The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1904-01-23

privilege that few citizens Of any city
enjoy. No franchise can be granted to
any corporation by the common coun-
Gil, without first giving the people the
right of voting upon it, that is if they
desire that right.
The city council, after deliberate
judgement deemed it wise to grant to
the enith City Telephone company
the right to increase it's rates; it be-
ing proven to the satisfaction Of the
council that the company needed high
er rates in order that it might continue
to do business. ,
A certain few people wished a chance
to vote on the proposition, and so ac-
cording to the charter they are given
that chance. Prejudice against all COR
from fairly considering the position Of
the Zenith Telephone Company.
Labor World Converts One.
A certain reader of the Labor World
said to us:-"I am prejudiced against
all corporations, and fully intended to
vote against the Zenith Telephone
company, until I read the Labor World
last week. I believe that we need the
Zenith company for protection against
the avarice and arrogance of the Bell
Company" Hundreds of other readers
were of the same opinion. Reason will
compel every fair minded man to sup
port the Zenith company.
It has been made evident that the
Zenith company will be- compelled to
suspend business if the people do not
show disposition to be fair with it at
this time.
No one wants the Bell company to
have monopoly on the telephone busi-
ness in this. city again. The people
suffered severely for a number of
years, because of the merciless atti-
tude Of this tyraft1 aaofporation Give
them the power aga1n:and it will COM
pei the people to repay it for every
dollar it has lost since the Zenith conn.,
pany became it's competitor. Under
the ruling Of the supreme Court the
City has but little control over the
Bell company. 1t is extremely doubt
full II the city can ever regulate the
rates it can chaRaex-xa :cities where
it has, a monopoly.--un the, telephone
business its rates are exorbitant. This
being true, what can be. expected II
theIB BellaSSeornp has full sway
s.ls3t Is
1lotls tot 1drssnt.
There is but 1hs Atthirk to as. y ote
for.the amendment to the franchise, OF
Zenith City Telephone company. 1t
means good, modern;,s..1sto date tele-
phone service. &1tsIss1n1ia- a continu-
ance of: a broad. policy IN the use Of
telephones. It means work for Duluth
| laboringmens during the coming sum-
mer. It means the extension Of tele-
phone service to Duluth Heights and
other suburbs. Best of all it means
the privilege of agalnssettIng the peo-
pie Of Duluth atssthstr:smercy.
Every member Of organized labor
should vote for the Zenith company
because it recognizes union labor
| while the Bell company is opposed to
it. Zenith employees work but eight
hours a day. Bell employees work the
| long workday. The Zenith company
deals with union labor. The Bell COM
| pany positively refuses to have any,
thing to do with union labor. Support
your friends, just as much as you
| knock your enemies. Let us all turn
out and give the Bell company a
strong rebuke by voting solidly for the
Zenith company.
The Zenith City. company comes out
this week with an additional statement
| Of it's position on the proposed amend
| ment, which is as follows:
Statement From Company.
BY practically unanimous vote,
after six months consideration the
Common Council OF the City passed an
ordinance amending the franchise OF
this Company SO, as to allow it to
charge rates somewhat commensurate
with the cost of furnishing service,
This ordinance was passed by the
Council after the most painstaking in
vestigation and only after the various
members had become. thoroughly con-
vinced that to deny the.inerease would
be to seal the doc IN of the Zenith City
Telephone Co. If it had not been for
the industry of a couple of our esteem
ed attorneys, viz: Mr.. Leo Ball. and
Mr.. Thomas Alva Gall, in circulating
a petition asking that this amendment
be submitted to a vote of the people,
the ordinance would now be in force.
These gentlemen admit that their in
dustry was considerably stimulated by
a satisfactory fee duly paid, but ex-
ercise the privilege of their profession
in declining to- disclose the name of
their client, or the reason of their en-
ployment. We have heard no clamor
for submission Of this question to a
vote, and know of but one interest that
could afford to pay much to harass us.
1t would seem that the same longing
for the public welfare that impelled the
clients Of Messrs. Ball and Gall to- put
up good money to set this question be-
fore the people, would have impelled
them to come forward, disclose their
indentity and expose the tniquities hid
den in this piece OF municipal legisla-
tion to the end that you might act in
telligently at the coming election. Since
they seem loath to- do this, we have
decided in this circula call your at
tention to the situation and ask you
to ratify the action Of your Legislature.
: Relief Must Come From People:
- This ordinances y era nt a. I1aX m rnnre