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


be measured in money. Is il not
curious coincidence that Boston,
where the revolutionary patriots gave
their first Tea Party" should. in the
whirlIgig Of time. find itself the bee
fouIed nesting place Of that vulture
among lawbreaking corporations-the
American Bell Telephone & Telegraph |
Company? History. as Of old, is again
repeating itself. Maury County has
for the past twelve years been having
a Tea Party" Of its own that has CIV
en- the Cumberland Telephone & Tele-
graph Co.. the vulture's relocated
lieutenant in this territory, sensa-
lions closely akin to what the Eng
lish Tories are said to have felt when
they heard of the Boston Tea Party.
AS soon as the Bell Company real
ICED that we meant business, 1t began
campaign of guerrilla warfare.
Its Hessian hirelIngs trooped over
our county, belittling our efforts and
assailing our motives. Rates were
cut way below living possibilities
short, they tried to freeze us out
The campaign, however, proved TO
be a boomerang for the Octopus us
villainous arrows began to puncture
its own thick hide. In dull amaze
ment it realized that Maury county
could not be bought. Then and not
before did it throw off its transparent
| guise. Then the rates went up 10 the
noint where it required some figuring
To calculate whether, as a matter OF
money. it was cheaper to pay tnelr
higher rates or by taking stock with
the Home Company, get its lower
rate. In other words, they did not re-
turn to their original high rates, but
established a rate little higher tnan
a competitive rate. They did not
dare to 60 much above a competitive
rate. they would have gone out OF ous'
mess. Here let me remark that every
user Of the Bell Telephone has TOT
the past ten years been adding to the
debt he owes to the Citizen 90. ne
fore we forced the Bell, neither rear
: nor favor could induce it to serve the
I, farmer or small merchant. 1t was
against their policy Do you suppose
D a sense Of public duty moved the Bel
I to wire our County? No, they had &C
6 do II or be put out, of business. DC
: you suppose they would maintain tnen
i. nresent competitive rates If the Gu
S zen quit business? Would captiV'
o balloon rise If the rope was cut
). It is no argument that they GU
@ when they point out that they haV'
Q the same rate in Giles and William
A son and Marshall Counties as the
r have in Maury Granted that the
t. have, what of it? Are our siste
counties blind? No, with one eye o.
e Maury and the other half closed the
~ hova twisted the Bells tail and poin
Is ed a moral.
:. To our friends, many of whom nav
10 unwittingly helped the enemy, CIV
+ sincere invitation to join US in TIL
6. effort TO make Maury County a shil
70 ing example in period where exam
e, pies Of successful trust busting al
or scarce.
Q. In spite of our experience; in SPIT
q, 90 oxnansive lessons we had to learn
H. in spite Of our greatest handicap tn
I'd lack of long distance connections, "
have succeeded. Our fight forced Ii
M Bell away from its policy OF sma
i'd exchange, limited service and exto
It tionate rates. In self-defense IL ns
We to wire the country.
on Touching on the progress OF our Cof
UT pany during the last seven years. the'
nd is something to be said.
he When | took charge in Sept. lS'
re- orr exchange numbered $50 subscri
,e- ers Our liabilities considerably
ceeded our dVdlldDie ds9OI9'
nd our main routes were in poor repa
ed and owing to the difficulty up to tn
ap- date in getting a good independe
,ur make of telephone, from one-third
ow one-half of the instruments IN SCI
of ice were exceedingly defective. y
in exchanges too we're inadequately ST
he piled with operators. These dra
,se backs coupled with the greatest dra
of back of all viz: no long distance CO
It's nections, made the outlook, all in
"" exceedingly gloomy. But ! had a
dit still have an abiding faith In human
les The people will do the right thing
cal only they can be clearly convinced
emit the right.
, BY dint of economies here and the
ate and chiefly by trying to instill II
ON the minds of all employees OF
ed Company that the public had rig
oor .ho4 wa were hound to respect,