The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1907-03-29

re-organiZatiOn Ga your leiepAOhS ssS
tenn. IL is proper to briefly review our
career to date, that We may from our
mast difhculties find lessons Of useful !
sxnerience and from our successes in
spiration for future effort
In 1896 when We first began our
contest with the telephone trust. the
monopoly had less than one hundred
Instruments In Maury County. Six
communities only were connected with
Columbia. to which IS cent tolls were
charged.
This represented the result Of TWEEN
~ wears unopposed occupancy Of the
territory by the Bell trust. Residence
rates ran from two to three dollars
and business from $3.50 to $500. In
1906. with ten years of competition,
there are about 1900 instruments in
service-eyery community in the coun-
~ is connected with every other and
tolls have been abolished.
The rates of the Citizens Company
are 800 for residence and $l.26 for
business, plus the interest on the
stock held by each subscriber The
average amount of stock held by each
subscriber is a little less than $S5,
which at per cent. equals an Interest
charge of $500; or it costs $l4 per
wear for a Citizens residence phone
and SIT per year for a Citizens bust
ness phone This, too, is a fate rate
and APPLIES to the entire county. Tne
nresent Bell rate for points within
FIVE miles of an exchange are $lS.SO
for residence and $33 for business per
wear. Beyond the FIVE mile limit rates
progressively increase. This present
Bell rate may be contrasted with their
rate ten years ago which was then for
residence $24 to $50 per year as
against $3.50 now, and for business
s36 to $50. 1t must not be overlooked
that tho amount of service given Is
ten fold greater now than then, ana
that the County tolls have been aool'
ished.
We are abiding only to present
rates The Bell has had every sort
of rate since 1896, running from "gra'
cious gifts of service up through oU
cents per month to its present rates
When in 1896 our people began &c
realize the unjust and insufficlen'
character of the Bell service, attempts
wero made to get satisfaction by ne
gotiation with the officials OF the cum
berland Company. A deaf ear was
turned to the protesting commltte'
that was sent to Nashville by our pee
nile for the purpose of securing NOR
oxtenisye service and more equHapl'
rates. Then the contest began
second conference with the Bell omci
oils resulted in clearly defining the az
titude of the trust
defiant refusal to admit that tn
neople had any right whatever to one
nrotest at real or fancied wrong, wa
the gist of the Caldwell-Hme reply
IF you don't like our rates OF III
service you get, you don't nave 70 pa
ronize rs" The committee was oil
missed with the intended sarcasm .
ahead with your wild cat schem'
and he sure to use large poles lo
shortly you will need them to nloe u
hind in very shame at your farcic'
failure" Then did our doughty n
low rage and use large words an
large poles.
Lander began to beat his tom-'o
about the tents of the much-afralo' az
u the weakened put on war pam
Smiser gave voice too to a pursuasl'
oratory. and eagles with dollars
their backs began to settle on o.
standard. Fulton plucked quiz al
began to write down the names OF u
rebels. Gooch yelled to the 1arinei
"come ON. boys" and the farmers
gan to saw wood"
Indeed We had most Just al
righteous cause and while the imme
late end sought was more and cneS
or telephones, the chief source OF 0
strength from the beginning TO ne
d has ever been our clear recognltion
the fact that there was inVoived
this struggle a principle dear 10
heart of every man and woman VINO
soul was eves stirred by strains
that deathless song, my Country
Of Thee, Sweet Land OF LiDer'
Our county deserves especial ere
as being one of the few communi.
that twelve years ago gave prac'i
expression to its sense and resentm'
at corporate oppression 1t became
cenlre, like a few others at that u
widely scattered over the Union If
which there has since radiated an