Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1915-11-25
TELEPHONE CASE
Decision and Order by the Rail-
road Commission.

road Commission.
The railroad rate commission has rem
dered the following decision in one of
telephone cases which we heard in this
city October % and 80, 1915:
Before the Railroad Commission
of Wisconsin.
Farmers Independent Telephone
Exchange VS..
Mineral Point Telephone Co.
Prior to April 1914, various rural
telephone companies were connected
the Mineral Point Telephone Company.
The rural companies have always had
free exchange among themselves at diff
ferent connecting points and have also
had free exchange within certain limits
through the Mineral Point exchange
and with the subscribers of the Mineral
Point exchange, each subscriber on the
rural lines having this free service pay
ing So 90 per year to the Mineral Point
Telephone Company for the switching
service. The service over some of the
rural lines has been unsatisfactory and
has led to much controversy. the
history of these companies and some of
the controversies will be found in the
following reported decisions of this
commission:
In reapplication of the Mineral Point
Telephone Company for authority to
increase it's rates, tolls and charges.
9 w. R. G. R. 265; Is w. R. G. R.
TO- Is W. r. G.. r. 1872.
Diamond Grove Telephone Company VS..
Mineral Telephone Company, Is w.
r. G.. r. 1876.
AS result of these different contro
versies, the Mineral Point and Jones'
dale Telephone Company, Iowa and La
Fayette Telephone Company and Dukes
Prairie Telephone Company severed
their connection with the exchange Of
the Mineral Point Telephone Company
J
Farmers Independent Telephone Elk
change. The three companies above
mentioned, however, are the only rural
companies operating under the name
of the Farmers Independent Telephone
exchange. After severing their con-
nection they established an exchange
or switching board in the city of Min
eral Point and began switching on
July ?, 1914, since when the subscribers
of the Chree companies above named
have been unable to reach any sub
scribers Of the Mineral Point Telephone
Company in Mineral Point, except by
having their switch board operator
send out for persons called or call them
up through telephone of the Mineral
Point Telephone Company installed in
the same room in which was installed
the switch board of the Farmers In
dependent Telephone Exchange.
On September 20, 1915, there was
filed with the Railroad commission the
complaint of the Farmers Independent
Telephone Exchange, alleging that the
lines were formerly connected with the
central of the Mineral Point Telephone
company, but that at present, although
the business and social connections Of
the subscribers on said lines are almost
entirely in Mineral Point, they have no
connection with the subscribers of the
Mineral Point Telephone company in
the city of Mineral Point, and that
they desired physical connection with
the Mineral Point Telephone company,
both for local and toll purposes.
| 1t appears that the cost to the sub
scribers of the three lines establishing
the Farmers Independent Telephone
Exchange for the switching service in
| the city of Mineral Point is now about
$500. If the physical connection is
made by running a trunk wire between
the two exchanges in Mineral Point.
the switching expense in the city of
Mineral Point for the switching done
| by the Farmers Independent Telephone
Exchange will remain as at present,
and in addition thereto there will be
either through toll charges or other
wise, Ga toll charge being suggested)
an additional amount to be paid by