Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1904-03-18
COMPETITION
Is the Life of Trade in TeIe.
phones.
Cumberland Company Climbs
: Down From its Exalted
Perch.

WV lhdL INC t1OlRC CpAOhC
Company is at work and the con-
struction of its plant is an assured
fact, the people of Hopkinsville are
already deriving substantial bene-
hts from the prospect of competition.
Under date of March 1, the Cum
berland Telephone and Telegraph
Company has sent out a circular
letter to all its Hopkinsville sub
scribers, promising general i'm
provements in its present service
and equipment. as follows:
The company is now actively
engaged III the work of installing,
in its new telephone building, IN
the city of Hopkinsville, the latest
type of multiple, visual signal,
common battery switchboard, and
as soon as this service is installed,
the present telephones will be ex-
changed for the newest type, and
Hopkinsville can then boast of its
telephone facilities.
Then after discussing telephone
promoters who are coming into a
field heretofore exclusive, the cir
cular makes further bid to hold
its patronage with this promise:
From this date, as a further
evidence of our appreciation of our
customers, we will, without add.
tional charge, give free service tc
the subscribers at Pembroke and
Lafay yette, with the understanding
that this service will continue ONLY
to those who use our service exclu
sively.'
This concession would have beer
long time coming, but for the
competition that has forced it from
an unwilling monopoly. That th,
Home Company is entitled to tn,
credit, is proven in the next para
graph of the circular, which reads
"Most communities now recog
nize the fact that the introduction
of any second telephone servic,
simply means an additional anC
useless burden on the community
and many communities are refus
ing to be made a tool OF in any sucf
manner"
The competing line this time has
not been useless burden. 1t ha:
already brought an extended
service, the promise of a better
service and the next step will be q
reduction in the pres ent rates.
Watch that point Ii will come
in due time, although the Cumber
land people assured the counci
that they could not operate a sys
tenn for less than the present
schedule of rates.
BY the time the Home COMPANY
begins its service, the Cumberland
will be in state of frantic desper
alton. 1t is well enough also tC
bear in mind that the service giver
by the Cumberland to one subscri
Der will have to be given to al
alike, no matter how many other
telephone companies or telegraph
companies the subscribers against
whom it is desired to discriminate
may patronize. The laws of the
State protect the public from such
practices as the Cumberland Com.
pany's circular implies that il
would be willing to indulge in.
AS to whether two telephone
systems are desirable or not, the
public is able to decide. Christian
county has population of 10000
and there are only about 1000
telephones in the county. There is
certainly an opening for telephones
among the thousands of people who
have none. 1t may add a few dos
lars expense to business men, but
1t will be infinitely better to have
tWO OOOd nhOnes at a low nrice tha n
one poor one at high price.
We congratulate the people of
Hopkinsville on the growing pros
pect of relief from their trials and
tribulations in the telephone line,
that have for years lightened their
po:ketbooks and made IT so diff.
6cult for them to keep the third
commandment.