The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1930-01-02
N. W. TELEPHONE
CANCELS PETITION
Manager Mason Says Com
Pany Desires to Maintain
Good Will of Patrons
WITHDRAWAL SURPRISE
Talk of Sank Centre Acquir-
ing and Operating Prop
.erty Revived


their petition filed with the Mime
sofa Railroad and Warehouse Com
mission some weeks ago upon
which a hearing was held in this
city, asking for an increase in the
rental charge to local and rural
subscribers, after a new building
had been erected and the present
system had been changed from a
magnetic to common battery sys-
tenn.
Following the hearing consider
able opposition developed and at
the last meeting Of the Sank Centre
Community Club General Manager
Mason, of Minneapolis and District
Manager Dahl, of St. Cloud, were
present to discuss the proposition
with the business men.
Following this meeting the city
council sent City Attorney L. L.
Kells and City Clerk J. F. Cooper
to st. Paul to Interview the Rail-
road and Warehouse commission
and to secure data by which it
could be ascertained whether the
proposed increase was just.
The decision of the company to
withdraw the petition came IS a
complete surprise to the business
men Of Sank Centre.
1.-THE Northwestern Bell Com
pany desires to provide the kind
of service which is satisfactory to
the people of Sank Centre" said
Mr.. J. P. Mason, Commercial Man
ager of the Company, in informing
The Herald Saturday that the Com
pany had withdrawn it's petition
before the Railroad and Warehouse
Commission to change the tele-
phone system here from the mag
neto to the common battery type
and to establish rates consistent
with such service.
In explaining why the Company
took this action, Mr.. Mason said
that information had come to the
Company from the people at Sank
! Centre that they desired common
battery, service and that he, per-
sonally, had reviewed a plan of
providing common battery service
with members of the Community
Club in an effort to learn the SEN
timent of the people. The senti-
ment expressed at that time, with
very few exceptions, was in favor
of the plan proposed; therefore,
their application was filed with the
Minnesota Railroad and Warehouse
Commission and a hearing held at
Sank Centre on December at
which time the Telephone Com
pany introduced it's evidence and
outlined its plan. No one appeared
at this hearing as representing the
City.
4 After this hearing was held he
said it developed that the people
of Sank Centre were not of one
mind-in favor of the plan. 1t
has, therefore, been decided to
withdraw the petition, which will
leave the matter just as it stood
before the application was made
by the Telephone Company.
The Telephone Company is still
receptive to the disires of the peo-
pie of Sank Centre and will be glad
to consider any changes which they
wish made in the future.
Ever since the petition was filed
with the Railroad Ind Warehouse
Commission there has been some
sentiment in favor of the city
purchasing the local plant There
is provision in the statutes for
municipalities to acquire public
utilities by condemnation if a pur-
chase price cannot be agreed up
on.
Perhaps this sentiment has been
actuated by the outstanding sue
cess the city of Sank Centre has
made in operating it's water, light
and power plant
/ The light plant Is entirely out of
debt and there is enough money in
this fund to go long way toward
the purchase of the telephone plant
if it was the wish of the citizens.
There is vast difference be-
tween operating an electric plant
profitably and operating a local
telephone exchange, however.