The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-05-11
PLAN TO ADVERTISE.
For Competition in Telephone
Service Favored
BY THE BUSINESS MEN
At Expiration of the Bresent
Franchise.

you have no idea how much confusion
! arises from having a double telephone
SYSTEM" said W. B. Throckmorton to a
reporter for the Eagle. 81 have just
come from Carthage, No, where I OBJ
served the results. used the phone con-
siderably while there, and I never could
tell when 1 went to call up any one
whether was going to get the right one
or not. After had been using one of the
systems for local work at several places,
I stepped into an office and called for a
number in an outside town. They told me
I couldn't get it over that system and
the result was had to hunt around and
find some other one. We all want cheap
telephone service, but we certainly do not
want two phones"
My idea of the solution Of the tele-
phone problem said A. C. Jobes, sis to
advertise the fact for two months or
more, that Wichita is going to grant a
new franchise for a telephone system at
the expiration OF the present franchise,
which, I believe, occurs in January or
to all companies over the country, and
then grant only one franchise and that to
the company which guarantees the most
efficient service for the lowest rate.
There are good companies which offer
lower rate than the new company which
proposes to come here now. There is no
rush about the matter and it ought to be
thoroughly investigated. The Bell people
have a good service here, which can be
continued till new company equips a
system for handling the business. Wich-
tia is not going to be without telephone
service because the franchise expires
The sentiment of the business men of
Wichita is against the double phone sys-
tenn and every one who has observed the
workings of the service where there are
two systems is agreed that it Is a nuis-
ance. Wichita has been getting along
nicely for years, has a good service and
good system. There is no need of all this
hurry at this particular time. Nearly
every business man, too, is of the opinion
that the business method of proceeding Is
to advertise the fact that the present
telephone franchise is TO expire within a
short time open the competition offer to
everybody and let one franchise to the
company that is in shape to guarantee
the most efficient service at the lowest
rate. 1t is hardly the part of conservat-
i've business judgment, either, to turn the
important franchise of Wichita over to
men who are simply promoters working
as manufacturers agents to secure privil-
eyes which will enable them to sell a lot
of instruments without guaranteeing a
service commensurate in its efficiency
and proportions to the Importance of the
business interests of the city and the de-
mands of the public There are men out
in Wichita now who are no more than
agents trying to sell stock in a concern
which has as yet no existence and by
which plan it is proposed to raise enough
money to put up a few wires and inau-
gurate a new telephone system. There
are good, substantial telephone companies
and operating telephone systems that will
be willing to come to Wichita and bring
the necessary amount of cash to put up
the lines and guarantee the service and
at lower rates than has been proposed
yet. Wichita worked for more than two
years with promoters trying to get new
street car system. Wichita business men
do not want the same experience with
telephon promoters The plan suggested
by Mr.. Jobes is certainly fair and the
only method of procedure which guaran-
tees protection to the public interests Of
the town in this telephone matter.