Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1916-01-07
TELEPHONE MATTERS
BEFORE COMMISSION
Several Te,cphonc Matters We're
Threshci Out Yesterday by
State Board.

AT the meeting OF the railroad COM
mission yesterday the request OF the
people Of, Trenton to have Great
Northern train No. 3 stop on flag at
that place was postponed until the
spring meeting Of the board at Minot
owing to the reluctance OF the COM
mission to increase the speed Of this
train, which was already great, dur
ing the winter months. ,g,"- ,..r
In the complaint of one Greer at
Rugby against charge OF $3.50 for
a change in telephone caused by his
second removal within one year, the
commission ordered the Northern
Telephone company to connect up
this mans phone and the matter of
the charge would be decided at a
hearing later
The application by j. H. Rosen for
lower rate on State shipments of
Western coal was given cOnsidera-
ton. Correspondence with the Nor.
thern Pacific and 500 lines develops
willingness by those companies to
make joint rate on these shipments,
and it is expected a satisfactory rate
will be secured for shipments Of this
kind from Wyoming and Montana
points to points within the State.
Attorney B. A. Dickinson of Ryder
appeared before the commission in
the interest of the Queen City Tele-
phon company in a controversy with
the Fort Berthold Telephone Co. Of
Makoti, and reported the two COM
panies had not been able to meet in
agreement as had been hoped, so the
commission will go to Makoti the lat
ter part of the month and try to
effect a settlement of the issues.
In hMematther of the bestin the
In the matter Of the differences be-
tween the Farmers & Merchants Tel
restore communication, leaving the
Northern Telephone company Of Mi
not over routing messages and Con-
nections, the commission decided in
favor of the line originating the bus
mess, in other words in favor OF the
Northern company. This latter COM
pany has line from Minot to Portal
and from there to Columbus and has
been in the habit Of routing messages
for points west and east over this
line through the Colubus exchange,
which is owned by the Farmers line.
This latter company has line be-
tween Columbus and Flaxton and the
beginning of the trouble arose over
the demand of the Farmers company
that business to points on it's line
and beyond be sent by the Northern
company via the Farmers company
so that it could get its pro-rata share
of the business. This would have in
creased the rate and the Northern
company refused to SO route its mes
sages, and as a result the Farmers
line refused to connect with the Nor
thern at Columbus. All traffic west
of Portal or FlaxtOn was thus tied
up, except that originating on the
Farmers line, and complaint was
made by a citizen of Max that he had
lost money by failure of getting
through telephone message.
The railroad commission promptly
ordered both telephone companies to
restore communication. laveing the
matter OF rates and routing to q later
hearing, which hearing was held at
Minot recently. While the decision
is in favor Of the Northern company
it is understood both companies will
son get together in a working agree
n,ent with fair rate to both COM
panies. There were many important
side issues in the decision of this
case, the most important being the
right Of a telephone company to
route its messages the way it wishes,
provided rates and time are equal to
some other routing.