Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1913-07-23
Telephone Company's Reply.

with the recommendation for reduc-
tons of telephone rentals and toll
rates by Governor Fletcher's special
telephone commission. He denies
that his company declined to furnish
information to this commission and
sharply questions the accuracy OF
several of the statements of fact pre-
sented in these recommendations
Mr.. Jones says: 81 have read
the report of Governor Fletcher's
special commission with interest.
THE principal attempt to justify
the report appears to be based upon
the alleged refusal or neglect Of the
New England Telephone and Tele-
graph company and its subsidiaries to
furnish Messrs. Graham and Cook
with information.
Upon this point I desire to take
direct and emphatic issue with these
gentlemen.
Instead of refusing them informa-
ton l wrote to them on June 6 Of
fering any information concerning the
New England company and its subsid-
iaries that you may desire and since
that date information, both verbal and
written, has been furnished at great
length. In only one irstaIue was in
formation declined. Mes r.. Graham
and Cock requested us - .;r-?-9h the
names and addresses o. ECiT stock
holders, the amount le:i ~ each.
This l declined to give, On the ground
that it involved the personal rights
of our stockholders, but al the same
time 1 offered to furnish them with
statement of the amount of stock
| held by the New England company in
each Of it's subsidiaries. To this Of
fer Messrs. Graham and Cook made
no reply.
1.-THE requests made by these gentle
men were very general and it was a
matter Of much time and labor to
compile the statistics desired, but data
was forwarded as rapidly as 1t could
be prepared. forwarded certain data
as late as Monday, July IL, az no init
nation had been given by the special
commissioners that they had filed
|
near the point Of completing their in
vestigations. In fact the attitude of
this special commission has appar-
emily been that of unwillingness to
use information rather than eagerness
to receive it. I have no desire to
thresh out the detail Of this extended
matter at this time but In support of
my statement will cite two or three
illustrations from the report.
81. The report states that traffic
contracts between the New England
Telephone and Telegraph company
and the independent companies pro-
hibit them from connecting with any
other company without our consent.
THE fact is that all our contracts
made since 1910 expressly permit a
connection with any other company
and l explained verbally to the spe-
their question that we had repeatedly
urged all companies to substitute this
form Of contract for the old or obso-
lete one.
SO. The report says that the New
England company leases receivers
and transmitters to all its subsidiaries
and a majority of it's other connect
ing companies, charging to some II
| cents and to others S1.25 year.
"The fact is, as pointed out by me
in a memorandum sent to Messrs
Graham and Cook on June %, that ne
connecting company, subsidiary o.
otherwise, is obliged to rent it's in
struments of the New England com
pany, but is at liberty to purchase
their own instruments. Where com
panies elect to lease their instru
ments the price to all is IS cents p:
year. This information was fur
nished Messrs. Graham and Cook il
writing.
, "3. The report says that COPIES o
| contracts between the New Elglan
t company and the American Telephon
2 and Telegraph company and a cop
, Of our contract with the Western
5 Electric company have not been pre-
t Bented to us Or furnished in accord
8 ance with our requests
1aS " Ou1 COHLIdCIS dld T0ldC1OIl
: with the American Telephone an
Telephone company l made an ex
tended statement at 81. Adams O
July in response to questions c
!, Messrs.l Graham and Cook, and as
\ the Western Electric company con
tract, personally senk copy of thi
contract to Mr.. Graham on July
8 with the following letter:
9 fully 9, 1913.
Hon. Warner A. Graham. specis
q Counsel Vermont Public servic
: Commission, Bellows Falls. VT:
> Dear Sir: ReplyiSg to your fave
Of June Is I enclose herewith copy {
> Dur contract with II Western Elec
: trio company. You Fl note that thi
contract Is dated Mar b 81, 1913. A
Z matter OF fact the relations estah