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Show I BIG IMPROVEMENT IN TELEPHONES Do more telephone companies make more telephone users? Will the advent of an Independent telephono company to this community result in multiplying the number of subscribers to telephone service? serv-ice? The experience of tho city of Los Angeles In this regard would Indicate that tho answer to these questions will be in tho affirmative, to say nothing of tho indications already noted right at home. The Los Angeles Independent Telephone j company, which has been in operation less than two yean?, now has 20,000 telephones In that city. It Is said, and prior to Its advent ad-vent the old company never had to exceed 7000 subscribers. Information as to tho number of telephones the old company now has Is not at hand, but tho chances nre that It Is doing as much business as before, it not more. Tho Increase of business in that city Is, at any rate, far greater than the growth of the town would naturally produce. Great Month's Business. "We are certainly having demonstrated to us the truthfulness of the old adage about competition being the life of trade," ald General Manager Duvld 11. Murray of tlu- Rocky Mountain Bell Telephone company yesterday. So far during the month of May we have added 230 auh-crlbers auh-crlbers to our service In Salt Lake City, with tho prospect that the number will reach U00 before June 1. if will bo tho largest month's business in the way of new service that we have ever had. I at-trlbuto at-trlbuto a great proportion of It directly to the soliciting that i being done by tho new company. It reminds persons of the i red of telephones, and they come to us for the 'phones. We have threo men employed em-ployed on new business, but they have heen so busy Hiking voluntary orders that they have had no time to solicit. We now have a grand total of 5050 telephones In Salt Lake City, an Increase of 700 since the first of the year. Outside of Salt Lake. "Yes, wo aro doing a good deal in the way of extending our lines outside of Salt Luke. Tho most Important line wo have ndded recently Is one extending from Ne-phl Ne-phl southward, giving toll connection with tho towns of Juab, Sclplo, Holden, Fillmore, Kanosh, Cove Creek, Meadow and others. The lino follows the old Des-orct Des-orct telegraph route. It Is built by the MJllnrd County Telephone- company, which is a 3Ub-llccnsce of tho Bell company. com-pany. Our work of reconstructing tho line between Salt Lake ami Ogdeu Is well under way. On this line we aro putting hi 35-foot poles, to mako room for fifteen circuits where we have before had a total of only eight. We also began yestordav the work of extending the lino from the Cactus InJnc. near Frisco, to the new town of New house. Thla line will bo com- I plcted by the cud of the week. Our most extensive work at this time, however, In the way of building new lines, is being I carried on in northwestern Idaho." Work of New Company. The Utah Independent Telephono company com-pany expects to have Its system In full i operation bv tho firat of July. . It will start tho scrvlco In this city about June 15, when an opening reception to tho public pub-lic will bo given In Its handt-onie now building, but it Ik not expected that everything every-thing will bo In good working order until two weeks later. Tho opening of tho new system has been delayed considerably by the bad weather of tho la to flprlng having come at a time which held up completely for several weeks tho work of putting In the Ogden plant. Managing Director Elmer B. Jones of the new company Is confident that the superior service to be afforded by his up-to-date plant will give tho people of this city and territory their first conception of what real telephone service means. "We have Just been visited by W. S. Blssoll of BIssell & Co., Toledo. O.. tho largest dealers In telephono .supplies In tho country," said Mr, Joiicb. yesterday. "Ll( had been to the coast and wa.s enthused over tho record that hns been mndo by tho Independent Telephone company of Los Angeles, which he attributed to the Improved Im-proved service given. After examining our plant, however, ho said that it was the most complete and pi-rfect one ho had ever seen. 'With such a plant in such a town as Salt Lake City,' wild ho, ' would not bo at all concerned about getting tho business; It will como of lis own accord-' " |