The Topeka state journal., 1909-03-18

Now this man McNeal and happen
to belong to the Saturday Night club.
He Joined before I did and 1 couldn't
keep him away from the connection by
telling him the line was busy-black-
balling him. This club is an alleged
literary organization really instigated
by such as he for the purpose of OBJ
tanning banquets at the expense of
mysterious strangers and others in
stead of himself and of his fellow con-
splrators. AS we speak in that club
after McLennan, l always got the
worst of it there too from him.
Now he comes before this intelligent
body tonight to discuss The Relation
Between a Volt and an Ampere.' Think
of it, A man who doesn't know the diff
ference between an ampere and an at
mosphere, and wouldn't know a volt
from a bolt if he met them on election
day
Speaking. however, more closely to
the subject assigned me, I recall that
famous saying of that noted politician,
Chet Thomas, who remarked that it is
better TO walk ten miles and talk to
a man than write him letter. My,
how time hies,' as the same Chet
Thomas said the day following his sale
of a horse and which he had told the
buyer was five years old and the pur-
chaser had just discovered that he
was. on that second day of ownership,
over fourteen. Now indeed there
is no occasion for writing political let
ters, nor in sending kilograms with
their recorded messages: don't walk,
don't write, don't wire but telephone
your political promises.
Il marvel when 1 note in the re-
ports of these meetings of Independent
telephone managers here that you
nave in use in this state 161, 900
phones, or exactly one for every ten
people in the state-almost one for
every Rooseveltian family.
Il also know by experience that you
have built up this great system not by
cheaper and poorer service, not by
cutting rates, but by the quality the
quickness and the efficiency of your
lines.
1.-THE Topeka management. in which
we of this city are in closer touch, is
broad and liberal. 1t is refreshing to
see men like Mr. GODDARD and Mr..
Hemphill, the manager of a great cor
poration. who are not afraid to trust
the public utility to a fair public |
utility commission.
I'm the recent effort in the legisla- |
ture to bring about a utilities law |
which must be. to be right, both fair |
to the corporation and fair to the pub |
lie, 1T was w. P: Hamphill, the gen
eral manager of the Topeka Independ- |
ent Telephone company who favored |
such a bill. He believed that a law /
of that kind carefully drawn with fair |
minded. able men appointed, would be |
a benefit not only to the people, but
to the utility itself. |
He said, in an interview which he |
gave a Topeka paper, that he found |
Ln6 generally 1d1T WIGn un- I
derstood situations; that he believed |
the utilities commission would secure |
the same rates to all, put all upon a |
common basis without discrimination, |
and that rates and dispute could be |
settled by such a commission; that no
one could con plain of equal rates if |
they were fair, he believed that stocks
and bonds of public corporations
should be regulated as to their issue;
he believed that a good utilities COM
mission would put the granting of
franchises upon higher plane;
would secure remuneration to the city
rather than to the councilmen as has
been charged has been the case in |
other cities. us -5e.
1.-The old methods are certainly OBJ
Jectionable and a fair utilities COM
mission would protect the corporation
from mercenary attacks and make
telephone property and values more
stable. as Mr.. Hemphill says.
''This breadth of view, this quality,
the promptness of efficiency of service
constitute the high grade currents I
that are responsible for your great
success, which 1 trust may continue
with your excellent service founded
upon liberal treatment of, by and for
the public"
A Concise History.
Mr.. ]. B. Ware, of the National Inde-
pendent Telephone association, gave a
remarkably clear and concise boiled
down history of the telephone and its
development from the first patent to
the present time. 1t is a subject which
Mr.. Ware has studied carefully, and
few men in the world are better posted
on telephone history. His speech was
of interest to everyone. whether tele-
phone man or guest.
Mr. Gary, of Macon Mo, former
president of the National association,
spoke briefly of his many years ex-
which he has followed almost from the
time when telephones first became a
financial possibility. |
When the banquet ended at II
o'clock the members Of the association
had been both entertained and instruct
ed. and everyone seemed to have had
a good time, well spent.
w. P. HemphiIl, New President.
w. P. Hemphin, the young man who
came to Topeka five years ago to help |
Mr.. Pankey build up an independent
telephone business, was elected presi-
dent of the Kansas Independent Tel
ephone association, late yesterday af-
Mr.. Hemphill. like the business
which he follows, has made rapid ad-
vancement since he came here from
Clay Center. Last fall he was elected
general manager of the local inde-
pendent company which he had help
ed to raise to its present standard of
efficiency.
After the election of Mr.. HemphiIl, /
the resolutions committee report auth
orizing the president to name a com
mittee of three competent members as
an advisory board, was adopted by the |
association This advisory board will /
furnish any Instruction desired by |
small companies desiring to establish
telephone systems. The advisers will /
also confer with a like committee of the
Missouri Independent association to the
end of furthering relations between
the lines of the two states.
R E Matteson, secretary of the |
Nebraska association, discussed at the
afternoon meeting the effect of public