Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1907-03-02
BYH. e. BLAKEsLEE, JACKSON

None can fail to realize the justness
Of the effort being made to reduce the
rates for telephone service TO rural
subscribers. The telephone is mod
ern convenience that should be In the
home Of every citizen of the State, but
the arbitrary rate charged at present
by the company that has an almost
complete monopoly of the business in
Mississippi will greatly retard if not
completely stop, the extension of service
to the rural districts. At present the
rate is based on the rate charged by the
local exchange, plus forty cents for
each mile out for direct line service and
twenty-five cents per mile for party line
service. For instance, the man living
ten miles from town with a residence
rate of 81, would be compelled to pay
So for direct service or 81. so for party
line service. Such rates as these are
prohibitiye. The writer believes that
the railroad commission will grant a
material reduction in these rates if the
people will try to show that it is work
ing a hardship on them and preventing
the extension OF the service. Would
ikelto have expressions from all inter-
ested in this matter The Farmers
Union, a body of more than 10000
farmers Of the State, has indorsed this
reduction Then let others who have
an interest in the matter be heard from.
The municipal ownership" idea OF
certain public utilities is gaining
strength in many sections Of the Stato,
jackson is soon to vote on the PROPOSE
tion to issue $2l6,00O in bonds for pur-
chasing the water plant as well as an
additional issue for the purpose of i'm
proving the plant and enlarging its ca
pacity to meet the demands OF grow
ing city Some time ago Ya2oo City
proposed to issue bonds for the purpose
of building an electric street railway, a
decided innovation for Mississippi, al
though Monroe, La, has such plant
in successful operation. Bidders on
the bonds, which were to bear low
rate of interest, did not show up strong,
and for some time 1t looked as if YaZoo
was not going to have railway.
Within the past few days a firm has
shown up that proposes to take the
bonds at par in payment for building
the plant. The impression is that
Ya2oo will soon have installed the first
municipal railway system in the State.
The success Of ne movement will be
watched with great interest, Munich
pal ownership is distinctiyely popu-
listic proposition, but along with many
other good features of that once loudly
heralded platform, has been appro-
pria'ed by one or the other Of the older
parties. The arbitrary position as
sumed toward the public by trusts and
corporations is fast making friends for
ownership by the people Of utilities,
Pontotoc is d splendid county in many
respects, and especially so in the pro-
duction of fine porkers. Ulton Caldwell
of Cherry Creek, in that county, re-
Gently killed four six-months old shoats
that netted $50 pounds of pork, and
Clark Wilson Of Pontotoc killed one
fifteen months old that netted $50
pounds. These instances substantiate
the assertion that Mississippi is well
adapted to the raising of hogs and that
meat can be produced here as cheaply,
il not cheaper, than anywhere in the
world. 1t is branch of farming that
has come into prominence during the
past few years and one that deserves
more attention than is at present being
paid it. There is good money in hog
raising, and it is an undeniable fact
that Mississippi should raise every
pound of meat that she consumes.
Preparations for the coming chau-
tauquas are being made thus far in ad-
vance, and the attractions this year
will be ahead Of the past. ReNs~sss Y
Jones has been selected as q l
the Gloster Chautauqua p1
mittee and the work of SCI
has been begun. G. II.
ident of the associate
field vice-president,
troas4rer ana G. N.
, The time selected is
elusive. The buildilI s8' SHzfA
will be repaired and ssa l:l3s
management hopes Il
cottages by the tr
opened This is
OF entertainment tn
patronage.
With the takiAza1
cotton mills by u
million dollars
antee that it \ cd
rated, busines. zsz * + ~ s.s &
that little city
up again and
son will be asl Il n # Fl N i
before. u -
ty fair THY