The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1906-04-13
Mr.. HARDIN
EXPLAINS
TELLS WHY HE WAS DIscHARG.
ED FROM THE SERVICE OF
THE CUMBERLAND TELE-
PHONE COMPANY.
Saturdays American Contains the
Following Card From Mr.. James A.
Hardin, Son of DR.. J. o. Hardin,
Of Spring Hill.
"To the Editor of the American:

Since you published in this morn
ings American clipping from the
Columbia Herald, giving the sub
stance of my recent discharge from
the Cumberland Telephone & Tele.
graph Company, l desire to ask for
sufficient space in your columns to
state my case, so that l may not suf-
fer in the estimation of the pbulic
from being discharged further than
my conduct has merited.
For something over five years past
have been connected with the cleo
trical shops and the electrical engin-
eering work of various kinds in it's
service. Monday morning, March &c,
while at work at my usual duties in
the electrical engineering department,
was Unexpectedly summoned by
telephone to the Office of Leland
Hume, General Manager of that COM
pany, for my first interview with him.
Upon reaching the Office Mr.. Hume
informed me that he had on the day
before been on visit to Spring Hill
to the family of his brother-in-law,
w. G. Branham, and had learned there
that the Board of Mayor and Alder
men at Spring Hill, of which Mr..
Branham is a member, had granted
franchise for another or Home Tele-
nh ot
that he had learned that my father,
DR.. James o. Hardin, an Alderman at
Spring Hill had voted in favor Of this
franchise. / replied that this was the
very first intimation / had even had
Of the intention of the Home Com
pany to build in Spring Hill, as had
had pressing duties that had occupied
all my time in the electrical depart
ment, and I had not kept posted on
other affairs, and that l further pre-
sumed that my father had acted as
he thought right and without confer
ring with me. I stated further that
as I always desired to do what could
honestly in behalf of the company
was working for, could not see how
the way in which my father voted in
the matter (entirely unknown to mel
could in any way affect my connec-
ton with the technical work in the
electrical department of the company,
and why 1 should be drawn into the
matter in any way whatsoever.
"At this time understood from Mr.
Hume that the franchise granted
must be for local exchange only,
and I told Mr.. Hume that 1 honestly
believed two telephone systems would
be impracticable in SO small place
as Spring Hill, and that, had known
in time, might have expressed my
honest convictions on this point to
my father openly in the interest of
the company was working for.
"Mr. Hume thereupon Immediately
told me to talk to my father over the
long distance phone and ascertain
definitely what had been done in re-
gard to the franchise, and whether
he had voted for it, which I immed-
lately did, ascertaining from my faith
er that he had voted in favor of the
measure, as he and other members of
the Board deemed it expedient, and
that franchise had been definitely
granted. This I repeated to Mr..
Hume; whereupon he said that unless
my father and all my people could be
loyal to my interests and those of the |
company l was working for that l
might never expect any favor from
them again, and that he would not |
give the snap of his finger for my |
chances in the future with his COM |
pany after this
THE following Sunday I spent in |
Spring Hill and conferred with my |
father and Mr. Branham in regard |
to the matter, stating the substance |
of my interview with Mr.. Hume. Both |
expressed surprise and establishment
that Mr.. Hume could hold me respon-
sible and my position with the COM
pany in danger on account of the way |
my father, public officer, had voted.
I further learned that the franchise |
that had been granted by the Mayor
and Board of Aldermen at Spring Hill
was for competing long distance tel
ephone company.
"On Monday, April 2, was again
to Mr.. Humes office, and
| opened the conversation, saying
that 1 presumed he wished to see me
In regard to the matter under discus
sion recently, and stated to him that
| had been to Spring Hill and had
seen Mr.. Branham and my father in
regard to the matter, and had ascer-
aimed from them that a franchise
had been finally granted to an indie
pendent long distance company.
"Mr. Hume then offered the follow
To eafI khok he ho1 |