Rocky Ford enterprise., 1909-05-21
Executive Office.
Denver. Colorado, May %, 1909
TO OUR PATRONS:

Denver. Colorado, May %, 1909
TO OUR PATRONS:
From time to time, it becomes neces-
sary to make certain important changes
in the methods of condcuting the Long
Distance business OF this Company. The
many rapidly developing communities,
which heretofore have been without tele-
phone communication with the surround
ing country. and the numerous steadily
growing villages and towns, frequently
require extensions to our system. and
often additional facilities on already ex-
isting routes.
It has been the comprehensive policy
OF this Company TO extend its long dis
tance lines to all parts Of the State
where the people needed telephone serv-
ice and to add new lines where the
amount Of business done made such lines
necessary in order to furnish efficient and
prompt service.
You know the wonderful and steady
advance made in our State in agricul-
ture. horticulture, mining. stock raising
and the many ether enterprises in which
our people are engaged. We have had
to meet this growth by providing ade-
quate telephone facilities everywhere.
Our system has grown piece by piece
following the settling up and develop
nent Of the State of Colorado and the
Territory of New Mexico.
What we have accomplished is partly
shown by the following data:
1899 1909
No. Of telephones in Colo
rado and New Mexico 6,5e4 7o,574
No. Of miles of Long Dis
tance lines in Colorado
and New New Mexico 2,258 ll,268
or recent date we have connected our
Colorado and New MEXICO system with
all of the important points in the East
and South. We are thus able to reach
through our comprehensive Bell System.
over thirty-five States, 100000 tele-
phones and 55.ooo.ooo people.
To cover a mountainous State like
oars, which Is very sparsely settled. with
long distance telephone system has
been a very serious financial problem,
and still continues to be so. We provide
for all such extensions by the sale Of our
treasury stock to our people. and in order
that such investment may be encouraged
our problem has been. first, to reach
every part Of the territory and furnish
first-class service. and second, to SO man.
age that the Long Distance System as a
whole will yield fair profit.
We are now facing the situation OF
having covered our territory with long
distance system constructed piece by
piece. connecting together not only all
parts o. the State and Territory, but
With the population Of the East; which
conditions have obliged Us to make a new
exhaustive study of our Long Distance
rates as whole.
This study was undertaken:
First, to enable US to conform to
and maintain a uniform method
throughout the system and
Second. because the business in
cur home company has so devel-
oped. and methods OF handling and
routing il have so changed. par
tlcularly with the projection of
new Ines, that thorough study
Of the toll rates in general has
seemed to me imperative.
Fer year or more. experts from the
East. assisted by our engineers. have
made complete study OF the rate prob
en-. The purpose of this letter is to
make kno vn 10 you their conclusions
upon this subject.
Tasse are. in part, that an entire re-
adjustment OF toll tariffs is absolutely
necessary n this terri,ery in order to
animate all discrimination in rates to
TIE publ.
I, !5 o5Y'oG5 that one town rs miles
.s;an: i ois drectlor, ana aactasr
town the So ne distance away in an op-
posite ar.ctiIr, each taking an entirely
d.ffsrsa: rate 10 the sama point in ques-
zion, IS discr n.na:ory ara unreasonable
shall give some little detail Of the
-ress1t seize ne Of quoting rates. and
MS ",d. pera4ps. better exllhn why a
l-S.-s;rael; Of the ex!s.ng tariffs l.
IeGeasary.
A, toaE distance rates have hereto
BE Ten b.seI on pole UEe mileage:
1al -. the distance was figured between
any l." p5!nis via the route Of the line
nus ne route distance, at a given rate
per nile. 1 d.t-sniasd H.. a..., unit to be
eh-r d.
In ioHe'Sin! this rule. we have been
led 10 Ts es tIst IN fequent Instances
emsa. eIavsrsations almost pso.ao