The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1916-02-17
High Point, ~. c., 7huysaay Eeb IT, 1916
I2PAges

scribers who do not want or need the
Bell long distance connections. And for
this reason the North State Telephone
Company says is not only is not justice
but an imposition on 80 per cent of it's
subscribers.
"The Bell Telephone Company answers
this by saying "the increased toll col
lections would pay dividend on the ex-
ira cost of their exchange" Mr.. Hay
den says he thinks the collections on
the tolls which by the way (as propos-
ed by the Bell company are 10 per cent
provided it does not exceed 30c on any
one message, which is the limit), would
not pay for the necessary operator, ac-
counting and collecting, and why is it
that the Bell company is so inconsistent.
They say that the new company can
shoulder the cost of two exchanges and
do the work of both and operate it at
present rates charged by North State
Telephone Company, by reason of the
Bell long distance connection. In other
towns where the Bell company owns and
operates the only exchange, and where
they have as many as 200 phones,
they charge $500, $3.50 and $4.00. Or
in other words, about 100 per cent more
than they say the new company can
give service for here.
company has in the past, if not now,
wanted the telephone business in High 4
Point. They could not buy out Mr.. Hay
den, and they have seemingly attempt .
ed to drive out the North State Tele-
phone company. The Bell company
went before the corporation commission
and asked that they might give free
telephone service in High Point until
they had installed 300 phones. The cor
poration commission granted their re-
quest, and what were the results?
"Mr. Spier, the Bell advocate, says:
When they began to collect for phones
the people had the phones taken out
until now they have SO phones in High
Point which is an admission that a .
large majority of the citizens do not,
want long distance Bell service at the
advance in price. Mr.. Spier further
says that the Bell company does not
care anything about local business, but
that they are very anxious that some
arrangement be made to give the citizens
of High Point the benefit of their long
distance service. l feel sure that if he
is SO very anxious to give our citizens
this service that the North State Tele-
phone Company will make a contract
with the Bell Telephone Company, where
by the Bell coC1d run their long distance
lines into the North State exchange and
give them connection to all of their sub
scribers and charge small per cent for
their service, and with this arrangement
Mr.. Spier could give his long distance
service without any advance cost TO our
citizens. But Mr.. Spier Says: If you
want this long distance service, gentle
men, bring your influence to bear on
Mr.. Hayden and have him take over
our exchange; then, if he don't need it
here, the new company could dispose of
it elsewhere
"Now, if Mr.. Spier wants to be fair,
why not admit the Bell company has
been beaten here and enter into an
agreement with the North State Tele-
phone Company that will give the citi-
zens of High Point long distance service
without extra cost, and as the Bell COM
pany has much larger interests all over
the country than the new company could
possibly have, use this High Point equip
ment elsewhere and leave their building
las Mr.. Spier suggested) to local real
estate man.
"The independents have prosecuted
their fight to the best of their ability,
hoping for some agreement with the
Bell company or some other agency that
would be fair to the independent inter
est. At last, the Postal Telegraph Com
pany said they would do their best for
us, and that they would enter into an
agreement with us whereby we could
use their trunk lines, with five minutes
limit for certain price, against the
Bell company's three-miniIte limit and
at about one-half charged by Bell com
pany. Then the Bell company got busy
and are trying to make agreements with
the Independent companies for long dis
tance service, and thereby put another
competitor out of the field on short no
tice.
"There is a prevalent idea existing
that should the North State Telephone
company, Thomasville Telephone Com
pany, Lexington Telephone Company and
Bell Telephone Company agree, that Mr..
Hayden would control the stock of the
new company. That would be impossi-
BILE, as Mr.. Hayden and family now own
81 per cent in the North State, go per
cent in Thomasville and 33 1-3 per cent
in Lexington, and in a new company the
Bell company would own approximately
33 1-3 per cent, 80 with their interests
and the other stockholders Mr.. Hayden
would be in the minority, and it is a
matter of speculation as to how soon
the Bell would own the controlling
stock. 81. S. WELBORN."