The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1903-02-10

vote on the electric light question
last spring, the people signfied that
they desire competition in public
utilities; fourthly, municipal owner
ship of public utilities seems to be the
policy of the present council, and in
the franchise acceptable to the Utah
Telephone Company is clause grant
ing the city the privilege Of buying at
any time: filthy, the Utah Home
Telephone is willing to grant certain
concessions i'm the free use Of ten
phones and more II necessary, the
free use of pole service, and a
payment of l per cent on the re-
ceipts of the company at this place,
and whether or not this will amount
to great deal, it is more than the
Bell people have ever given; sixthly,
the Utah Home Telephone company
promises cut in rates Of one-half,
and sets a maximum price that can be
charged-and whether this cut
amounts to great deal it is worth
considering; seventhly, competition
the life of trade may bring rates
very low, and increase the service for
the money expended; eighthly, the
Utah Home Telephone Company pro-
poses to spend from $4,000 to $4,000
in establishing its system, most of
said money being spent in Logan for
labor, etc, and will also give employ
ment to at least certain number of
local people when the plant is once
established.
These are few of the reasons why
we believe the franchise should be
granted, and why we believe the coun-
Gil will grant the franchise. We believe
that the council is capable of graspin 6
these facts, and that whatever delay
there has been in the matter, Is a de-
sire to get at the facts in the case
and to 60 over them carefully.
About the only argument advanced
by the Bell people as to why the fran
chise should not be granted is "that
the independent company is always
failure" that "when the Utah Home
Telephone Company gets ready to en-
ter your city is time enough to grant
the franchise" and that "the Home
Telephone Company will have no toll
service to offer you for a long time to
to come" If the Independent COM
pany is always failure why should
the Bell people be anxious to keep it
out-they surely havn't the welfare
of the Utah Home Company at heart
And again, If the Utah Company
never gets here, who has lost anything,
and beside could it be expected that
said company would build up to the
city limits without knowing whether
it could come in? So far as the other
argument is concerned, the Utah
Home Company will at least have a
service from Provo to Logan-a SER
vice that will answer for at least nine
tenths Of the business done by Logan
telephone users.
The Republican is satisfied with the
present rate given us by the Bell peo-
pie and very well satisfied with the
service, but we see no reason why this
company should not have competition
If any one desires to compete. The
Republican does not need more than
the service of one company, In fact
can get along without any, and we
venture the assertion that there are
not more than dozen, (f that many
of our business men who could not do
without their phone without SERIOUS
results to business. However we rec
ognize the telephone as a utility Of
modern civilization and a great con-
venience, but in case of any such Chi
canery on the part of the Bell people
aswas adopted by the electrice light
people, we believe the citizen will
have the upper hand and not the Bell
people.
We believe in fair and square deal
on this proposition and feel that the
councilmen should and will vote as re-
personalities of the people and not as
individuals.