The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-05-17
CLAIM TELEPHONE
COMP ANY HAS
RAISED RATES
Citizens of Northeast Counties
Petition Governor
SAY SERVICE is POOR
Subscribers Assert that Absorption
Of Small Companies Has Not
Brought Satisfactory Results

Montpelier, May 16.-It was learn
ed tonight that Gov. Allen NJ Flet-
cher has received petitions signed
by residents of Orleans, Caledonia
and Essex counties asking him to
take such steps as will secure for the
petitioners reasonable telephone
rates as we'll as suitable service.
It appears that the Passumpsic
Telephone company subsidiary of the
New England Telephone and Tele-
graph company has bought a number
of independent telephone lines and
it is claimed that company has ad
vanced rates in many instances so
cents a month while the service is
alleged to have deteriorated in var
ious ways. The petitions have been
taken under consideration by Gov,
Fletcher and if sufficiently impress
ed with them he will probably name
commission to investigate the stu
alton and report to him. Complaint
has also reached Gov. Fletcher from
other parts of the state and it is not
impossible the investigation may ex-
tend beyond the counties named in
these particular petitions.
The petitions set forth that the
subscribers of the Passumpsic Tele-
phone company represent that about
10 years ago the company took over
the property and business in Essex,
Orleans and Caledonia counties of
the New England Telephone and
Telegraph company and that the lat
ter company still owns a controlling
interest in the Passumpsic Tele-
phone company.
1t is further set forth that when
the Passumpsic Telephone company
was organized and for a long time
previous, there was operated in Or
leans and Essex counties an indie
pendent telephone company and that
the two companies were in active
competition. that the rates of the
two companies were substantially
the same and that about May 1, 1910,
the Passumpsic company purchased
the old company and at the same
time there was operating in Caledon-
ia county another independent com
pany and that the Passumpsic COM
pany has also purchased the last
mentioned Independent company.
1t is also set forth that there have
been in operation in the southern
end of Orleans county two other in
dependent companies which have
likewise been absorbed by the Pas
sumpsic company. The petitioners
further claim that the service of the
Passumpsic company has deteriorat-
ed and is not now satisfactory and
that rates have been raised so cents
a month and at the same time the
territory has been narrowed in
which subscribers should have the
right to talk without toll charges.
The petitioners set forth that there
are large number of telephone COM
panies in the state. the majority of
whose stock is owned by the New
England Telephone and Telegraph
company and that by reason of these
subsidiary lines of the New England
Telephone and Telegraph company
the tariffs for long distance calls are
much larger than they need be If
these subsidiary lines were in the
name of the New England Telephone
and Telegraph company.
The petitioners conclude as fol-
lows: I'VE represent and feel that
the rates and charges of the subsidi-
airy lines of the New England Tele-
phone and Telegraph company all
through the state of Vermont, the
New England Telephone and Tele-
graph company and many other tele-
phone companies, all within the state
of Vermont are very much too high
and that the service is very poor and
all the time deteriorating and that
there should be some sort of remedy
granted to the people Of the state of
Vermont and we therefore pray
Your Excellency to cause such inves-
tigation and take such steps as
Your Excellency may deem wise to
procure for the people of this state
reasonable rates and suitable SER
vice.