Show IND PENDENT TEL PHONE coo CO CHANGES OWNERSHIP George orge A. A Berger secretary j of the Trust Company of New Nev Jersey has secured secured se cured control of th Utah Independent Telephone company compan but oft officials of this e company nod and ln the Bell Bell company company deny denv en that there is t to be a consolidation and arni insist that each company com coin pany will wiH continue ns as a 1 competing l line n Several months month ago it ins i as as announced that the Roch Rochester Telephone company which held a controlling interest in tho Independent company had nad sold soki its Interest Interest in- in terest and that the was w-ts about to bo ho merged with the n Bell ll company compan Elmer B. B Jones until yesterday managing managing mann man man- n aging ing director of the Independent company com corn pany went east cast and fou fought ht th the tho matter in tho Xen- Xen York courts court He won hat what was believed to have o 11 been en a n decisive e victory for the local stockholders of the com comp pain 1 Mr lr Jones returned home and anti in in a few days clays f OOOO was wag raised raise among loca local men Inca and aud put up tip as 35 an option Later more morl was raised un and it was wa I given out that the balance would bo bc I raised at It the tIle time imo stipulated in tho the contract and m the control of the compan company com corn pan pany would pa pass pau into the hands of local I Ilien men lien Plan Failed Then came tho financial flurr flurry antI and I tho the local men were unable to raise th the necessary ary amount and tho the stock held by the tilo eastern company passed into tho thc I hands of H. H L. L Day I i Co of New York At that time timo it was rumor rumored d that Da Day Co o. o were acting for the American Ameri Amen can Telephone and Tele Telegraph raph company the parent company of nil all the Bell corn com patties Since that time there have been fleen persistent rumors that the Bell I had secured or was about to secure a a controlling interest in tho the Utah Utan com com- com compan pan pany Following the news of yesterday j af af- the rumor was ro revived cd with I force 4 II n. A. A Harvey Harve personal representative I the tive of Mr lr Berg er today fi said saith irl The Tho Independent compan will continue continue con I to operate as a competing n lino line with the Bell Dell It will not bo be mer merged ed or consolidated with that company nor will vill the Bell have havo a controlling or an any other interest You may make that statement just as strong as jou ou please We will do 10 our best hest to g give gP P the public publican an nn date up-to-date telephone system As to just what hat improvements v we o o will make it 11 is too early carh to say but wo we 0 will make man many Mr lr Berger can secure plent plenty of ot backing should he need it As far faras as I know ho he is backing himself at this I time Has Hns Control Now t lie Ho Ho purchased purchase shares of tho the cap capital stock from Day Co an and lia has since secured cure l practically all of tho the stock of th the company I t think that I Iam Iam Iam am in a position to know whereof I sp speak ik when I say sax that it will continue to be he an nn independent company compan David S S. S Murray lurra general manager of the Hock Rocky Becky Mountain Bell Telephone company said We Wc have o received absolute absolutely no in information information information in- in in- in formation here her that the American Telephone Tele Teo phone and nud Telegraph mph company has secured secured se secured cured a controlling or any other interest interest inter inter- est eat in the Utah In Independent co company pany I have havo no reason to believe that it has secured any in in t the tho o other othor company com corn pany and ancI I i 1 do do donol not nol think that it has tried Uie l to secure such stick interest At the meeting meting of directors of tho the Utah company yesterday afternoon Mr Mi- lr harvey lIan-c voted vote practically all of the stock for Mr Ir Berger New Directors The election re resulted in tho the selection of three now lOW directors Waldemar Van Cott CoU James l H. H Moyle and John D. D U Spencer Of th tho former board of oC tots tot's holier J J 1 Grant George T. T Odell Odoll M. M r. r Wells and S. S F. F 1 enton will continue to act on tho the board hoard Mr r. Harvey lIar lIar- e vey will act as CIS pre president Mr r Van Cott ns Its managing director and Benjamin Jl n. How ell 11 will be secretary and treasurer Elmer B. B Jones who has been managing director of the company since its organization or or- will ivill retire from front the company com coimi- pany pan It t is understood that the tilt selection selection selce- selce tion lion of Mr r. Van Yan Cott a. a as mann managing in di- di director i- i rector it is only temporary and that nu im experienced telephone man will be Le brought ht from the cast to fill that poi poi- tion |