Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1903-07-03

our midst was narrowly averted. Its
methods have been selfish, greedy, in
tollerent. monopolistic. Its policy has
been dictated by bond holders In the
east.
The Union Telephone company Is
essentially home enterprise, controlled
by home money, differed by home men,
managed by home people and supplied
by home institutions Its competitor.
the BELL" is differed by non residents,
managed by non-residents, supplied by
non. residents. When "a complaint Is
made of its service it is reported on pa
per, sent to a city Office and passed upon
by non. resident expert. Its local man
ager reports complaints and waits for an
order on paper to remedy It. Its policy
has been uDsympathetic, tyranical, in
tolerant.
Why then should there be a seeming
disposition on the part of some OF our
people to disturb this most satisfactory
condition in the service of the union
Telephone company? Why this effort
to kill the goose that lays the golden
egg?" The only reason advanced Is that
| the company has discontinued free SER
vice between Alma, Ithaca and st. Louis.
There is an honest difference between
subscribers as to the desirability OF re-
tanning free service between these places.
| Ii has been said by some that the com
pany promised il. The company con-
tracted TO give this service for three
years and has really in fact given it for
four years. Ii has faithfully met its
contracts. We deny that IL ever prom
ised, nor no reasonable person it would
seem could expect it TO promise, TO give
such service for all time. To ask that
telephone company never change its
rates is like asking a merchant never TO
change the price of his goods. New
conditions, new equipment, new inven-
tions, growth of villages, new business
methods, a hundred changed conditions
may step in and demand change in its
rates as il may demand change in the
business methods Of every conservative
business man. This was the exact con-
dition with reference to the free serv-
ice' between these villages Ii was
found that the volume of business with
the increased use Of the telephone made
it poor service. The lines Of the COM
pany were kept busy by those using 1t
for other than business purposes. Those
seeking its use for business were de-
prived of its use by those using it for
social purposes. The through business
of the company was interrupted and de-
layed by the congested condition of the
lines between these villages. Again
those paying for a telephone were de-
prived Of its use by those having none.
The one paying was annoyed by those
using il who were net paying. II the
subscriber or the company attempted TO
collect for such free use it was difficult
and embarrassing TO both. No free serv-
l. 81 -
company TO adopt a business method
that we would not adopt in our own?
No person conversant with the telephone
business can successfully contend that
this service could be maintained 10 500
subscribers between these places at the
price received without loss 10 the COM
pany. No reasonable person would or
should ask that the company maintain
a losing business. What merchant fol-
lows this practice in his business? Ii is
true that other points in the system that
are making money might be called upon
to supply the loss here, but what mer.
chant would maintain store in Alma
only by consuming his prohts that he
may make IN one at Ithaca or st. Louis?
And IL the company was selling its
goods at loss in Alma, is it fair or hon.
est to hold up another community for
the loss: Again, other communities
had the right TO demand what the COM
pany was giving here. The people OF
Greenville and stanton could demand
"free service 80 Shepherd and Mt.
Pleasant, and 80 on through the whole
territory. This was in fact the demands
Of its representatives. Is was then a
question OF giving it everywhere or
stopping it here. To give it everywhere
meant loss, ruin, insolvency this meant
the surrender OF the field to the BELL
company. What subscriber OF this
company would invite such disaster? |
The Union Telephone company 10 today
with "free service" eliminated, giving |
to our people far better service 70 eight
times the subscribers the Bell ever
did and charging less than one-half Of
the money for it. Friends, business
methods must prevail il the Union com.
pany shall live. The old Gratiot county |
system died because il sought to give too |
much for the money. The BELL" COM
pany is in the hands Of receiver be.
cause il sought to give too little. This
company can be killed by either method |
or you can drive il to sell its properties
to its competitor This alternative is
always open TO il Will you invite dis
aster to our interests and to it by any of
these methods? Do you insist upon any |
OF these alternatives?
There is now organizing, so we are |
told, telephone company to operate a
system between our villages. Ii offers
free service, free stock in the company,
free every thing to get you to subscribe
to 1t. What is il? It's officers are the |
BELL" agents in Alma, Ithaca and st.
Louis with three attorneys added to
complete the board of directors Ac.
cording to their own statements is pro.
poses to use the old "Bell" system
between these villages for its service.
The exchanges are to De built with
BELL" money, and they propose to give
il the appearance Of a local enterprise by
assuming new name under new and
local management. 1t seeks TO avoid
the odium OF its record by putting up
this dummy and in its new dress parade
before the public. 1t asks you TO get
under its cloak and prosecute your bene.
factors. Will you do it? What is to be
gained by such a warfare? Concede for
the argument that one half OF the pres