Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1909-04-28

Willmar. say that poor phone con-
nections between Willmar and the
surrounding country and good phone
connection between New London
and it's territory, Spicer and it's
territory, Kandiyohi and its terri
tory, Pennock and it's territory
has doomed the latter places at the
expense of Wil|mar. I am not crit
icising the Willmar Office Mr..
Williams and the Office force are
not to blame-but l simply state
fact, that any farmer out on the
border line Of the trade territory
will corroborate. l say to you
business men of Willmar that be-
fore you can get the trade that real
ly belongs to you, you must have a
telephone central in Willmar that
will give the farmer customer bet
ter telephone service than any we
have had yet. A city telephone ex-
change is the only solution of the
question.
Now, Mr.. Editor, l would like to
see Willmar boom, no, grow ma
turally. What little have is right
here in Willmar real estate. It is
but little, and l pay only about
$500. 90 Of taxes per annum. have
tried to improve what little l have
so as to make it pay interest on in
vestment and improve its looks. |
have tried to contribute according
to my ability toward public i'm
provement, and will do SO in the
future. | have faith in the future
| of Willmar. Our water and light
plant is secure. The only public
utility monopoly we have is the
telephone exchange. 1t is the only
dark spot on our escutcheon. Re-
move that from our midst, and we
are on solid ground. This tele-
phone question has been lesson to
us. There is no danger that any
public utility franchise will ever be
granted by or kidnapped from the
city of Willmar again. Now then,
let the city buy the telephone plant
and be done with this question for
ever.
Then we can go ahead and boom
the city and the benefit of that
boom will fall to the city and not to
the Bell telephone m illionaires.
You. Mr.. Editor, a few years ago
was always talking prohibition.
Many of US were dubious about this
policy for a city of the size Of Will
mar. Still your ideas on the liquor
Question have won out. Willmar
will never have licensed saloons
again.
| Now, l am a crank on telephone
service at COST to our citizens.
Thief River Falls has just passed
through a telephone war and the
people there voted overwhelmingly
for a city plant. Willmar will
have a city telephone exchange
sooner or later. Let US have it
now. 1t will be the best financial
investment that the city ever made.
The city owns the streets and
need not ask for permits to locate
it's poles and lines. 1t pays no
taxes on its plant. Everything is
simplified. 1t is the only real solu-
ton of the question.
have talked with great many
taxpayers of the ordinary kind, and
all seem to be in favor of the city
going ahead to acquire the ex-
change. But there are a few big
men, understand, who are opposed
to municipal ownership on princi-
pie. Now, all I ask Of those men
is not to actively oppose this move,
but concede to US ordinary citizens
this luxury of city telephone ex-
change-that is, if the majority of
citizens decide in favor of it; and l
am satisfied that large majority
of real legal bonafide citizens of
Willmar do favor it.
III CONCLUSION, venture 10 puD-
licly ask Mr.. Tallman to aid in this
project. Myself and Mr.. Tallman
have had our fights about this ques-
ton. Now l say that the city of
Willmar is willing to pay fancy
price for the plant and then /
shall expect Mr.. Tallman to be will
ing to come half way and help the
city to acquire it. Such SETTLE
ment of the question ought to be
acceptable and satisfactory to Mr..
Tallman. 1t is far better than to
60 to an expensive lawsuit about
the respective rights of the city and
the company.
| DR.. G. johnson.