The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1915-09-15
COMPLAIN OF
PHONE SERVICE
Patrons Of Crawford County Telephone
Company Hold Meeting at Court
House Thursday Afternoon
cHAs. spEcT PRESIDING OFFICER
Recent Raise In Rates Discussed at
Some Length, John Woodruff
Being Principal Speaker.

Being Principal Speaker.
meeting OF the patrons of the
Crawford County Telephone company
was held on Thursday afternoon in the
assembly room of the county super.
intendent's Office at the court house,
and was well attended, there being in
the ,neighborhood of two hundred pres
ent The meeting was made up large,
ly of prominent farmers residing in
different parts OF the county, who gath
cred to discuss the raise in rates
which was put into effect September
LIST, the management OF the company
having sent notices to all the patrons
of the company residing in Denison,
Charter Oak and Dow City and to the
rural patrons.
The raise at this time amounted to
rs per cent, patrons OF rural lines be-
ing required to pay $1.25 per month
instead of the former rate of $1.00 per
month. Here in Denison, the rental
of office phones was increased from
$500 month to $3.50 per month and
residence phones $3.50 on private
lines and $125 on two party lines. In
Dow City the rental for Office phones
was increased to $500 per month and
residence phones to SIPS. We under
stand that the same rate is to prevail
in Arion and Charter Oak as at Dow
Cit;:.
The meeting was called to order by
Mr.. Chas. Speck. who advertised in
the local papers two weeks ago, ask
ing the patrons of thHcompany
meet at the court house on Thursday
to discuss the matter. Mr. Speck ex-
planned the purpose Of the meeting
and asked for talks by those present,
giving their views on the matter.
Mr.. John Woodruff was the first
speaker and he went over the propo-
sition thoroughly, giving the history
OF the telephone company from the
time that it was organized some fif-
teen years ago. Mr.. Woodruff ex-
planned that the company had paid
such high dividends on its common
stock that, without laying aside a
suitable amount for contingent fund.
the company was soon MIXED dry and
now that the exchange, poles and lines
have so deteriorated that it is neces-
sary to replace them, the patrons are
being asked to replace them by an in
crease in rates. He did not believe
that the patrons owed the common
y stockholders anything when the COM
mon stock had paid for itself in divi-
dends in years gone by. He did not
&. believe that the patrons should be ex-
pected to make good the deterioration
when dividends ranging from to Ia
per cent had been declared on common
stock. Mr.. Woodruff complained bit
terly over the service that had been
given the farmers of Crawford county
by the Crawford County Telephone
company during the past few years.
and that in most cases a telephone in
the house was worse than nothing. He
believed that the telephone company
should give the patrons good service
for a year or two before asking for
an increase in rental. In his opinion
there was no use in dealing with the
present company any further and
the patrons should act independently
of the old company. He did not be-
lieve that the old company had acted
in a right manner with its patrons in
regard to the matter.
Other prominent farmers told Of tho
poor service that has been given the
patrons and said that without doubt
the farmers have good cause for COM
plant. One patron stated that time af-
ter time he tried to get a call through
on the rural lines and after patiently
waiting, had gone out Cranked up his
machine and driven the distance OF
several miles to transact his business
rather than wait for connections. An
otherfarmer stated that he had placed
call for party at Schleswig. and
had become discouraged waiting.
jumped into his car and reached
Scbleswig fifteen minutes before the
Schleswis.
call finally reached the party in
Some of the farmers were in favor
of taking out their phones and con
ferring with systems IN nearby terri
tory in regard to coming into Craw-
ford county and installing phones. 1t
was stated that a telephone company
at Harlan would erect lines into Craw-
ford county and serve patrons for S'1
per year in advance. The matter Of
hooking up with the East Boyer Tcle
phone, company was discussed but
some were OF the opinion that 1t would
almost be out of the question for the
company to. get franchise in Deni
son. It was the opinion OF Mr.. Wood
ruff that the company already had its
lines in Denison asd if this is the case
it would be impossible for them to get
the company out of Denison.
One of those present at the meet
ing asked for vote of those in favor
of taking out their telephones and
about half of those present signitied
their intention of doing this. The meet
ing was adjourned finally without any
definite action being taken in regard
to the matter.
There is no question, judging from
the speeches made. but what the
farmers have reason to complain over
the service given them during the past
few years and we believe that the ts'e-
phone company should have wed
until the new switchboard was in op-
Grafton before asking for an increase