before the national repub
lican convention met, ii is rather sur
prising that, with the Denver conven
ton only few days away, not an In
diana leader, except National Chair
man Taggart, State Chairman Jack
son, and one or two whose presenc'
there is made necessary by committe
meetings and preliminaries, has lef
for the Colorado city. In fact, thos
who intend going seem to attach mucl
more Importance to the visit that is L
be made to the country home Of Nj
Bryan than they do to the convention
itself. To see and talk with the Ne
braskan. to meet him as man, in hi
own home. seems to be their highes
conception of political glory, and the
are impatiently awaiting the start tha
viii land them at Lincoln, on the wa
j = Denver. next Sunday.