The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1897-05-14
The Telephone Question.
tie Editor of the HeraId:-

phone Company is offering to put it's
instruments into residences at 80
cents per month, we submit the fol-
lowing for the candid consideration
of an Intelligent public:
That Company is owned and
operated by non residents of Maury
County; therefore, every dollar of
its net earning is just so much
money taken from our midst to
swell the hoard of an already
enormously wealthy corporation.
Before the Citizens line was built,
we were paying 81 per month for
business houses and SO for resi-
deDces. A committee OF our people
visited Nashville to confer with the
officers of the Cumberland Com
pany and discuss the matter with
them. They ridiculed the idea of a
successful rival Company and told
our committee that all such efforts
had proven failures, and instanced
GAINESVILLE and other places where
the rival lines had passed into the
control of the Cumberland Com
pany. Notwithstanding this, our
people determined to make the
experiment, rather than submit to
rates which they believed to be eX-
cessive.
The Citizens line is the result OF
this experiment; it has proven to be
signal success and has given our
citizens an efficient telephone SER
vice at reasonable rates.
AS soon as the philanthrOpiC
Cumberland realizes that our enter
prise is a success, it generously
offers its instruments to residences
at 30 cents per month. Before our
line was built, charge of % cents
other towns in the county. The
Cumberland now makes all such
communications free.
Before the rival Company came
into existence, the good people OF
Cross Bridges sent two of it's citi-
zens to Nashville to induce the
liberal Cumberland Company tC
extend its line to that place. The
Company offered to do so, if those
people would furnish first-class
cedar poles delivered at the points
where they were to be used, and, in
addition to this, obligate themselves
to use the instruments for a number
of years at So per month. The Cum
berland has recently discovered that
/ it can afford to give the eros:
Bridges people line and furnish its
own poles at charge of 80 cents q
month-just one-tenth of what i
considered right when there was nc
competition.
How many citizens of Maury
County have received circular let
tiers issued from the Cumberland
Company, announcing that another
rival of the Cumberland had faileC
and sold out? Whenever riva
has succumbed to the methods o.
this wealthy corporation, the un
fortunate demise is promptly
heralded over the country by cir
cular letters. But the Citizen.
Company is here to stay until GU
people are placed beyond the power
of any monopoly to eXtort eXhorbi
tant charges for the use of tele
phones. The Citizens Company
does not seek to make one dollars
profit; it has its existence for tn
sole purpose of giving to the peopl
an efficient telephone service a
reasonable rates.
Every sensible person knows tina
if the Cumberland Company cal
succeed in driving its rival from tn
field of competition, the old rates, o.
perhaps higher ones, will be at once
restored. The offer now to max
contracts with individuals for any
given length of time at 90 cents
month can deceive no rejecting
person. This offer can be withdraw
at any time. If this Company i
sincere in its pretended desire +
give Maury COun:ians the use o
instruments at 80 cents month, lie
some competent lawyer prepare a.
obligation binding it to give sue
rates indefinitely in the future to al
/ persons who wish to use its instru
ments. Does any one imagine tn
Company would bind itself to put il
: its instruments and sell the use O
them at that price and make tn
obligation perpetual to all VIII
desire to avail themselves of it
, The Cumberland Company eithe
can or can not afford to give the us
of its instruments as business in
i vestment at 30 cents per month.
, it can afford to do so, then its for
mer charges of from six to ten time
that price were eXtortiOnate an
unconscionable if it can not afford t
do so, then it is obvious that tn
offer is sinister, insincere and mad
for the sole purpose of drivin
. legitimate competition from tn
field in order that it may then hav
monopoly Of the business an
restore the former extortionat
rates; and every one who accept
its deceptive offer is aiding an
. abetting, either consciously or III
consciously, in the covert purpos
of defeating the effort upon the par
, of the Citizens to maintain reason
able telephone rates.
We do not believe that the il
sidious bride will be accepted by
+. sufficient number of persons
: enable the Cumberland Company
drive its rival from the field. UpO
h. a calculation of the number of il
struments now in operation
Maury County, aud taking in
estimate the matter of free con
, munications with the neighborir
towns in the county, the building
the Citizens line is saving frol
h $1,000 to $4,000 annually to the pc
[. pie of this county. This savir