The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1920-01-22
Farm Telephone Men
Kick on N. w. Service

5 - i
Charges of discrimination by the
Northwestern Telephone Company
from its office in Sank Centre against
patrons of the 26 farm lines operat-
ing out of this city, were made by
representatives of the various farm
lines to representatives of the North
western at mass meeting held at
the Commercial Club rooms Wednes-
day afternoon.
There were probably fifty farmers,
practically all officers or patrons of
country lines operating out of this
city, in attendance at the meeting.
H.. L. Tysen district Inspector, and
Mr. Sorles, both from the district Of
flee at st Cloud, were present at the
meeting as was J. w. Ward, man
ager Of the Sank Centre exchange.
Representative Thomas Flahaven
connected with farm line No. 1, oper-
ating out of this city, was chairman
of the meeting.
In the general discussion of the
service rendered through the local
exchange, the principal grevience adj
vanced by the farmer patrons was
their inability to connect with the
Sank Centre exchange on their first
CALL. Some of the patrons present said
that never in their experience We're
they able to reach the local office
without repeatedly ringing central.
One gentleman present cited a case
in which he received an answer on
his first attempt and was SO excited
at his success that he forgot what
number he was calling"
Various complaints made by the
farmer patrons were of their inability
to get the proper service on long dis
lance calls, but this situation they
said was not general.
Charges of misplaced lines were
numerous and the farmers making
their complaints charged the majori-
ty of the trouble to carelessness in
the Sank Centre exchange.
Messrs. Tysen and Sorle in answer
ing the charges Of the representa-
tives of the farm lines, claimed that
a portion of the trouble was due to
negligence on the part of the per-
sons charged with tn up-keep of the
country lines. Poor lines and i'm
properly erected lines, they said in
many instances may have been causes
for trouble.
The Northwestern representatives
then went into a complete explaina-
ton of various petty difficulties
which may have led up to inefficient
service. They asked the managers
| Of the farm lines to go over THEN
lines of wire, make a general inspec.
tion of them, and offered the assist.
| ance of the local wire chief in recti-
flying the difficulty.
The gentlemen from St. Cloud den.
led that any discrimination existed
against the farm patrons and citeo
several little details which may have
pevented the Sank Centre exchange
from giving immediate service or
calls from country lines.
Another complaint made by the
country representatives, was that
carlessness was : exercised through
the local exchange in ringing thu
farm lines. Various occasions Were
alleged where operators had faileC
to give the correct ring and where
others on the line had answered the
call and then rang the proper num-
Der.
Speaking on the connections in ths
city Mr.. Tysen said that he had made
inspection of the local lines in thu
city and that not in one instance hat
he found connections to be at fault
The lines controlled by the North
western people here extend only a.
far as the city lirnits-outside of tina
all farm connections are made owe
the various farm lines.
The Northwestern men asked tina
the managers of the lines leading in
to the city to cooperate with them t.