The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-05-14

to give the best telephone service at rates averaging one-third less than the Southern New England Telephone Company. and also earn a good div1- dend upon the money invested after allowing fully for depreciation and re- placement charges.
 "A new company will have the ad- vantage of not being handicapped by any contracts compelling it to do busi- ness at a loss. or for furnishing free service or giving special rates to it's privileged patrons. It will not De compelled to pay any rental or royal ties or any fixed percentage of it's gross receipts to any Telephone Trust, or other persons or corporation for the privilege of doing business. It will not be controlled by any contract connected with the telephone business from which it can make a legitimate profit.
 ''The new company intends to charge an adequate price for it's service and to give the people what they pay for. It will treat all of it's patrons alike and will not favor one class at the eX- pense of the others e
 'Connecticut is one of the least de- velcped- States in telephony in the Union. there being less than one tele- phone subscriber to every 20 persons in the State which is less than one half the ordinary development in those States where competition exists
 A construct a first-class plan with mod ern equipment. establish fair rates with active ard up-to-date management ana it will obtain all the business that it's facilities can handle.
 "Both the Independent and Bell SyS- tenn together in those States where competition exists do not to-day and have never been able to supply the constantly growing demand for tele- phone service.
 'TeIephone development in Los An geles and in many other places in this country has reached a point where there is one telephone to every four people. and the end has not yet been reached.
 "Connecticut is entitled to and should have at least four times as many telephones to-day as it has. and even then would not reach the devel- plished in many sections of the coun- try.
 ''The Southern New England Te1e- phone Company is tied hand and foot by it's contracts with the American Telegraph & Telephone Co.,, and also through the ownership of it's stock by the latter company. The Southern New England pays $1O0,0O0 year for royalties upon instruments which can be purchased outright for less than $20O 900. The Southern New England also gets only s57. 900 year for it's en- tire long distance telephone business from points outside the state.
 "Under it's contract with the Amer ican T. 6 T. it receives nothing for handling outside calls into this State and only 10 to 209o for handling calls from within the State of Connecticut to points outside. yet it pays all the expenses of this long distance busi- ness.
 This contract costs the s. N. B. Tel. Go. thousands of dollars a year over and above what it receives and this loss must be made up from what it charges it's Connecticut subscribers.
 "Competition in Connecticut means the reduction of telephone rates of at least A and the abolition of many of the annoying 5 to 10 cent toll line charges. It means an increase in the of telephone subscribers in the State of from 50 to 100% within five years It means increased efficiency in the operation of both telephone com panies and with the employment of from two to three thousand people at high wages throughout the State. The in the Southern New Eng land Telephone Company will be great ly benefited by having an increased number of subscribers to this company at reduced rates and the subscribers in the new company and the service will be extended among people who do not have the benefit of the telephone. This can be only brought about by the establishment of the Independent Company such as exists throughout all the Northern. Western and Pacific Coast States to-day"