Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1903-07-24
Some Questions are Also
Asked The People MtO
are Contemplating
a ChanQU.
THE MATTER SHOULD BE
CAREFULLY CONSIDERED
A Business Proposition the
People Should be Interest
ed In.

On Tuesday evening OF this week al
informal meetiRg Of citizens OF Alma
stockholders in the Union Telephone
company, was hAld in the o4tce OF the
company. From reliable information
furnished to the meeting it appears:
1. That the parent company was or
panized in Alma Ia provide relief from
the high rates and poor service Gnposed
by the Bell company.
2 That the service of the L nioR com
pany has been constantly extended, Is
increasingly efficient and satisfactory,
reaches many desirable points IN
touched by the Bell" has receStly
added Detroit to its list. and that the
prices charged for its services are coz
ceded to be reasonable.
3. That the Union company's general
offices are located in Alma, thus making
our banks the depositories Of its funds
$3.50 900 to S75 900 per year which are
available as other deposits for loans to
business men, farmers and others; that
the regular and special meetings OF the
directors and stockholders brings money
10 our hotels and restaurants, while its
current expenses swell the receipts OF
orr printers and merchants; that the
families of number of its employees re
side here and increase the volume OF
local trade by the amount of their liv-
ing expenses. The "Bell" spends little
or nothing here.
That about $50, 100000 Of the stock
of the Union company is owned by resi-
dents of Alma, Ithaca and st. Louis,
more than one-half $50 600 OF this
amount being held by residents of Alma
fo1 in
g. The Bell company is now IN the
hands Of a receiver and the date set for
the sale of its property. For reasons
which are easily surmised, that COM
pany desires TO make its property appear
as valuable as possible, and by the usual
inducements secures few local names
TO pose as a new corporation about TO
install new telephone system The
telephone is a great convenience but
users of telephones know that two sys-
TENS in a small community make IL a
necessary nuisance, doubling the ex-
pense and impairing the service. But
by promises of "free service between
Alma, Ithaca and st. Louis" flor which
90 per cent of subscribers have little or
no use) padded lists of subscribers
backed by equally padded representa-.
tions, that everybody is going in"
these solicitors have secured number
of subscribers, many of whom promptly |
repudiated their contracts on learning
the facts about the so-called new COM
pspy. When q receivers sale takes
place promises OF promoters vanish into
chin air.
Question--In view of the foregoing, IS
it good business policy for our local
,. aud professional men to
thoughtiessly OF uenp-rn,ely An
taQoniss and jeopardizs the
interests OF a large number OF their
friends and neighbors, substantial citi.
zens Of Alma, Ithaca and st. Louis,
without sufficient reward, simply for
the sake of helping three or four sub.
sidized men to reinstate for little While
a service which the communities named
discarded for good cause short time
ago: And especially at time when
any general encouragement to new
system might lose 10 our village the
general offices Of the Union company.
The BELL" cannot give-for they
haven't the connections-and their sub
scribers cannot hope TO receive as good
service as the home company now fur.
nishes. Then why encourage q propo-
sition in which every new subscriber TO
it impairs the service of every telephone
user in the community? The interests
of this community and the home COM
pany are mutual and hence the Union
Telephone company hopes 70 receive
that loyal support and encouragement
which will enable it to make further ex-
tensions and render its service increas-
ingly valuable to its patrons.