The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-05-31

An astonishing surprise is prom
ised by the promoters of the Home
Telephone company. which is seeking
franchises in many Rhode Island
towns and cities without revealing
to the public it's stockholders or the
character of the service II proposes to
render.
In order that the surprise may not
be a disagreeable one many people. es-
pecially business men who have had
experience with corpor atoms that have
not dealt fairly by the city and state
are insisting that more light be shed
before the city council binds the city
to the chariot wheels of the new
concern.
They ask, '1f the new telephone COM
pany. which has already persuaded sew
eral town councils to grant franchises
without knowing TO whom the fran
chises are TO go. Is backed by men In
whom the people have confidence, or
have reason TO trust. what good reason
is there TO withhold their names from
the peoples"
on the one side the game is wide
open. The councilm'en are known and
they represent a certain definite num-
ber OF citizens. On the other side are
a lot of men, their attorney say. who
have ample capital. an improved. thor
oughly up-to-date telephone system
and the honest desire to furnish a
better telephone service to the people
OF the state.
The experience OF the people OF
Rhode Island with franchise grabbers
has not always been pleasing, even
when the men behind the grabs were
known. At times these men have been
better known to the councilmen than
they have been TO the councilmens
constituents; but they were known
to some extent.
In this case, however, only the at
torneys who represent the new COM
pany, which starts out with capitali-
zation OF s2500,000, equal to that or
the old company, KNOW VINO arc pc-
hind II.
The lawyers are reputable men stand
ing high in their profession; but IL is held
not TO be sufficient for the public TO know
that their clients are satisfactory to the
lawyers as men able to pay their fees.
Have the people no more concern than
to surrender the use of their streets to
a lot of men who hide behind their at-
torneys rather than come into the light
where they can be measured. weighed
and appraised at their true value" was
the way one cilzen expressed II today.
''It may be, of course, that the directors
OF the Home Telephone company are as
honora BILE and even richer than any OF
those who are back OF the old company
with which they wish TO compete: but are
not the people entitled 20 know the facts.
rather than go blindfoded into this tele-
phone war the Home Telephone people
wish to precipitate. Will not the people
run the risk of suffering In the end
whether the experiment OF having two
companies proves successful or disas-
trous TO the companies?
"will not the failure OF the new COM
pany to make good, should IL fail TO do so.
tend TO make the old company more in
dependent in dealing with the people and.
should the new company prove the victor
In the impending struggle thereby show
ing how much more powerful IL Is than
the old company. would that have ten
dency 10 make II any fairer to the people
with whom II will have 10 deal?
THE people wish to know first whether
they can trust the new men, II they should
deem IL advisable to try the experiment
OF having two telephone companies. They
have the right 10 know; and they will
know II their servants In the city council
do their duty"
II b, eaid that the Home Telephone com.
pany will give a service that IL not an
automatic one. but win be operated from
a central switchboard The authority for
this statement Is Walter III. Barney, an
attorney for the company. who was seen
this morning by a representative OF the
News Democrat.
When asked who were back OF the en-
terpriee. Mr.. Barney eaid that the men
interested in the company did not at
present wish TO be known. but that later
the names would be made public and the
people OF the state would be 'astonished."
When asked II Senator Aidrich or Mars
den J. Perry were interested In the pro-
ject, as reported, Mr.. Barney said:
You must not ask too many questions"
Continuing he said that Rhole Island
people who are strong In financial and
business circles and some prominent