The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1908-03-11
RURAL TELEPHONE MEETING.
Large Attendance of Stockholders, Most
OF Them on Peace Footing.

The court room was well filled last
Wednesday afternoon when the hour
arrived for the annual meeting of
the Rural Telephone stockholders.
The call contained an intimation
that the matter of advancing rates
for phones would probably be
brought before the meeting, and this
probably had considerable to do with
the large attendance. 1t transpired
after the stockholders assembled
that none of them were prepared to
introduce such a proposition, al
though all admit that there can be
no hope of earning dividends on
stock so long as the rate remains
where 1t is at ST. to stockholders
and SIPS to others.
Secretary Miller read the minutes
of the last meeting and President
Gold followed with the presentation
of the financial statement, copies of
which were distributed to each
stakeholder, and during the reading
invited questions. a number of
which were propounded and an
swered. Calling attention to the
statement as to number of phones,
which was considerably less than
last year, Mr.. Fuller asked that the
stockholders be informed as to the
number of phones which had teen
taken out during the year, and at
ter an investigation of the records,
Manager Stewart stated that about
so phones had been ordered out.
Mr.. Fuller intimated that the stock
holders were losing good deal of
income by this reduction in the
number of phones. .a-
There were number of diver
sions following, Page of North Red
wood inquiring why some of the
patrons who were not stockholders
were getting the ST. rate allowed to
stockholders only. Secretary Miller
arose to say that this condition ex-
listed at North Redwood, where the
Rural line came into competition
with the Minnesota Central, and
where ityswas necessary to meet the
competing rate or lose the phone
renter.
AS was expected, the stockholders
were not unanimous on the PROPOSE
ton to continue to pay the Is cent
connection fee to the Minnesota
Central at Redwood Falls out of the
common fund. After R. E. Fuller
took the floor as a peacemaker a
new role for that gentleman and
explained that the Is cent fee paid
back into the Rural treasury by city
phone-renters went a good ways
towards evening up the expense,
and that the city stockholders had
put a good deal of money into the
company and were entitled to some
benefits from the rural stockholders
Mr.. Geo. Whittet also argued for a
continuation of the policy of the
company in paying the connection
fee, and in spite of a few demurrers
! the proposition was adopted.
There was lite funny business
when a stakeholder from Walnut
Grove resurrected the old plan Of
allowing vote for each share, and
on the chairman putting a motion
to that effect the silence that fol-
lowed was such that one might have
heard gumdrop. Mr.. WEIGH was
probably not aware that he was at
tempting to resurrect the dead, that
plan having been put to sleep sew
eral years ago.
A proposition to proceed to the
election of directors, brought Clark
Miller to his feet with little speech
about Redwood Falls having more
than her share Of directors on the
board four and asking the meet
ing to accept his resignation so as to
allow Of the election Of represent
tive of another section at this time.
Mr.. Miller having urged this action.
his resignation was accepted by
vote. w. H. Gold having been
placed in nomination with others,
used the same argument made by
Mr.. Miller as basis for his declin-
ing to stand for election as director.
The stockholders protested against
this action by voting him in, but