The Asheville citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1885-1889, 1888-06-21
rHE rELEPHoNE quEsTIoN.
Shall Asheville be Burdened With a
Monopoly or Not2

ISSdIOlftS ell6 JHtfOuuCLlOII VI q 81"
gantie monopolistic enterprise %
into the city of Asheville in the
shape of the. Southern Bell Tele-
phone Company. In our opinion
the city has not fully made up its
mind that an exchange will be es-
tablished here without interrup,
tion" The soft soaping process in
dulged in by our cotemporary re-
garl.zhg the loss of the local COM
pany which would accrue tss them
by the introduction of the ssAl sys-
tenn is entirely too thin, aud does
snes in The least, meet the end which
it was intended to meet, If the
Sun IS an sympathy with the local
organization, we do not see how it
can advocate a service that is SO
much higher in its charges for the
same service performed. And again,
the Sun speaks without reason,
when it states ''that the city has
fully made up its mind, etc" The
city knows nothing at all about it
except what the newspapers have
reported in the matter, and they
have not said much because there
has not been much to say. Maj.
Martin has asked Tor the franchise
for FIVE years. The Southern Bell
company has been monkeying off
and on abo 1T the establishment of
an exchange in Asheville ever since
the suit in the supreme court ofthe
United States was decided in its
favor. They first wanted S64 per
year for the use of their phones;
then they dropped to $48 per an
mum, and with considerable conde-
scensior, stated that the exchange
would be run upon this basis for the
first year, provided enough subscrib-
ers were secured to establish the
same.
The proposition of the Bell COM
pany as we understand it now is
that for the FIRST three years, the.
rates shall be $46 per annum for
business men, and $50 per annum
for private residences.
Nothing was said about an
increase in rates. and nothing was
said about tn g St. Louis and Kansas
episode in the history OF the
Bell telephone company. Nothing
is said about how the people of
Kansas and st. Louis refused to
submit to the exorbitant tariff
charged them by this monopoly. and
how, when they talked about es-
tablishing laws regulating these
charges, the telephone service was
discontinued at once. a ver2 hene
fcient enterprise would this| be if
conducted upon the same principles
as those by which it was conducted
in st. Louis and Kansas And yet,
the Sun is in favor of supporting
such an institution
Again, the establishment OF a par
tial system Of thirty, or forty, Or
fifty phones in the city, will afford
very little convenience to the busi~
ness men Of the city. They are
surely not going to pay SAG per year
for what Can be furnished for S25.
Why, it would be infinitely cheaper,
and almost as satisfactory, for a
business man to keep his horse
standing at his store door, and de-
liver his message in person.
The local telephone company of
AshevilIe shas about $1,000 in
vested in this enterprise ; it is all
home capital; it is a home enters
prise and they can get and I0dl get
telephone system that is as good
and reliable as the Bell system, and
place 1t in the city provided tie
city council will give them the fran
chise. The home company will
give way to the Bell company, pro-
vided the latter will pay them a
fair price for their wires. Sometime
ago the local company made an APP
plication to the Southern Bell COM
pany, for the rental of a sufficient
number of transnitters and re-
ceiYers. Nothing has been heard of
this application, although the South
ern Bell company promised t.
forward the same to the American
Bell Co., who has the final decis-
ion in such matters. By the use o:
these transmitters and receivers the
home company can and will furnish
a cheaper service than the Bell
CO npany can furnish. These are
facts, and they cannot be de lie';
and If the local system is permitted
to be gobbled up by the Bell cons
par1y, we are fearful for the estab-
lishment of home enterprises in
| Asheville for the future. We are
against monopoly, and believe in
the maintenance and support of To-
cal enterprises, backed by local
capital, and established for local
good, every time We earnestly
hope and believe that the Board Of
Aldermen of the city of Asheville
will stand by Asheville and her en-
terprises, the Southern Bell Tele-
phone company and its cohorts to
the contrary, however.
IsbeIIs Memorandum Calendar.
The inventor of the above, Mr..
A. H. Isbel, now of fAsheville, has
received from the Patent Office
all the papers needed to secure
his exclusive rights In, and con-
troll of, this useful invention, and
it is now fairly before the public.
It's value was appreciated in adj
vance. and Mr.. Isben has already
application for the sale of the
rights to several States, not to
mention numberless counties. 1t
will be a good thing in active and
judicious hands.