Arizona republican., 1909-04-20
THE TELEPHONE FRANCHISE

To the Editor of The Republican:
 Sir:-Through the columns of your valuable paper l desire to give to the people of this valley a little farther insight into the telephone situation. As We are about to have an cleo tion in this city to determine whether or not a franchise shall he granted for the installation of a new and up todate independent telephone system, it seems as though the people should be fully acquainted with the situa- ton, that they may act intelligently and in their interests and the inter ests of the future growth and pro- gross of this community.
 About one year ago the Peoples In- dependent Telephone company was organized, and so far it's operations have been confined to the rural sec tions of this valley. the company having d franchise from the board of supervisors of this county and hay ing none for any of the incorporated towns or cities it has necessarily been excluded from establishing it. self in the city, depending upon the Consolidated Telephone company for switching service and central con nection in this city.
 In the few months the Peoples In- dependent Telephone company has been in existence. it has constructed and has in operation about fifteen miles of line surrounding this city. besides a line through the orange belt and extending to Scottsdale. It has between thirty-five and forty miles of line installed in the country sur rounding Mesa, with many of it's phones on that line installed and in operation and one week ago last Sat urday the qualified electors of the town of Mesa City, at a special cleo ton held there, by a vote of : to l, voted in favor of the granting of the franchise for that city.
 Including many of the prominent residents and business men of the city of Mesa and surrounding country the company has over one hundred subscribers for stock and phones, with assurances that as fast as it is possible for it to extend it's lines. of securing many more subscribers. In addition to these lines the company is at present constructing a line to Glendale, the poles being practically all set and the wires strung, and it has a large number of subscribers at Glendale, about fifty The equipment for the Glendale exchange is now in transit and will be installed as soon as received. The equipment for the Mesa exchange has been ordered and the company expects to have it in- stalled within the next few weeks. Other sections of the valley are cal ling for the extension of the com pany's lines to those parts. In fact the demand is greater than the com pany has been able to meet. That however, is the history everywhere of Independent telephone movements.
 The people of Buckeye negotiated with this company relative to it ex- tending it's lines to that community but on account of the demands upon the company in this and surrounding communities it has been unable to take up that proposition, so the peo- pie of Buckeye are arranging to in- stall a system of their own to be eventually connected with that of this company.
 Business men and telephones users of this city have watched the satis- factory and rapid growth and devel- opment of the Peoples Independent Telephone company's rural line and seem to have formed a strong desire to have granted a franchise that will permit the people of this city to in- stall and operate an independent tele- phone system, and it may well be said that the present movement for a franchise is but an outgrowth of the and progress of the which has demonstrated