Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1913-05-09
STATE COMMISSION
AT ITS MONTHLY MEETING GIVES
LARGE SHARE OF TIME TO
TELEPHONE MATTERS.
OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST
From the Capitol City, the Various
State institutions and From
Many Different Parts Of
the Sunshine State.

Pierre.-At the regular monthly
meeting of the state railway commits
sion the greater portion of the time
appears to have been in relation to
telephone matters. Among the most
important matter acted upon under
this head was the famous matter of
determinations in rates, with a sus-
pension Of action at Mitchell for a Pc
Rod of four months to await decision
o. the United States court on the diff
ferences between the people of Mitch
ell and the company. The counsel for
the board rendered an opinion on the
complaint filed by Chas. Helson VS..
Hurley Telephone company, and 9th
ers operating in Turner county, in
which it is held that it is contrary to
the statutes of this state for telephone
companies to accept anything except
cash for services, and that it is not
permissible for them to exchange
transportation in payment of services
rendered to each other or to the pa
irons OF any of them. An order was
entered along the lines of this opin-
ion.
Hearings have been called at Mitch
ell June II, and at Rapid City, June
20, to investigate general telephone
matters, and notices of these hear
ings will be sem to all telephone man.
ayers in the state, requiring a repre-
sentative from each company, at
which meetings the matter of rate
determinations as to charges for serv-
ices to stockholders and persons not
stockholders; charges exacted for de-
livery of toll messages; discrimina-
ton in switching charges; connection
and terminal charges; furnishing free
telephone service; filing Of schedules
of rates, franchises and contracts, fl
ing annual reports, and matters gen.
orally in relation to telephone mat
tiers will be considered.
A suspension order, suspending
for 120 days the new schedule
of rates asked by the Dakota Central
Telephone company at Mitchell was
entered with permission to charge
present rates, pending the decision of
the federal court in the cases brought
by the company against that city in it's
efforts to GUST that company from it's
streets
a hearing was set at Gayville May
20, on complaint in regard to connect
ing services between different lines;
the Citizens Economic company of Fe-
dora was authorized to charge SIS per
year to all subscribers. A complaint
and petition having been filed by the
Worthing Electric company and vari-
Gus other independent telephone COM
panies doing business in the state con
corning the insufficient amount re-
ceived for the switching of toll line
messages, an order was made on the
toll line companies complained of re-
quirng them to file an answer in the
office of the board before May %. The
matter of switching rates charged GER
tain subscribers of the Hurley Tele
phone company by the Freeman com
pany was referred to the counsel for
the board.
The railroad matters hearing was
set for May Is at LaBoldt on COM
plant of Ed. Lindquist and others for
the construction of a depot and plat
form. Information was received from
the Northwestern company that cor
.struction work on the new depot at
Sturgis would be commenced by May
/. The board was notified hat the
Milwaukee Dad had completed con-
struction Of a station at Dante, and
installed an agent. The Omaha road
is now complying with the order re-
curing them to take local shipments
of stock out of Salem along with stock
which is shipped through that place.
An order was made on the Northwest
ern road for a loading platform at
Dell Rapids.
An order was issued for a loading
and unloading platform on the Mil
yankee line at Freeman; a call and
demand was issued upon the North
western road for an unloading plat
form at Dallas. A call and demand
was made upon the Great Northern
road for the construction of a side
track midway between Willow Lakes
and Bancroft, pom a petition and
complaint filed by the Dakota Farm
ers' Elevator company. The complaint
of the citizens of Alpena for a night
agent was continued, as the matter is
under investigation. A hearing set at
Watauga April %. was adjourned, a
stipulation having been entered into
between the railway company and the
board, the company agreeing to con
struct a station at that place before
the first of July.
The Sioux Falls Commercial club
filed a petition concerning the sleep
er rate between Sioux Falls and Min
neapolis and st. Paul. which was filed
in connection with other petitions in
regard to this complaint.
The matter of selection OF a mar to
take charge of the rate and traffic de-
partment of the board was taken UP
and the board decided to employ Mr..
d. L. Kelley of Huron for that posi-
ton.
After all, our worst misfortunes
never happen, and most miseries lie
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