Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-01-21
INDEPENDENT TELEPHONE IN.
TEREsTs OF IOWA ENoR-
MoUsLY LARGE.
100000 PHONES OPERATED;
BELL COMPANY HAS $4,000
independent Lines Have $24,5oo,o 900 In
vested in Exchanges and Lines in
state-competition Has Brought Ma
terial Reduction in Rates-The State
Meeting.
Special to Times-Republican.

Special to Times Republican,
Council Bluffs, Jan. 21.-The enor-
nifty of the interests of the independ-
ent telephone concern in Iowa, as was
shown in addresses and reports made
at the sessions of the Iowa association,
during the two days session which
closed here this afternoon, is rather
surprising to the general public, and
when p. c. Holdoegal of Rockwell City,
president of the Iowa association, in his
annual address made the statement
that there are now in use in Iowa $780,
oG0 telephones operated from 500 in
dependent telephone exchanges, while
Bell or trust interests have only 45,-
coo phones in use in the state, it was
something of surprise even to some
of the Independent telephone men pres
ent at the gathering.
Other Interesting Data. .
President Holdoegal gave some other
statistics in connection with his ad-
dress, Of an interesting character. He
said: "In 1893, when the Berliner pat
ents of the Bell Telephone Company
expired, there was not single indie
pendent telephone line in Iowa. For
from five to eight years after the expira-
ton of the patents, it was impossible
to interest capital to compete with the
Bell people, largely on account of the
fight that the Bell interests made in
the courts for the extension of their
patent, and the strongly established po-
sition of the Bell companies. In about
the year 1898 the independent move
ment began, and in few years every
city, town and hamlet in the state could
be reached over Independent lines
Iowa Capital Invested $24,5o0,oo0.
The business of the companies COM
peting with the monopoly has in
creased steadily and at present there
are 100000 phones in the state operated
by Independent companies from 600 aX-
changes. After twenty years of monop-
oily and sixteen years of competition,
the Bell interests have only $4,000
phones, in the state The independent
companies have met with every class
of competition in their effort to estab-
lish themselves. In the efforts of the
Bell companies to break competition
and re-establish themselves, millions
of eastern capital was interested. In
large business centers where the in
dependent companies had established
exchanges larger than had ever been
/; dreamed of, other companies were
brought out by opposing interests In
| face of this opposition the independent
companies have at the present time
$24. 100000 Of capital invested in low
and do four times the business Of the
Bell companies.
Have Brought Down the Rates.
Due to this competition this state
enjoys cheaper rates than an. otle,
state or nation. The competition has
been so stringent that in some cases
ruinous rates have been made. Not
withstanding the increased cost OF all
commodities the Independent compan-
les have been forced to raise their rates
/, in only one instance. At the convention
| in this city today there is represented
$45,000,000 of Iowa and Nebraska capt.
| tai, showing the great prosperity and
| growth of the Independent companies. :