The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-11-16

were also raised ana edCn llNle hucn !
was done a storm Of protest went up
from the public which finally became
so strong that the matter was taken
before the corporation commissi q ia
some instances, and into the courts in
others We are concerned with the |
outcome of the whole question of rate /
raising az citizens of the state. But J
we are especially concerned with the 1
outcome Of the Guthrie fight as citizens !
Of Guthrie.
Il would not matter what we should |
here say relative TO the iustness or
the iniustness of the raise in rates
by the Pioneer company as far as the !
decision of the supreme court is con
cerned. And even we're we to print a
book on the question, and the supreme
court would take the book as evidence
the status of things would not bt
changed at all. The whole question
involved is in realit yone Of public
sentiment. To the average mind the
question comes like this, why cannot
the telephone company maintain l.50C
phones for a specified rate per phone
It they maintain 500 phones for that
rte? The average person will say
the phones have increased only three
4blu Will at the same llinG int ~
vcnue has also increased three fold.
These ideas in the individual mind
have crystaliized into public senti-
T1ent to such a degree that the public
accepts them as established facts
without taking into consideration tn,
real facts. In other words. the idea
that 1900 phones can be maintained
at the same rate as SEQ phones is
blind conclusion, reached upon Il mere
idea that even itself will not stand
an analysis.
Il is an admitted fact tnat Guthrie
coull not 10 without her telephone
system The system has been of
value to the town that will never be
calculated. 1t was started s years
ago and hal the competition of an
o.her company. Four years ago the
two companies were consolidated. At
first there were only iDout 500 phones
in use; now there are 1900 in use.
At first there was only small bit Of
space occupied with compartments
fo- the exchange; now the whole sec.
oni floor and half the first floor Of
large building is used. Thus II will
be seen that the business of the com
pany has brought added investments
60 the city and thus has helped the
town in that way in addition 20 the
asde service rendered.
The whole purpose Of this article is
- s..ls the people into closer touch
with the good the Pioneer Telephone
company IS doing the city and at tne
same time show why 1t was necessary
TO raise the Guthrie rates. The argu-
ment is submitted for the considera-
ton of the people only. No one Is
asked to accept It as any absolute
conclusion. The Pioneer company
courts the investigation of the state
ments made. In on1er to judge right
ly every man must understand both
sides Of question involved. A 2
business institution the Pioneer com
pany is Just as much entitled to a
gearing as any other business in
ssitution using It's service. After all
their interests are mutual But you
may be sure that that same other
business institution wouli never grant
the Pioneer company any advantage
unless 10 received a reasonable com
pensation for the same
Considered from every reasonable
standpoint the telephone company
should have more for their phones as
the number increases. For. Instance.
suppose YlGen the system waG IN
stallel here the company figured out
a rate sufficient to maintain such a
system and pay a reasonable profit
There were then 500 phones I'm use.
The business men never made any
kick, but accepted the rates as rea-
Fonable. They considered the matter
as a business proposition and decide
that they could not 10 without a
lhone. In other words they admitted
by their very acceptance Of the rates
then that 1t was a paying proposition
for them to put In a phone Those
who put phones into their residences
looked upon The matter in the same
way. They consilerei that the ser
vice was worth that much to them as
matter of convenience Now let us
note the change. There were at
f-st only 500 phones There are now
500 or just three times as many.
The man who has a pnOne now
reaches just three times as many peo-
pie as he did az first He Is IN other
words getting three times as much
service. Why shouiin't he pay three
times as much? II 500 phones we're
wgrtd $3.50 to the business or pro
fessiona man. why shoul int 800
phones be worth $3.50?
The company does not ask the busi-
ness man to pay them three times as
much, howeye~. II merely asks him
10 pay dividend on the a iditional cosf
Of construction and maintenance and
dnxreased cost OF operation. This
brings MS 10 q part OF the question
where all tne confusion and lack Of
understanding lies, First, We will
consider the added cost in construc-
iinn.
In the first place we will iismiss
from the consideration Of this part OF
tie question. excent TO mention it al
the added necessities around the Of
Ace aud the exehangs such as fixtures,
supplies. and the additional r-ecau-
lions necessitated by large Fxehanges,
snch as lightning projections. etc,
ar tue aliitlOnal room taken mp. be-
,,..o no MIN aav that tha rpvpntlp