The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1908-05-09

and ate IN ionjj
81 law. Iss
Inf rmation has also been receiyeIs
by the Internal ona1s Asspcfatt ION that
some OF the concerns dealing mi tele
phone supplies and eaui pment have
formed and for some time have matt
tained an unlawful ombination for the
.purpose OF preventing competition anil
maintaining prices In d such supplies
which lay such firms and companies
and those concerned therein. liable 10
the same laws above referred to and
these violations should be treated with
equal %impartiality as those participate
cd in by operating companies. s VII
Tt IS q anticipated thptF the 1nternn.
tional Association will soon take upon
itself the responsibility OF looking aft.
er the enforcement OF these whole
some laws and In that the association
solicits the faithful cooperation OF all
citizens. NJ 81!
Competition.
| Competition in the telephone bust
ness is bound to exist In some form
or other, unless the business should
be taken under the absolute ownership
or control OF the government or mu-
inequalities. and of this there is lit
tie or no probability under modern
laws and conditions. So long as mo-
nonolies are abhored and every man
riEhtfully free to engage in any law
full enterprise. It Is reasonable to ex.
and capital ready to enter the tele.
phone field as they would any other
business. where no competition ex-
lists. Government or municipal regu
lation may regulate. hut It can neith-
er lawfully prohibit or destroy COM
, petition. Is - X
This being true It Is by opinion that
the. Independent companies can best
subserve their own interests and the
public good by accepting the present
known competition and by conttnu-
ing to meet 1t fairly in the field. The
conditions of competition have been
and now are those of nonopolistic
and foreign company as against n
system OF independent local compa-
MES organized, Differed, financed AMI
! managed by the people of their re-
spective communities. The ,tndepentl-
ents have nothing to fear from such
competition and having had the loyal
support and approval OF the public In
the past. they may rightfully expect
1t in the future. When the fndepend
ents entered the telephone field IN
, competition with the Bell company
!, secured their franchises. obtained thu
: patronage OF the people and connect
ell up. with other independent compa
MES. they assumed trust towards
the general public and their co.inde
pendent companies which they have
no moral right now to aubndon or bar
a ter away. And this obligation Is b.
t no means one sided. The general puu
Y lie in return have no only llrec
{ interest. but a moral responsibility.
l. to sustain the independents in main
!. tanning the benefits of legitimate CON
:. petition.
;, am Of the opinion that the indie
pendent telephone companies of tn
r country fail to comprehend the in
r portnnce Of their own position and tn
r rela tive value OF their respective PROF
Il critics. Many rights and by-rroduct
J. which now lie dormant and yield n
:. return whatever. only await cot
"a structive hnnl 10 arouse them to a.
t tivity and organize them into div
d dend bearing asset. The time ha
now come. when instead OF conside
t. ing tho forming OF unlawful alliance
=. independent telephone companie
:; should improve the financial and PHI.
steal condition OF their properties an
=. assist In the more complete organic
ton and perfection OF great ind
| pendent telephone system. There
a growing need for this. for the wor
4 ahead Is such that no other existir
telephone system Is so well fitted
| accomplish AMI no Individual compa1
4 adequately equipped to finance. Pa
experience has proven that It Is II
possible for any one company orga
lied upon lines other than a popul'
system such as the independent p1a
TO develop the undeveloped field NJ
at the same time take care OF IL
l wonderful increased popular use
l the telephone and the natural incres
Il ed demand incident to rapidly gro
ing population.
When we take into considerable
the wonderful increase in the numb
of telephones in the last ten year
the amount OF undeveloreh territor
A the cities and towns and rural CO
y mnnnties wherein telephone compe