The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-06-21
SAYS INCREASE
IS JUSTIFIED
Manager of Bell Telephone
Company Discusses COndi-
tiOns in Tintic.
BETTER AND EXTENDED
SERVICE is PLANNED
of Two Systems Into
One Is Being Rapidly
accomplished.

Declaring that better and more extern
sive service is TO be given telephone
subscribers in the TlntIc district with
the raise in the maximum rates. II
Vance Lane. general manager OF the
Rocky Mountain Bell Telephone company
said Tuesday that he felt sure the people
of that district would not take any fur
Jher steps in the platter OF organizing
against the use OF the telephones as soon
as the plans OF the company are fully
explained TO them and they understand
some of the difficulties facing the COM
pany.
Mr.; Lane said he had heard that a
meeting OF business men was held at
Eureka Monday night and that COM
nlittee had been appointed to confer with
officers of the telephone company; Late
Tuesday afternoon Mr.. Lane said he had
received no notice OF the desire OF the
committee for conference. Further
more. he said the manager OF the com
pany at Eureka had not reported having
asked the business men TO withhold ac-
ton until representatives. of the company
visited Eureka.
Superintendent on Grounds.
H. NJ. Fennimore. superin tendent OF the
company. went TO Eureka on Tuesday:
according 10 Mr.. Lane. not on any call
for his assistance. but on a trip that had
been planned before the business mems
meeting was called Monday night Mr..
Fennlmore, however. VIII investigate the
conditions while on the ground:
Speaking OF the increase in the maxi
mum rates in the Tintc district and the
reasons. Mr.. Lane said
With the advance In maximum rates
We fully expect to offer better and more
extensive service The maximum rates
as established there are no, out OF pro
portion TO the cost OF service. including
tie establishment OF new lines and the
maintenance. Nor are the rates out Of
proportion with other things in that
,errtory. The scale OF rates there now
is SEQ and S5i year for business phones
and s2i. $50 and S36 year for residence
phones. The maximum rates call for
exclusive service on individual lines. The
as prevailing rates in Salt Lake give
choice II may not be generally known
but the average rate in Salt Lake OF the
1880 phones Is S2.2S per month.
Getting New Business.
Solicitors in the Tintic district Sc
Monday. and my reports from there
Tuesday show that they were securing
following the meeting said to
have been held by the business men pro
testing and threatening TO quilt the serv-
ice. or course the agitation VIII make
our programme OF extension narder TO
carry out and the work OF the solicitors
slower and more expensive TO us;
Anyone at all informed on the con
ditions We must meet in erecting lines
In some of the towns OF the Tiptic dis
trlCt must knO" tildl II Is OlllN at
great expense that we are able to offer
them the service. The deep and narrow
canyons are there. In many cases the
poles have 10 be drawn up the side OF
the mountain by ropes. Then the string
ing of wire is more costly 10 us In fact,
every step in establishing the service is
much more expensive than in a town like
OF in ogden. or salt Lake we
believe the rates as established are just
and fair. considering the difficulties 1
have mentioned.
Will Not Change Plans.
81 do not see that the company,s plan
Of extension is 10 be changed. We VIII
go ahead and attempt 10 give more and
better service to this particular terri
tory and | am sure the people Will un-
lerstand and cooperate with us when
they fully understand the whole matter.
Asked as to the progress being made
in combining the two companies In the
state. Mr.. Lane said:
"Outside OF Ogden and Salt Lake ev,,,
srythins Is working Rapidly and o weil
The change in all the exchanges out
side OF Ogden and Salt Lake Is an easy
TASK compared to the change In the Two
large exchanges. Just as fast as we
plans for "A complete change and al
though a huge task we expect to have
II finished sooner than even some on
the outside expect. impatience will not
business house and office down town
abandon the Independent phone 1t still
would leave more than 5000 resident
subscribers without telephone conDec- |
ton with their grocers and the like: We
are working to the end that as little in
as possible Will ensue from |
The change. Al the time the Independent |
plant was purchased this office issued |
4 statement and there is no change. We
are working almost day and night TO
make the Two systems one.