Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1907-10-23
s1A1EsyILLE AND lREDELL COUNTY.
The Independent Telephone csTcanT tn-
creases It Rate. Yet Cheaper Thas he Bell.

The Independent Telephone Company tr-
creases It Rate. Yet Cheaper Thss he Bell.
statesville Landmark, Oct 1b-1sth.
Federal court convenes here
Monday. In addition to tie usual
amount of cases for violatlons of
the internal revenue laws for
trial, there will be few other
cases. of inserest, though of no
special Importance.
While the editor of The Land
mark has had many close calls
during the more than Is years he
has edited the paper, he aad his
first experience in a Gaming eoisode
Tuesday afternoon. Fortunately
it was not the case Of angry citi-
zens invading the Office to take
their grievances out of the news-
paper mans hide. but a good del
egation called and through L. G.
Caldwell as spokesman presented
the editor a handsome gold headed
cane, inscribed with his name snd
"From Citizens of Ireaell Coun-
ty." The cane was donated by
81 individuals and business firms
of the town and county "as a
token of our appreciation fer what
The Landmark has done for the
business men of Statesville and
Iredell county by the stand it has
taken on debt-paying and .againat
Dead Beats"
The Iredell Telephone Co. has
raised rates and it is now in order
for Editor Clark, Of The Land
mark, to sit up and take notice.
His objection to the Bell service
was monopoly and the price Of
the service. It was this spirit
that prompted statesville to down
the Bell and institute a homemade
service.-Winston Republican.
The Greensboro Record ard the
Asheville Gazette-News (and pos
s,bly other papers) have referred
to the increase in telephone rates
by the home company; ane while
not saying so in so many words
both the Record and the Gazette
News leave the impression lat all
the fight against the Be has
amounted to nothing; IT, the
home company has dupac the,
people by raising rates aftt : rom
ising not to do SO, etc., az that
statesville had just as W. have
kept the Bell. Our contem ,N~aries
may not mean to be unfa =. but
the impression conveyed b. heir
language is incorrect. /; they
want to be fair they will s3ate the
exact facts, which we recite briefly
for their benefit:
The home company Cd not
promise to give service | y all
time at 81 and SO per morv, It
did propose to give it g. that
figure as long as possibl =. d it
did promise not to exec : sf.50
and $3.50. The compan plt in
a frst-olass modern syst n the
equal of any the Bell h.. It's
business so far exceeded pee
tations that it found it l.. sary
to increase and recently fled
it's patrons that beginning nary
1st next it would cha the
maximum amount agree Oh
81 so and 50. 50-at the sa time
making the concession of SER
vice over certain count, ines
where toll has heretofole oeen
charged.
It is also important to = e~e In
this connection that at Il GIN
mag of this phone fight ates-
Vile the opponents of Bell
nffered to let the Bell leV the
field if 1t would agree NO. ex-
oesd $150 and $3.50 u the
number of phones exceed 800,
after which it was to be wed
an increase. The Bell wo not
agree to begin on anytF Z less
than 50 and So or So 50 ring
only party line service, " was
not wanted, at 81 80 an. .50),
these prices to be increas the
business increased. This =, the
line of cleavage, and this ; the