The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-03-16
NO GENERAL
PHONE MERGER
is CONTEMPLATED
But It Is Said That New England Co
May Take Over the Vermont Tel.
& Tel. Co., and Other Sub
icensee Concerns.

Fifty telephone men, representing par
ent concerns, subsidiary lines and man,
independent companies OF Vermont, VIII,
have been making Barre their conference
headquarters for the past two days, com
pleted their deliberations at noon to
! day and went their several WAYS thi
afternoon. Officials who were instru
mental in bringing the Representatives
together say that the big, tangible re
suit of the conference is better under
standing among them ALL Cooperation
has been the keynote OF the meetings
and this factor has received repeated
!empasis, to the end that telephone pat
rons throughout the state may be the
better served. The conference men for.
got their troubles last evening, when the
local committee. provided unique en-
tcrtainment in the Bijou theatre, but
were back at work this morning. On the
piazza at Hotel Barre a group picture
of the conference Was taken this morn
ing by H. W. Shores. The telephone
people, offered theft features to the lens
without quiver and some excellent
proofs went the raunds after adjourn
ment at noon.
Officials of the several companies dis
count the rumor that the conference
had for its prime pllrpoee q proposal to
merge many of the independent compa-
nies of the state and from the tenor of
| the informal talks that have marked the
gatherings there isS no thought Of con-
solidation. IT is intinated, however, that
the New England Telephone Co. will
gather unto itself the Vermont Tel. g.
Tel. Co and other sub licensee concerns
in the state sometime in the near future,
possibly around May /, No authorita-
tive statement for this proposal was Civ
en- out, but various rumors having the
merger for their central theme have been
in circulation for SOME time. 1t il said
that, inasmueh as the companies known
as sub-licensees are controlled by the
New England or parent company, the
proposed combination would affect only
the administrative phases Of the various
exchanges and not the. rates or service.
All Of the more important companies,
independent and otherwise, were repre-
sented in the conference, among them be-
ing the followingi Addison & Panton
Tel & Tel. Co, Central Telephone Co.,
Champlain Valley Telephone Co., Cham
plain Telephone Co. Citizens Telephone
Co. Cornwall Tel a Tel Co., Franklin
Tel Co., Granville Telephone Co, Isle La
Motto Telephone Co. ludlow Telephone
Co, New England Tel & Tel Co., North
ern Telephone Co, Norwich & West
Hartford Telephone Co, Passnmpsic
Telephone Co., Randolph Telephone ex
change, Rapid Telephone s. Telegraph
Co.. shoreham Tel. 4 Tel. Co. Vermont
Tel. & Tel. Co., Western Tel. & Tel Co,
Telephone co.
Visitors were substantially reminded
Of the hospitality of the local telephone
men last evening, when the Bijou thea
tire was placed at their disposal. En-
ployes of the Vermont Tel. & Tel Co. |
Joined in making the entertainment en-
Ioyable by contributing to an excellent |
The opening chorus, Amer
Ca" found the theatre ringing with mel |
,dy and afterward the following program |
was carried out: Piano duet, Misses |
Claire Lynch and Alice Merrick; mono
og,Ie, THE Irish Girl and the Teie
,hone," Miss Lora Watchie; vocal solo,
For All Eternity" Miss Adelina Frat
,ini; recitation, THAT Old Sweetheart of
tIine,' v. i. Scott; vocal duet, "Vene
ian Boat Song" Misses Katherine Co
ombo and Florence Normandin; vocal
olo, absent" Charles Gibbons; recita
ion, "The Italiano 'Merican," Miss
.ena PiccioIi; vocal solo, forgotten"
1eorge Shannon; recitation and song
And the Wedding Was Alright"
'erley Gotler; vocal solo, Comic and
iolin solo, Good Bye. Good Luck, God
,less You" J.. M. Frasso.
Barre and Montpelier exchanges gave
t their talent to the program and mem
ers from out of town expressed them
elves as being agreesbly surprised over
he development of so much talent ,
mong telephone employees. Henry H. Fl.
Iodgdon, the district foreman, and his ,
rst assistant William II. Bishop, earned )
he commendation of the entertained by ;
heir exhibition Of craftsmanship as !.
tage carpenters. ,
After the entertainment, a buffet !
Incheon was served for the men, and :
ne lady guests. along with the opera
,rs, were dined at Cafe Shepard. Off /;
,rs and employees were brought together
nder exceptionally happy circumstances .
nd the forethought of the Barre com
littee in arranging the entertainment :
,ature was appreciated by all. The com :
ittee, headed by George III. Collame.s /;
ire chief of the local exchange, worked !
ntiringly to make the visit of the tele- !
none men enjoyable.
Another feature which went a long 9
ay toward making the Bijou gathering :
success was the display Of 5000 feet of
lephone films, in which the building of
Ie transcontinental line was interesting =
depicted Most of the multitudinous =
tails which entered into the vast un- :
,rtaking were clearly shown, the movie =
an taking his audience from the Boston =
flee to Frisco and back before the show :
ded. Prominent state telephone men !,
caricature were shown on the screen =
i'd this morning each member so de- =
cted was presented a cartoon of him 7,
If. Manager Alto Marisni courteous :, n
assisted the committee in carrying u
rough the arrangements. -