Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 54, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 March 1909 — Supreme Court Makes an Important Telephone Ruling. [ARTICLE]

Supreme Court Makes an Important Telephone Ruling.

The Indiana Supreme Court last Thursday affirmed the decision of the Appellate court in a telephone case from West Lebanon, which has been pending for some time. West Lebanon has two systems, arid their managers have been at sword points for a long time. Both are independent systems, but Cadwallader owns nearly all the toll lines reaching the neighboring towns and villages. Suit was brought to compel Cadwallader to furnish toll line connection to the other exchange and its patrons. In the opinion handed down Thursday the court held the telephone was is a common carrier of news and may bp mandated to give the same service 'tp another exchange that it renders t© any of its customers. The above decision will be of wide significance, especially in cities where there are two systems, as it makes all the phones of both exchanges available to any subscriber of either. ' Where connections already exist between two exchanges the court held that there is no right by which the connections may be severed.