The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1910-08-04
TIGHT PLCEFOR COLD WATER CONTEST OF Will SPIRITED DEBATE
Much Argument Let Loose at
Telephone Meeting
ALL KINDS OF TALK
Gathering Discusses Matter until
1880 D. m. and Adj0urnS With
out Taking Action

The adjourned meeting. held last
Thursday evening for the purpose OF
further discussing the telephone pro.
position of b. ID. Templeman, was an
oratorical contest with numerous
citizens taking part. The contest
continued until ll:3O p. m. and then
the meeting adjourned with out TAX
ing any action.
+. h. Minette, chairman of the
citizens committee, called the gather
ing TO order and presided throughout
the evening.
Mr.. Iempleman was called upon to
state his proposition. This he did,
going into the matter at length and
explaining it in detail. Mr.. Temple
man was submitted to thorough eX-
animation, as the fifty persons pre-
sent desired to be thoroughly en-
| lightened.
! When Mr.. Templeman had finished,
| w. ). Dean of the citizens committee
made a brief statement, the substance
Of which was that, after careful
| investigation, he believed the Temple
man proposition was good one and
thoroughly practicable. Mr.. Temple
man, he said. offered to install q first
class telephone system here and to
give satisfactory bond for first class
service. Mr.. Dean was convinced
that the citizens of Sank Centre ought
to improve this opportunity.
Fred Specify, district manager of
the Northwestern Telephone Ex-
change Company, submitted statis-
tics in support of his company's con-
tention that the proposed raise in
rates was justified and that Mr..
Templeman could not operate a
system at the prices he fixed with
out a loss.
Hagry w. Johnson of Akeley. MINI.
. manager of the local system in that
town, took the floor and told about
his exchange. The Akeley Company,
he said, had been in existence four
years and had made good money with
the rates at $500 for business and
Sl.00 for residence telephones. The
company would declare a dividend Of
forty per cent this year, he said.
He said his company had made 10
per cent the past four years, but
that if he were to adopt the book
keeping methods of the Northwestern
that dividend would show only three
per cent. He could not understand
the Northwestern method of book
keeping. Mr.. Johnson went into de-
tails and answered many questions
asked by citizens present relative to
the operation of the Akeley exchange.
A number of other gentlemen also
spoke. J. +. Cooper offended the
action of the citizens. committee
which visited Minneapolis and exam
ined the books of the Northwestern.
Geo. Fish argued in favor of the
Northwestern and against a new
company +. e. Minette supported
h e Templeman proposition.
L. w. Gingery thought Mr.. John
son had not been treated courteously
as he should have been by Mr.. Speech
ly. Other argument followed an the
meeting adjourned.
Just before adjourning, on motion
of Geo. Fish, the matter of appoint
ing a committee to interview the
Milwaukee road management, was re-
ferred to the city council.
d. NJ. Neill of Red. Wing, president
of Minnesota Federation of CONNER
cial clubs, also president of a local
telephone company in that city, was
in Sank Centre Tuesday afternoo n
and remained over till Wednesday
morning. While here he met num-
Der of local business men and told
them about the Red Wing telephone
situation. Mr.. Neill said that the
local company there has been in bust
ness five years, has 1,600 telephones
in operation with long distance con-
nections with the Tri-State Telephone
Company, that the rates charged
are $500 per month for business tel
ephones and Sl.0O for residence tele-
phones, and that the company is now
and has been making good money and
d e larin g satisfactory dividends.
Stock in the company, said Mr.. Neill,
cannot be bought, though it is eager
ly sought for, so good an investment
is it. The company, said Mr.. Neill
was started as result of an attempt