Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1909-08-25

NORTHWESTERN
WILL NOT Sell
Special Committee Reports 10
the City Council Last
Monday Night.
Willmar. Mimi, Aug. %, 1909.
To the Honorable, the City Coun-
Gil of Willmar:
We, the undersigned,-your COM
mittee to investigate report up
on the telephone situation hereby
unanimously report as follows:
As it was the general understand
ing that the Northwestern Tele-
phone Exchange Company was will
ing to sell its plant in this City,
your Committee employed a tele.
phone expert to give us an estimate
of the value of the plant. This ex-
pert testified that the existing plant
at Willmar could be duplicated
with new material for $23, $40. He
figured that the plant had depreci-
ated 1880 and hence estimated the
present value of the Northwestern
Telephone plant in Willmar at $l5,-
$40.
The Committee then authorized
its president and secretary to COR
respond with the Northwestern Ex-
change Company and inform them
that we were willing to enter into
negotiations for a sale of the plant
to the City. The answer from the
Company is as follows:
Office of Northwestern Telephone
Exchange Co.
Minneapolis, Minn., August l3,
1909.
Mr.. Victor E. Lawson,
Willmar, MINI.
Dear Sir;
Your favor of the 18th addressed
to General Manager Mcfarland has
been handed to me.
In reply l beg to say that it
would not be at all convenient for
any of the officials of this Company
to visit Willmar upon the mission
which you outline. Any conference
of that kind would be of no value
except where the records of the
Company were available for exami-
nation. We would, however, be
pleased to meet your committee al
this Office if you so desire.
At the same time l wish to say
that this Company does not contem-
plate the sale of its telephone plant
in the City of Willmar either tc
the City or to other parties.
Should you desire to come here
for conference kindly give me 3
few days notice in order that
may be at home and prepared te
meet you.
Yours Very Truly,
c. P. Wainman, Vice President
You will note that the letter is
in fact a refusal to sell. That is
the obvious inference of the phrase.
ology of the letter. Your Commit.
tee would be willing to recommend
that the Northwestern be paid al
that its plant is worth. and perhap:
a little more, to avoid even for {
short time two telephone exchange:
in the City. But in view of the
overbearing attitude of the Com
panv towards the official represent
atives of the City Council in thu
past. we infer that a visit to the
Offices of the Company would mo-
tend to better understanding be-
tween the Company and the City o,
Willmar.
We, your committee, therefor,
consider the question of buying ou
the Northwestern's Willmar plan
impracticable, and further effort j,
this direction useless.
Your Committee unanimousl,
recommends that your honorable
body at once take steps to prepar'
plans and estimates, and open bid
for the installation of an up to dat,
municipal telephone exchange, an,
without unnecessary delay submit
the question of issuing ''telephon'
certificates" to a vote of the citi
zens.
We also recommend that the cleo
trio wires, light and telephone
should be put under ground in tn,
business part of the City. Til,
City electric light wires and tele
phone cables should be laid in
common conduit. The electro
light plant and the telephone ex
change could be operated togethe
very economically.
Respectfully Submitted.
Signed Christian johnson.
Victor E. Lawson.
Peter Freeberg.
c. E.. Hornbeck.
S. E. Stansberry.
E. C. Wellin.
Members of the Committee
De-. q