The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1897-05-21
CITIZENS vs.. CUMBERLAND.
DIR. Padgett Talks of the Fight Between
the Rival Companies.


EDITOR Every true
citizen is interested in his COM
munity, and every true citizen is in
terested in every enterprise that
helps both his neighbOr and himself.
Much has been said in our city
papers about the telephone war that
is now being waged. Possibly by
speaking in this way [ shall be able
to tell some things that are not gem
orally known, but should be because
they are of interest to our town.
AS is generally known, the Cum
berland Telephone Company has
been operating in Columbia and
Maury County for number of
years, charging whatever they
wanted to, Independent of the feel
ingS and pleadings, petitions and
prayers of our people. This high
rate of telephone service continued
for years and with no prospects of
anything better. Our people grew
tired of such a burden, and Justly
so, because in other places the SER
vice was much less, due to the fact
that competition had entered the
field; and, as a result of this feeling,
a number of citizens of this town
and county decided to place in
operation an Independent telephone
exchange.
Did anyone ever see a monopoly
that was especially interested in a
town or his neighbOr beyond the
dollars and cents that that corpora
ton could squeeze out of their hard
earned purse? They have always
been very independent and dicta-
tOrial in their dealings with their
people; and when L say people
mean every man, woman and child
in this town and county. Before
the Citizens Telephone Company
was organized, Mr.. Aris B. Rains
and myself were appointed as a
committee to visit Nashville and
have an interview with the Pres
ident of the Cumberland Company,
and this we did, but without avail.
We tried our utmost to get a reduc-
ton for our people. L finally asked
the President how many new sub
scribers he would have to have in
order to give reduction rate? He
answered, "If you will get us ten
new resident subscribers we will give
you $500 rates" L said all well aud
and good, but / had not forgotten
our business houses and then asked
what about our business houses?
To which he replied, saying, mo
MOI" In the course of our CONVEX
sation the President said that he
nnIIlH Cri 70 Al
dollar month because it did take
that much to keep up the repairs of
the instrument. [ have been using
my Citizens instrument ever since
the first of last July and the repairs
upon that instrument have not been
as much as cancelled postage
stamp. The President said, Gen
tlemen, don't understand me as try
ing to persuade you from putting up
your exchange. Go ahead. You
can't advertise our business better
than to do snch. Don't you know
that there is not one of those
features being run successfully in
the United States?" Yes, he did
not say Tennessee, but in the United
States, when at that very time there
were not less than 4 Independent
ones in the State of Tennessee
This feature of independent ex-
changes has gone all over the coun
try, until now many of our large
cities and towns are operating such,
and that very successfully.
1t is indeed strange thing that
the Cumberland Company is SC
anxious to place instruments al
such "A reduced rate! Just "a few
months ago petitions for a reduced
rate were laughed at. Just a few
months ago, if you wanted an in.
strument in the country you had tC
do all the work. mean furnish
poles-then give, absolutely donate
that property to the monopoly; anC
then, for that privilege, pay al
enormous telephone rate. A few
moths ago the President could no
possibly give reduced rate. JUS
look at that picture of then anC
now The then" side of the pic
ture many of us have experienced
The present state of affairs is this
You have no contract to sign, as w,
once did when an instrument was
placed in our homes and business
houses. The monopoly is anxious
to run lines to the country at theil
own expense and you pay only ;
reduced rate, a rate much less thar
the President himself said wOulC
take to keep up the repairs on tina
instrument. We used to pay 2
cents for a message in the country
Now all lines are thrown open, anC
yet few months ago prayers anC
petitions for just reduced rate
(nothing was ever said of TOLD wert
trampled with ridicule absolutely il
the dust.
Strange, did 1 say, were these
very kind offers from one who i
trying to make believe that he is 81
very interested in our happiness
and welfare! The answer is to,
plain. You crush a home institu
ton, and it will have its deleteriou
influence. And this is the object o
the Cumberland Company. VIII.
are they offering such reduced rates
Why have they thrown open all toll
lines in the county and given us tn
same privilege that used to cost u
% cents? Why are they running
lines many miles into the countr,
for such small rent, when just
few months ago the President cOul,
not possibly give us a reduced rat
and even ridiculed the idea of a,
Independent exchange, saying tina
the people wanted connections witt