The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1903-10-03
THE ZENITH CITY TELEPHONE
COMPANY.

Zenith City Telephone company to
before the council for several months,
and has received the most careful at
tention. The books and records Of the
company have been closely examined
by the city comptroller and the special
council committee to which the ord1n-
ance was referred. Public meetings
to discuss the proposed advance of
rates have been held in the council
chamber, and the officers Of the COM
pany have been absolutely fair and
honest in their claims. This has put
the thinking portion Of the people de-
i&elly in favor of the company.
Those who have taken the pains to
investigate for themselves have with
but few exceptions, declared the pro-
position to be fair and reasonable.
The people of Duluth owe debt Of
gratitude to- the Zenith City company.
1t went into the telephone business
when it was impossible to secure
courteous treatment from the Ben
company. The old telephones were
antiquated, and the service was any,
thing but good. There was cross
talk and an eternal buzzing on the
wires. The entrance Of the new COM
pany into the business has removed
most of this. 1t not only made 1t
possible for the people of moderate
means to have a telephone in their
places of business and their homes,
but 1t made the old company come
down from it's high monopolistic
perch.
Now it is plainly shown that the
Zenith City company can not continue
to do business at the present rates.
We are unable to say why the. pro-
moters Of the company ptd SO low
when getting the franchise upon which
the present rates are established.
Possibly 1T was for the purpose of
defrauding some innocent investors,
or it may have been due to the fact
that the promoters were inexperi-
enced in the telephone business. In
any event we know that the people
who control the company now are up
against a hard proposition, and it is
up to the city to relieve them.
What would be the result if the
Zenith company was forced to the
wall? 1t would again put the people
of Duluth at the complete and hope
less mercy Of the Bell Telephone COM
pany. This company, operating as it
does without franchise from the
city. if again given the opportunity,
would compel the people to pay back
every dollar that it lost since the
Zenith City company came into ex-
istance.
Even if the people will under the
proposed amended franchise, be COM
PEELED to pay little higher price for
their telephones, it will be an insigni-
icant rate compared with that which
the Bell company would extort from
them if that company again con-
trolled the situation as it formerly
did.
Will the public ownership of tele-
phone companies be prevented OF
hindered in any way by the passage
of the ordinance? No, not one iota
I1
it will tend to promote the question
Of municipal ownership. Before Du.
luth can progress further on this ques.
ton it must get relief from the STATE
legislature. Who do we fear in oul
efforts for securing favorable legis
lation, the people who constitute tn,
Zenith company, or the powerful tele
phone trust Of which the Duluth Tele
phone company is a part? Is it no
the latter?
When the people of Duluth becom
thoroughly aroused to the necessit,
for the municipal ownership Of tele
phones, it will send earnest and sin
Ceie 1Ilen 10 the legislature VINO VIII
fight to the last day for legislatio,
giving cities the right to issue bond
for the purchase or. construction o
telephone systems.
The Labor World is not so desirou
Of chanpioning the cause Of the zenifl
City company as 1t is to work TO
the best interests of the people.
In this case we believe that som
sacrifice must be made in order tina
the greatest good may be done in TIL
end. 1t is a case where we mus
Yield some to eventually gain more
1t ~ 4 tribute we must pay to save our
selves frsm the: merciiess grasp Of thu
selfish sreedy and ayar1cious n, none,
iii the =, =