The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1911-01-05
NEW MANAGER FOR
FARMERS TEL. CO.
Salary Was Fixed at
$1,000 Yearly
J. ". Packard OF SkoB hegan IL
Chosen President.

Frank L. Ames. the RAN who In
seven years converted mere vision
into the great reality known as The
Somerset Farmers Cooperative Tele-
phone Company. went out OF the
man cement at the annual meeting
of the stockholders ia Norridge-
wook Monday Willis c. Hobart Of
CornHiIie WIS elected as his SUCCESS
Or. at fixed salary Of $1,000 per
year Bad blood was in evidence at
intervals. md the short and ugly
word vas compelled 10 work over
time during The forenoon.
Every road into Norridgewock vas
lined with teams from all parts Of
Somerset county. as the hour ap-
proached for the annual meeting of
the biggest cooper ttYe enterprise in
the State TWO hundred farmers
pith here and there q business man,
reme 10 order as Clerk Fred Maeoon
Of Solon raped the desk and began
reading the call for The meeting His
eport showed list OF - stoekhold-
ers. with q transfers End 80 cancel
lations during 1910 Treasurer c /
Holbrook of Norridgewock then re-
ported expenditures of $I1,13S.03 for
the fiscal year which was an in
crease OF $l2Sof0 as compared With
1909.
Washing Of the dirty linen began
when Manager Frank L. Ames rem
dered verbal account of his stew
rdship. He recounted at length
the history of the company told OF
the arduous labors which had
brought it to its present position. and
outlined its needs in the immediate
nd distant future He also explain
ed his position in regard to the sew
eral matters at issue between him
self and the board Of directors.
George Foster OF Canaan then took
the floor, and in very few words
made it evident that the company had
been run on a dummy director ba-
sis for several years. Attempts to
get out of the rut had been blocked
by the peculiar provision of the by
laws which kept the responsibility
Cor the manegems divided. He
questioned the accuracy Of various
tills rendered on a per hour basis.
nd 5dyocated salary for the flu
ture mansge
c. 4. Gardner of SkoWhegan, also
J member OF fhe retiring board of
directors objected 10 the way in
waich tho bylaws hid been disre-
garded fl t1e transaction of busi-
ness an3 everything centered in the
managers honds. His explanation of
sundry details precipitated a spirited
colloquy With M1nager Ames. in
which the short and ugly word was
used with frequency that looked
ominoue.
Finally Z T. Patten of Skowhegan
cot the eoar. AMI after pouring a lit
re oil on the troubled waters. in
dorsed NJ Ames for his effective
work in building up the greet enter
prise. Judson Packard of Skowhe-
gan then moved the acceptance of
the managers report and the meet
ing so voted
The frs test of strength between
the two factions was upon a motion
to fix the managers salary at $1,000.
M Ames said that he would not be
a candidate under such an arrange
ment so that vote for the salary
WAS in effect a vote against Mr..
Ames. The salary was voted by a
show of hands ana the count by the
chair WIS IS TO 2l with many not
participatin1 Bsnd wagon tenden-
cies made practically everything else
unanimous.
Judson Packard of Showhegan
was nominated for president and at
first declined to serve. but when
George Foster of Canaan asked those
who wanted Afr Packard for presi-
dent to ha'l MP their hands. and
practically every hand in the room
went up Hr Packard reeonsidered
amid tUmuit of applause TIN Of
ilcors chosen NelC.
President-1adsoa Packard of
Skowheean.