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The Exeter Times-Advocate, 1974-10-17, Page 23• AVING$ at CLOVER FARM EFFECTIVE UNTIL CLOSING Saturday, Oct. 19 MEAT HURON PARK EFFECTIVE UNTIL CLOSING Saturday, Oct. 19 • Blade and Short Rib Roasts lb 98( GROCERIES Bologna (by the piece) 49c Banquet Frozen Cherry & Apple Pies •20.z.69t Air Care Deodorizer 47t Maxwell House Infant Coffee loan. $2.49 Duncan Hines Cake Mixes 59‘ King Size Cheer $1.99 Libby's Tomato Juice 48 oz. 55( Leaver's Pieces & Stems Mushrooms ,0 oz. 2/99 5 Roses Flour 5 lb, 99t Green Giant Niblet Corn 12 0±. 3/99 prepriced 544 39‘ Sava rin Meat Pies 3/99( soup Heinz Tomato or Vegetable White Swan Toilet Tissue fresh Sealtest Milk 2,1r° 374 87°31k Campfire Marshmallows 2 bag 894 10 oz. 6/99 6 roll pkge $1.29 Bananas 1 94 pre priced 694 49( Sugar Cookies pre prided 45e 3/$11 Hollywood Bread Weston's Butterhorns 4 4, Ca. Golden .anniversary of telephone exchange Because of the foresight of the. Blanshard telephone pioneers the Blanshard Municipal Telephone exchange is second to none, Chairman Grant Sutherland said at the 50th anniversary celebrations of the telephone exchange last Thursday. The Blanshard exchange became a municipally owned telephone system in 1924 and Warden of Perth Lloyd Morrison, said Thursday that the residents are "indebted to the foresight of those who made it possible for this system to retain its identity while others were being absorbed into the system", Bill Stewart, Minister of Agriculture and Food com- mented that "we need these remaining systems in rural Ontario to serve the needs of our pepple". Over 300 people, including telephone subscribers, past commissioners and company employees attended the banquet and dance. at the Kirkton- Woodham Hall to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the municipal system, Guest speaker for the evening was Otis Sawyer of 131anshard Township who spoke on the history of the exchange. He outlined vividly the early years of the system, the problems and disasters that the original company faced and the forming of the municipal telephone system in 1924. The following are some ex- cerpts and highlights of Mr. Sawyers speech, tracing the development of telephone in the Blanshard township: History of the Blanshard Municipal Telephone Exchange The people of this area became aware of the advantages of telephone service with the arrival of John Perry. A joint stock company was formed and during the winter of 1904, 200 cedar poles were cut by Bob and Jim Carroll in a swamp west of Flannigan's Corners. The actual construction began on April 1, 1904 with these same two men digging holes and erecting the poles. The measuring for the poles was done by John Perry with a horse and buggy. He had a string tied on a spoke and every so many turns of that wheel meant another pole. The Carroll's worked ten hours a day, six days a week for $2.50 per day each. It is not known who strung they first wires but Bill Yule of the townline, Fullerton and his two boys, Colen and Hub strung many miles. The first central was in Hoskin's Bakery Shop with the Hoskin ladies in charge. Operation was a more or less casual affair and was worked in along with clerking in the shop and housekeeping duties. The atmosphere here was more or less public and sometimes noisy. Faced with an ever increasing demand for service the management had confrontation with Mr. Hoskin who told them where they could go and what could be done with their. equip- ment. A building was purchased just east of the bake shop and the telephone central moved to that lot by the rectory, Mrs. Bob Robinson became the operator, assisted by her daughter Irene, later Mrs. Alf Paul. At first service was discon- tinued at 10 p.m. with no Sunday service, Later Sunday and emergency service was instituted and an operator slept in the adjoining room and answered emergency calls only for a 5 cent toll. In the early days of the system it was a means of communication between communities with the occasional phone in a farmhouse as a community convenience._ To have a phone in the early days of the system it was necessary to be a shareholder. However, the lifting of this rule and the demand for phone service resulted in the very rapid ex- pansion of the system up and down every concession and service was available to almost every home by 1908. This expansion resulted in the need for larger and more ex- tensive equipment in the central and, ,poles which had been originally erected to tarry a few wires between communities were now loaded with croSsarms and up to twenty wires, Some lines had Up to 22 phones. Addition of Granton tO the system Dr. Hugh Lang, M.D. had one office in Granton and one Bryaristoh so he erected a telephone line between these two offices in about 1903 or 1904. The demand for service resulted in the extension of the Doctor's line north to meet the 'Kirkton system and south and east of Granton, Dr. Lang was getting older and found that whereas he had built a telephone system to be a help in his praetice it had becorrie htirden and he sold out, Service between Kirkton and Granton was subject to A toll charge for some years. Addition of Medina A joint stock company was organized in the Medina area in about 1905, The first line was from the factory to. Lang's house and Robert Shrubsole did some work installing the early phones and lines. A resident of that area reports the management and shareholders didn't agree and the annual meeting held in the town hell of St. Marys was a free for all, The system soon came into a position of some financial dif- ficulty. Golden age of the Kirkton system The company now entered into what we might call the golden age of the system. The addition of the Granton and Medina ex- changes had made it really viable. Good use could be made of labour, equipment, and knowledge. Batteries and sup- plies were comparatively cheap and depreciation had not raised its ugly head. Profits rose and dividends were high, at least 6 percent and some thought maybe $1 per share or 8 percent. The outbreak of war on August 4, 1914 changed the whole picture. Wages rose, supplies were scarce, the Bell Company began to show their fingers in the supply field and costs pyramided. Poles and wire began to show their age. Profits fell and the company appealed to the Railroad Board for a raise in rates to $15. A hearing was granted and held in St. Marys. The company presented a financial statement to show that in order to remain viable and solvent a raise in rates was necessary, Two men from the area stated the case for the phone holders. They showed to the Railroad Board that the statement of the company was deliberately falsified and incorrect. It "Told rather less than the truth", They then exposed the poor quality of service which was being supplied by -the company and of the overloaded lines. The Railroad Board made three rulings after the hearing, that the eompany must present a true financial report, The company was ordered to provide metallic circuits and tp lessen the number of phones per line and finally a raise in rentals was allowed to $15. In late December of 1920 an ice storm shattered the hopes of the company. The season had been open and it had rained most of the day. At dusk the wind shifted and sleet began to form, In the morning the main lead north was all down, covered with ice and frozen solid. However the poles were not broken, they had just tipped out. The men struggled through the winter as weather permitted but it was April before service was fully restored. The company sent out their bills for the entire period, pointing out that the contract did not call for continuous service and the the glazing was an act of God, Everyone complained, of Course, but even the most vocative objectors paid. The company had reset the old poles, stretched the old wires and there were still no anchors or braces, When the weather turned copl in the fall of 1921 the old wires began to break. On February 22, 1922 the area suffered an even more severe ice storm. It came on about mid-day and by the late afternoon the woven fence was a solid sheet of ice. Hundreds of trees were destroyed. When the poles began to go it Was a chain reaction like dominoes across a kitchen table. The ground being frozen, the poles broke and many crossarms were destroyed, Since new poles and fittings had to be secured, reconstruction was delayed and service was not generally available until late June. The company hurried to have complete repairs by the end of June. The bills for service were mailed July 1. There was never such an outcry as arose over the attempt of the company to collect these rates. The company made their defence saying that the contract doesn't call for continuous ser- vice, the company was faced with bankruptcy, and it was an act of God and the rates would have to" go to $18. Farm prices of wheat, beef and hogs had dropped down from the peak prices of the war years to the pre-war levels and the public were of the opinion that the company was very fortunate to have a God on Whom they could put the blame. Meetings were held in homes, schools, halls or wherever con- venient. The slogan was "fifteen dollars of nothing". Hundreds of phone holders signed petitions ordering the company to take their phones out, The company only took out the phones of the more active vocal ones, J.B. Muir, Reeve of Downie was the one who lit the candle which lead us out of the wilder- ness of negative thinking. He pointed out that the statutes of Ontario provided for municipal ' ownership and control of telephone systems, He reasoned that the joint stock company never was organized to provide service but rather to make money. The municipal system would be motivated to provide service. The idea spread like wildfire. Meetings were called and men like R.J, Selves, Sam Tufts, Dr. Campbell and Sid Adamson led the discussions, A committee met the directors of the company and they agreed to sell. Proper forms were procured and over 700 pledged their property as security, Those who signed were known as subscribers and those who didn't were renters. At the first meeting of the subscribers three men were elected commissioners, J.B. Muir, J:H. Robinson and John Duncan. The price agreed upon was sufficient to allow the company to discharge all obligations. A loan ivas arranged with a bank in St. Marys, the necessary papers 'signed and on July 1, 1924 the system was under new management. The action of the commissioners in making this generous payment started the new system off with good public relations that have continued until today. Jas More, reeve of Blanshard had asked that Blanshard Twp. be given the honour and privilege of being the initiating municipality, When the financial statement for the first six months of operation came out at the end of 1924, it was apparent to all that the system was in financial jeopardy. The commissioners asked for a raise in rates to $18. When the smoke cleared after the first annual meeting there were three new commissioners, CartiPbell; Sid "Addrnsim 'and Sam Tufts. The former secretary was asked to resign and the lawyer was fired, Head. Lineman was Sid Riddell, Reuben Switzer was in charge of construction and Effie Cornish was the operator in Kirkton. In 1927 Sam Tufts died and was followed as commissioner by W. L. Radcliffe. In. 1926 the Hyndman line north and east of Exeter came on the market, Our commissioners sought to bring it into the system but it was sold to Wm. Frayne for $6,000. During the thirties the report on telephones for Ontario stated that the long distance con- nections with the Blanshard system were very satisfactory and the local service was ex- cellent. At the annual meeting of 1928 a delegation from the Sebringville exchange came to inquire about joining the system. The result was that on January 11, 1929 the Blanshard exchange was ex- tended to include the Sebringville exchange. In the .early forties we had the war with supplies scarce and higher prices. Our equipment was getting older and in some cases the wires were holding the poles up. Our commissioners were also aging, Some who could see what was happening went to Dr. Campbell and urged him to retire, but he took the suggestion as a .personal insult. He was chairman of the Commission and he would remain so, He was challenged at the annual meeting and the votes were counted he was out, Arnold Wiseman was elected. Wiseman didn't fit in and was soon gone. The subscribers of the system decided that their affairs would be better served by a board of five so they increased the number of commissioners and raised the pay to modern stan- dards. 13y the early 1950's the whole system Was outdated, overloaded and Worn out. Modernization was the solution. Beginning in Sebringville they installed dial equipment with extensive cabling and a new exchange. Kirkton went to dial in November of 1964. At Granton there were many problems but Norman Riddell proposed 2 party dial system Which amazed the Municipal Board and surprised the'phone holders of the area. The new system has been in operation for seven years. At the present time the annual report shows a very considerable surplus per annun.This money is being Used for extension and new otittiPMeht without the necessity of outside financing. What of the Future Some attention will have to be given to the ownership and control of the system. Revision of the rate structure especially at Kirkton and Sebringville. That subscriber in the outback is entitled to the same consideration and rate as a renter who lives across the street from the central. The subscribers must take an interest in their system, "The rights of citizenship include the responsibility of participation in the processes . of government.' As.we look back tothe directors and the shareholders of the joint stock company we must remember that these people were pioneers. With courage and determination they built these lines and gave us the benefit of telephone service. The basis of Municipal ownership is service and I have tried tonight to bring out of the past something of the dedication, devotion anddetermination which activated those who gave leadership to us, "Why should the wonders thai have been wrought Be kept in silence and forgot?" Delivered by Otis Sawyer READY FOR SWITCH = The Blanshard telephone exchcinge changed from opeiators to dial len years ago and this picture shows some of the system workmen as they prepare the intricate wiring in the new building at Kirkton. From left are, Al Eveleigh, Gerry Chapman, John Rodd, Lorne Marshall and Fred Bertrand. The exchange celebrated its 50th anniversary last week. T-A photo 1964 OUT OF THE PAST -- These operators of the Blanshard Municipal Telephone exchange completed their duties as "the voice with the smile" ten years ago when the system switched to dial tone. Operators were from left, Mrs, Don Jarvis, Mrs. Joan McCormick, Mrs. Dave Shamblaw, Mrs. Jack Smith and Mrs. Murray Coward, Mrs. Eldon Robinson is on the switchboard in the foreground and behind her is Mrs. Charles Paul. The Blanshard exchange celebrated its 50th anniversary with a banquet and dance Icist Thursday at Kirkton. T-A photo 1964 THE HISTORY OF THE EXCHANGE — Otis Sawyer (standing) related the history of the Blanshard Municipal Telephone exchange at 6 celebration for the, 50th anniversary of the exchange held at the Kirkton•Woodham Centre on Thursday evening, About 300 people attended the dinner and dance, T•A photo TELEPHONE EXCHANGE ANNIVERSARY — Blanshard Municipal telephone exchange celebrated'its 50th anniversary at a banquet and dance on Thursday evening. On hand for the celebrations were Percy Hodgins, commissioner of the exchange, Bill Stewart, Minister of Agriculture and Food, Grant Sutherland, Chairman of the telephone exchange, Otis Sawyer, guest speaker, George Frayne, commissioner and Cletus Crowley, commissioner. T-A photo • • • •• • • '