The San Francisco call., 1899-12-29
PEOPLE AGAINST
SUNSET COMPANY
Status of Telephone
War in Sacramento.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

SACRAMENTO. Dec. 2s.-The people OF
this city are considerably aroused over
the telephone situation brought about by
the attempts Of the Sunset Company 10
crush Its local rival. the Capital Iele-
phone Company. whose advent n lew
years ago caused a complete smashing oil
the formers extortiOnate schedules. The
Gail Wednesday morning told OF the ap-
pearance Of Louis Glass, assistant general
manager Of the Sunset Company. before
the Board Of Trustees. Of his defiant atti-
tude and OF the action of the board IN or
dering out all Of the Sunset phones from
the city departments.
The fact was developed at that meeting
that the Southern Pacific Company, Wells.
Fargo * Co and the Postal Telegraph
Company had thrown their influence on
the side Of the Sunset night. This morning
the Record Union published an drtCle
protesting against the removal OF the
Sunset phones from the city offices. The
Bee tonight, in an editorial headed "A
Creatures Insolence 20 Its Creator,
voices what appears to be the general
sentiment, as follows:
In criticiznE the act Of the BOARD OF Trus-
tees In ordering Sunset telephones out Of city
Offices the morning paper misses entirely the
IOint at issue.
The sunset Telephone Company is a gigantic
monopoly. II has received grants from the
their behalf but against their best interests
Under debt To the citizens Of Sacramento for
many favors and privileges granted through
their municipal governing body II mas
endeayored 10 use those favors and pri-
vileges as lever with which 70
10 crowd out all opposition. Backed In its
autocratic measures By three other great cor
porations. II has used the power In this city
permitted to II BY the people as though this
city were an autocracy and Itself the ruling
despot.
OF the people. this despOtic corporatiOn-backed
by It's giant corporate friends-has endeay0red
70 virtually enslaIe or throttle It's creator. II
had the people OF Sacramento at its mercy
when plucky and energetic citizens set about
70 organize an opposition company that would
reduce rates and give better service At hrst
the monopoly laughed. then sneered. then began
TO bully Wild threats OF inuumerable law
suits against patrons Of the new telephone
who had invested their money In the new
enterprise were compelled to guarantee
each patron against any loss from any
such source. IL may be a strange COincl-
dence. but the fact remains that the only par
ties who have not accepted such guarantee and
who profess 10 be exceedingly timOrous about
losing few dollars are the three gigantic cor
porations which seem To be helping the Sunset
along IN its tyrannical and un-American meth
Ods.
The new company went right along In its
business, bettered the service. and forced a re-
ducti0n Of the rates. For that 10 is entitled %
the thanks and gratitude of our people. II 70
Is % be crushed then Sacramento may expect
70 follow In the wake OF San Jose IN which
city the Sunset, having killed all opposition,
has already raised the rates.
The acts in this city of the corporate friends
OF this monopoly-which acts were detailed be-
fore the Board OF Trustees Tuesday night.
and which We're undoubtedly done az the insti-
cation of the telephone monopoly. with which
the other corporations seem 10 BE- friendly
II not financial terms-such acts have empha-
sized the danger OF municipalities granting
great privileges and concessions 10 corpora
tions which may use them against the best in
terests Of their creators and in the very teeth
OF public rights and the public veal.
In this instance the Sunset Telephone Com
pany backed by its corporate friends. has used
the power which came from the people 20 boy
cott home institution and % endeavor 20 drive
II 20 the wall I'm order that the monopoly alone
NAV exist, and that the citizens may again be
squeezed. And. in place of appearing before
the municipal governing body as a citizen ow-
ing some respect 20 the rights Of others. It's
manager came from san Francisco and talked
as though he were Alexander and the peo-
pie Of this city the satraDs and slaves Of his
corporation.
II was high tine that the Board Of Trustees took
some measure calculated to curb this auto
cratic arrogance and 10 teach the telephone
monopoly that II Is neither the law nor the
prophets In this community. Surely. the de-
privatiOn Of city patronage r. light punish
ment. indeed. for its insolcnce II well
that the board passed resolution directing
the corporation counsel 20 investigate the Sun
set COmpany's franchise and whether Il has
kent faith with this people.
Surely. the servants OF the people could not
he employed in any better service than IN pro-
tecting their masters from the thrOttling tao
tics OF such Frankenstein as the Sunset Tele-
phone Company.