Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1911-09-30

sidered and that such interests de-
mand that all telephone companies,
be they the so-called Bell, or the so
called independents, turn their atten.
ton from useless expenditures of
money in baseless conteEt:6n and de-
vote more time to the interests OF
the public and the improvements of
the service. It is time that we got
away in spirit from the idea of in
dependent telephone companies. for
we have long since been removed In
fact from any such condition. The
business has become of such nation
wide magnitude the telephone has
business and social affairs, that no
one company can shut itself in it's
she'll and say that it is Independent.
Telephone companies in the proper
exercise of their functions and the
proper discharge of their duty toward
the public must of necessity be, not
independent, but rather interdepend-
ent, each depending upon the other
for the carrying forward of this great
enterprise, for the further perfecting
of this wonderful means of communi-
cation; each and all should work to-:
gether, avoiding undue encroachment
upon each others business, avoiding
| as far as possible the duplication of
plants and the multiplication of ex-
penses, but rather exploring untrod-
den territory, and thus by combining
the service, bring all of the people
in closer communication each with
the other. This can not be success
fully done by legislative means, but
can readily be brought about by
amicable and satisfactory contrac-
tual relations. I believe I am cor
rect when say to you that nowhere
in the United States is there such
universal and satisfactory telephone
service as the people of this state
have, because of the operating ar
rangement that has existed for some
time between the two largest CON-
panies, whose lines traverse the
states.
To show you more clearly the in
Independence ofstelephone companies,
l call to your attention the fact that
in 1910 the Northwestern Telephone
company and the North Dakota Inde-
pendent Telephone company each
owned but twenty.one exchanges,
while the other independent COM
panies in the state owned 181. Prac-
tically each and every one of which
was connected with either the North
western or the North Dakota indie
pendent, thus giving to the 223 ex-
changes, an intercommunicating sys-
tenn, condition of perfection in tele-
phone service unknown outside Of
North Dakota, and only possible here,
because Of the recognized interde.
pendence OF one company upon the
other, which brought about a mutu-
ally agreeable operating contract, SO
far as the companies are concerned
and highly satisfactory form of
service, so far as the public is con-
cerned.
I find in looking over the reports
Of the telephone companies that the
Northwestern Telephone company
operated 8078 of it's own telephones,
the North Dakota Independent 1886,
while all other Independents operated
14,709, mabing a total of 26,172 tele.
phones all within the limits of the
state of North Dakota, having inter.
communication with each other and
long distance connections with all of
the vast territory that can be reach
ed through the Northwestern and it's
connections. All of these things
bring about and should bring about
more friendly relations between the
different telephone companies.
And in this connection I might
suggest that there never is a time
but that any one either engaged in |
telephone business, or about to en-
gage in the telephone business may
freely consult the officers. engineers
and others connected with the larger
companies, who by reason of their |
long years Of labor and vast expert. |
ence are bound to know more of the
business than he of shorter service.
And feel confident in saying to you
that there Is not an officer, engineer
or other employe Of any one of the |
larger companies that will not at any
time give of his time, service and |
experience to aid those who are en-.
gagged In smaller companies, or are
about to engage in the business.
Before finally closing, I want to |
mention one matter that has been
>-~SN w my oIICAIAVu, duu CNdC Is |
an attempt on the part of some of !
the smaller companies 70 cancel con-
tracts heretofore entered into with
railway companies for thu installation |
OF telephones in depots. In the smaller !
town a telephone exchange is seri-
ously handicapped unless it has a |
telephone in the depot, and It has
been quite usual for the local tele. |
phone companies to enter into con-
tracts with the railway companies by !
which the telephone company was
allowed to install it's instrument, or
instruments, in the depot. the railway
company not being called upon to
pay any rentals for the instrument,
Since the passage Of the law of 1911.
requiring railway companies to main
tain telephone service in their depots.
l am told that some of the local
telephone companies have served no.
tice of intention to cancel their con.
tracts and demand rentals paid by
the railway companies.
In other words, these telephone
companies are now attempting by the
violation Of their own contracts to
compel the railway companies to pay