The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-02-18

1.tone COMPANY extending its lines into a
city. but the creation within the city of
a telephone system, confined to the city
limits.
It was the comparatively recent growth
and development of the telephone idea.
by successive. inventions. which has revo
lution;zed the former methods of trans
hitting intelligence.
Instead OF being able to talk for few
miles at most electrical appliances were
Inverted which gave the human voice
range Of hundreds and Thousands OF mules.
and these inventions We're soon. by the
more progressive States, turned TO prac-
tica; business uses by inaugurat!ns great
systems of telephone connections, con-
ststing of local groups connected With
each other and with important CONNER
ctal points by long-d.stance wires me
telephone then became i great PUBIC ser
want whose usefulness was not 20 one
locality. but to many communities, anu
whose usefulness depended upon the con-
Meeting of all these communities w1tE
each other-each with all and all with
each-the value Of the system depending
upon its symmetry OF development ana
common facilities to all.
\ system could not be comprehensive II
anv Of the groups of communities which
It should properly serve could arbitrarily
refuse to connect with the other groups
and communities. the cooperation or each
OF which is dependent upon the co-opera-
ton Of all.
4. This brings to US that part of the
charter which is most crit:cized-namely.
the right given the company 10 enter IN
carrorated towns and cities without hay
ing first obtained the consent OF the cor
, prrate authorities.
The fact that telephone system which
if not local wants to enter a twin neces-
sarily implies that the system has, or
expects to have, patrons outside or the
city who want to commun cate with per-
sons within the city. and that there are
persons within the city who want to talk
to patrons outside of the city. and If the
same system wants to enter all cities and
all the counties OF the State it does SO
upon the theory that the public who
will ray for the use of its phones desires
a comprehensive service that Will put IN
touch all sections Of the country. \ mer-
chan; in Richmond for instance, might
have no use for a phone unless his Gus
toners in surrounding counties had
phones connecting with his, and the peo-
pie in the counties would probably not
want phones unless they could connect
with a Richmond merchant. And so In
a comprehensive system the interde-
pendence of it's various parts is such that
any break of its symmetry or continuity
would destroy the whole system.
In this view of the case is 1t right for
the Legislature. which is the sole guar
dian of all matters of public and general
concern. to give incorporated cities and
towns, who are part Of the general pub
lie the right to destroy great work OF
public utility of vast advantage TO the
whole State and to all the people of the
state as we'll az TO the cities themselves?
This bill only asks, that the cities and
towns be not allowed to do this by meet
ms great comprehensive system of tele-
rhonic connection at their gates and TO
arbitrarily saying you cannot enter
THIS charter only ass for itself what
it is willing for the Legislature to grant
to every telephone company; what the