The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-05-05
NOBODY WANTS TWO
Still More Business Men
Against Second Telephone.
NAFTZGER AND POWELL
Have Seen the Results of the
Double Phone.

John S. Powell of the Goldstandt-
Powell Hat company said yesterday
that he is in favor of cheap telephone
service but that it would be poor bus
mess judgment for Wichita people to
rush in and give franchise to just
anybody and everybody that came
along.
mo company" he says, Should be
be given a franchise until they show
a cash guarantee that they are in
shape to handle the business of the
town. OF all the nuisances on earth
the double telephone system is one of
the worst. No business man is going
to jump at a thing just because it ap-
pears cheap. No franchise ought to
be given to a company that can not
show the facilities for stepping in and
taking care of the entire business of
the town. Then we want the cheapest.
I don't care what company has the
franchise so we get the cheapest SER
vice possible for efficiency. But We
certainly do not want two phones.
The council has too much judgment
to infiiot that nuisance on u.s."
S. D. Porter, manager of the McCor-
mick implement agency: Il don't see
that there is any use of talking about
this matter. The council surely isn't
going to throw us into the squabble
of having two phones. It would be
simply doubling, or at least increas-
ing the expense and bother. I under
~ ,,oI,i ~ he Ol
company expires in about a year. If
this is true it is folly to talk about
stirring up a great lot of useless con-
fusion by jumping out and letting an
other franchise. Suppose we had a
second telephone line here. We have
six now If the new company comes
in we've got to have six more. Sup
pose they are only two dollars a
month each. There's S24 then against
the present price, a very considerable
increase. Then there would be double
toll on long distance added besides if
the new company should have a toll
line, which of course they would for
several years. Better wait till the
franchise of the old company expires.
It's plenty of time to talk then.
National bank, says: 1.-TWO telephone
systems is fraud on the town where it
exists. It's all kind of trouble. I saw
the work of two phone systems in Los
Vegas, N. NJ, and any business man
who has ever been where there were
two systems in operation will not stand
for it. Now 1 want cheap rates just as
much as anybody, but anybody can see
that two systems won't give that.
Everybody who uses a phone now will
have to put in another one when another
one comes in and reaches some people
you have business with. 1t is useless to
discuss as plain .. proposition. Wait
till the franchise of the present company
expires and then if it can be demon
strated beyond a doubt that efficient
service can be given for rates consider
ably lower than those now in force serve
notice that franchise is to be let and
give it to the responsible firm offering
the best terms.''
Mr.. Schwartz of Schwartz Bros: 1--WE
are for cheap telephone service. We are
for the company guaranteeing the best
service for the least money. That's a
plain business proposition. Now it does
not need any argument to show that
where there are two systems the bust
ness man must have both, and It doesn't
need any argument either TO see that
this increases the expense. Therefore
We are against any more telephone sys-
TENS in Wichita. In a great many cases
these new companies are SIMPLY pro-
motors working up a scheme to get a
franchise which they sell to some local
man or corporation. Then the promoter
gets to furnish the instruments which he
sells for some eastern manufacturer,
after which the town is allowed to strug-
gle with a double system. cheap ser
vice and all the confusion attendant.
The council ought to go slow in such
matter as this.
c. a. Tanner: 'I am for cheap tele-
phone service. but can't understand how
we are TO have it by having two systems.
Every business man will simply be out
one-half more for phones than now.
Why not wait till the present franchise
expires and then talk new phones.
Pneumonia follows Ia grippe. but never
follows the use of FOLEY'S HONEY
AND TAR. the great throat and lung
remedy. G. Gehring, 400 E. Douglas; Geo.
Van Werden, S2S n. Main; Wichita Drug
Co, 10 E. Douglas; Gus Saur, 524 E.
Douglas