The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-09-18
Barre and Montpelier Boards
Of Trade Reply
TOVERMONTTELEPHONECO. co.
They Reject Proposition Advanced by
the Company--They Also Ask for
Rebate on All Excess Charges
After July /. :

After rejecting the proposition ad
vanced by the Vermont Telephone and
Telegraph company because It was con
trary to the verbal understanding reached
in teh conference with the committees
Of tho Barre and Montpelier boards Of
trade, the Barre board last night adj
ranced counter proposal which had
been drawn up yesterday afternoon in
conjunction with Montpelier. This conn
ter proposition demands a restoration Of
telephone charges exactly as they were
on June 30, 1909, before the new schedule
went into effect. also rebate on all
excess charges after July |, five per
cent discount Or bills paid year in
advance, an agreement for one year and
the promise Of the company to install
the common battery system. This was
unanimously adopted, as the company's
proposition was unanimously rejected.
The action was preceded by consider
able discussion. presided over BY Presi-
dent H. G. Ladd and with James Mackay
as secretary A. p. Abbott of the tele-
phone committee explained the proceed
ings up to date. including the appoint
ment Of John ". Gordon as attorney to
act for the board Of trade. He then
called upon Mr. Gordon to report his fnd-
inps, particularly with reference to what
could be shown if the case comes before
the Vermont public service commission.
as now planned, on October S.
Attorney Gordon made an interesting
report Of his conference with representa-.
whom he learned much telephone busi-
ness details which viii be valuable If the
case comes 10 hearing. Among other
things. he said thst the Vermont Il s I.
company Is pleading poverty with a re.
serve Of s2l O0u with which to cover i'm
provements Of $4,000, largely because it
has been the easy customer Of the New
England company. rhich owns % per
cent Of the Vermont sleek Gust Is the
New England company ist-ss 5as cent
owned by the American company. II
has been charged exnrhitaut rentals for
telephone sets and use of poles. etc.
What should have gone into the Vermont
eompany's reserve has been turned over
to the New England company for rentals,
and now the Vermont company is tryinp
to make the Barre and Montpelier public
pay for improvements. the cost Of which
should have been met b. The Vermont's
reserve The Vermont company Is now
paying proposition and it would pay
much more If it could 80 into the open
market and buy equipment
It also developed during the discus
sion that within the week The New Eng
land company has swallowed up the or.
ange County Telephone company, which
has maintained an independent existence
up to now. This announcement came az
a surprise to most Of the members Il
came ont when the discussion turned
temporarily to forming an independent
company.
When the discussion was concluded,
the motion was made TO present the new
and II prevailed at onee.
The new proposition, which has been
agreed upon hv Montpelier. Is as fNlows;
sThe boards Of trade Of Montpelier
and Barre, both IN the state Of Vermont,
and jointly agree with The
NtAAHAHR ~ q = tNthf WtlitNNt ttNif
udiee to the rights Or claims Of either
party, to discontinue the suit now pend.
ing before the public service commission
Of Vermont upon the following condI-
tions:
@iIj That the Vermont r Il I. com.
pany proceed as speedily as possible TO
make the changes in its service and IN
stall the common battery system. 50
called, III Barre and Montpelier, Az out
lined in its circular letter dated June
!, 1909.
ei2l The Vermont T. & I. company
shall restore all the forms service and
also restore an the rates 81 charges ex.
actly as they existed on June 90, 1900
"lsl The Vermont T. & 7. company
shall rebate or pay back whatever
charges and tolls it has collected from
anybody IN excess 81 the charges and
tolls referred to in section preceding
"t4l Subscribers paying year in
advance. dating from July |, 1909 shall
be entitled to discount Of five (5l per
rent from the charges referred to til
section preceding.
"fsl This agreement shall be binding
ip The Vermont T n T company for
K lge months, beginning July /, l009."
proposal will Be sent to-day to
Lh 7tIieers Of the telephone company.