The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-04-27

out of the way. This method of elinli-
nation is recognized by all broad mind
i ed and honest business men as wrong
! and our laws should not give sanction
| to it or permit it in the conduct of its
| utility institutions.
Independents Developed Business.
1.-THE credit of developing the tele-
phone industry in this country is very
: largely the result Of the efforts of the
men engaged in the Independent field.
Without competition, and the stinllla-
| ton due to it, the telephone would not
have come into popular use,. and the
| masses would never have been permit
| ted to enjoy it.. But through conpeti-
ton rates for service have been made
so low that the poor man finds it now
possible to have his telephone and he
has it. Who is there of the opponents
of the zone system idea who would
dare say that nder monopoly this c@a-
dition could have existed? The value
of competition in the telephone indus
l.try from the standpoint of develop
ment, of reasonable rates, and of de-
cent treatment to the public, should
not be underestimated or forgotten by
the people in dealing out their patron
age.
1--WE feel that we have an honorable
claim to public patronage and that we
will continue to have 1T if we are ever
mindful that good service is supreme
and must be rendered. We must never
make the mistakes of our competitor
and forget the source of our support
If we do we can expect the same fatal
results. The Independent telephone in
dustry of this country should continue
to be SUGGEST IL and their securities
should prove satisfactory to investors.
Two facts render this certain. First,
because the business is necessity.
Some one must give the public this
class of service; and second, because
the broad minded policies of Independ-
ent operators have developed a class of
men skilled in management and
economy. who have not been held down
by old fashioned, discarded and tradi-
tional ideas, but who have been allowed
to work in the open, to use their own
ideas to suit conditions and to listen to
the IDEAS and discoveries of his CO.
workers. Freedom in management,
freedom to develop the technical and
scientific features of the business char
acterize the success of Independent
telephone achievement.
Must Give Good Service.
1.-TWO things are essential in the tele-
phone business to our supremacy,
namely. good service and development.
1t is not necessary to impress the value
of good service, no one contradicts it,
but not everyone realizes how impor-
tant development really is. Both good
service and development of the -ex-
change is demanded by the public. Tho
capital account of your company must
never be closed. If you close it you
are sooner or later going to find your
self in trouble. Get the money in some
way to take care of the demand of new
business, but put the business on
paying basis; keep your books right
and know what you are doing and you
will find yourself at the head of a
growing and successful business before
you know it,
THE great problem of the busy world
today is time saving. The trend of pro-
gress is along the line of making time
more valuable and increasing the scope
and possibilities of what can be accom-
-fAcf I'M
this respect the telephone will play its
part, its possibilities have no limit. The
uses to which it will be put are mani |
fold. Like the Endless Chain system, !
each telephone installed calls for. an |
other, each use to which it is put /
creates another, and SO the demand |
continues to increase
You men Of this, association have |
had part in doing something of perma- !
nent value to your fellow men by aid /
ing in the development of so useful All
invention. Much more than ordinary
credit is due you for your work, and |
pioneer days of the business 1t has |
served to tighten the burdens from mil |
lions of people for what would We do
today without the telephone?
1T is not every vocation in life that |
has in it the human element that this |
has or gives the opportunity to serve I
your fellow SO we'll and faithfully. /
Have you ever thought of it in that T
a seni-official position every day Of his
life, in fact every employe holds such |
a relation. To be in a position that |
constantly demands ones bes efforts
to faithfully serve the Public should (
call forth tbs best there is in a man.
You all know how difficult it is to get I
a moments rest in the evening after [
q hard days work. YOU are con-
stantly conscious that perhaps some
Is not getting the service
you would have rendered to him. and
this thought continually hovers aruond
you and perhaps about the time you I
and enjoying the evening paper and /
the comforts of a good cigar, you
hear your telephone bell ring. You H
are told of some trivial detail that H
could well have been left untold until
business hours. This is the experience II
Of every one of you. ,n4~t-
Work Never Done
$50 the work of the telephone man
like that of the faithful housewife. is
seldom done. We sometimes doubt if
the public really appreciates the eff
forts that are being made to give them
good service This should be over
looked. OF all the difficulties and COM
plex business Institutions the te1e-
phone is the least understood by the
public. 1t is all mystery to them.
cit is therefore fitting In your bust
hess. more in any other line of. bust
1ess-that occasionally you should be
permitted to leave your accustomed
aaunts and attend your association
where YOU can be free from
he worry and the cares of your bust
ness life. I trust that this meeting as
Ill others will be full of entertainm ent /
md instruction for each of you.''
The feature of the afternoon session
vas the talk of J. c. Kelsey of Chicago,
phone Securities Mr.. Kelsey told in
IN interesting way of the battle being