The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1917-02-14
OwdtOnna Gets
Phone Connection
State Railroad Warehouse Com
mission Orders Companies
to Make Connections
INCREASES SERVICE
Companies Willing to Give Ser
vice But Could Not Agree on
Compensation Terms

Holding that the residents OF
Owatonna are entitled to the use
of the toll lines of the Tri-State
telephone system through The
local exchange of the North
western Company, as a matter
of public convenience, the Min
nesota Railroad and Warehouse
Commission on Monday ordered
the Northwestern Telephone Ex-
change Company to connect it's
Owatonna local exchange with
the toll lines of the Tri-State
Telephone & Telegraph Company
for the purpose of furnishing
toll service to the patrons of both
companies. This order was is
sued upon petition of the city
of Owatonna, which appealed to
the State Commission after the
telephone companies had refused
to make the connection.
The Northwestern Telephone
Company contended that the pro-
posed connection would divert a
large part of it's business and
revenue to competitor AMI fur
Their insisted that if the connec-
ton was forced the company
must be protected by an arbi-
trary charge of rs cents on each
message from and to it's local
subscribers over the Tri-State
toll lines. The latter company
announced it's willingness to
make the connection but OBJ
jected to the 25-cent extra
charge and contended that this
would deprive the Tri-State of
part and maybe all, of its 10
cal toll stations.
City Wins
The issue was decided by the
State Commission iii favor of
the people Of Owatonna with the
additional demands upon the
companies as follows:
The expense of making and
maintaining a physical connec-
ton to be apportioned equally
between the two companies.
The Tri-State Company to pay
to the Northwestern Company a
reasonable rental for the use of
their conduits.
The Tri-State Company to pay
the Northwestern Company a
service charge of 5 cents on each
Sin" and "out" message, the
charge to be absorbed from the
published toll rate.
The Northwestern Company to
be allowed an arbitrary charge
of 10 cents for each toll mes
sage moving over the toll lines
of the Tri-State Company to or
from the subscribers stations of
the Northwestern Company at
Owatonna.
Right of People
In the opinion of the Railroad
and Warehouse Commission the
people of Minnesota should have
the right to talk over connect
ing lines to any point in the
state under reasonable terms
which properly safeguard the
property of the telephone COM
panies. The State Legislature
has provided for this privilege
in the telephone law which re-
quires telephone companies to
make physical connection be-
tween toll lines and local ex-
changes whenever public conve-
nience demands and the connec-
ton can be made without re-
sulting in irreparable injury to
the telephone system.
Change Possible
The Commission became salts
fled after obtaining considerable
evidence from the people of Owa-
tonna that the city not only de-
sired the connection but was en-
titled to the service. The prob
lem then, was to devise a meth
cd of compensation which would
be reasonable to the telephone
patrons and at the same time
adequate to the companies. The
Commission believes that it has
solved the problem, but lest it's
judgment may have been at
fault, the order explicitly pro-
vides,that if the charges do not
protect the properties of the
companies, they are at liberty,
(Cor4iy1,oJ ~, v,oco SN