East Mississippi times. (Starkville, Miss.) 19??-1926, 1910-08-12
STARKVILLE, MISSISSIPPI, AUG. H. 1910
LET US BE JUST.


TOR MANY years the Cumberland Teenbona Co,n h l.,
connecting with oncompetng lines in this State enarod
scope of service afforded its patrons and patrons of tbe
a with which connects thereby greatly enhancing the value
@ service the public Of late the of Nsssppi has filed
u against for dollars on the grounds that
n features of its contracts violation the antst law of
State the contract requires the companies connected
shall extension OF lines beyond the territory described in such
% make connection with other companies without the
ao Cumberland The Cumberland claims that these features
contract embodied in the contracts of practically all compane
ause mpraccabe to regulate the length lines connected
WITH the character of service produced without them for
ng company should connect with poorly built and
ppe line and then connect this line with the general system Door
se would result and besides there would no way of know
places reached by the third ne unless had knowledge
bat the had been connected and furthermore without con-
with the of the third line, would be responsible
@ quality of the tolls due for the use Of
Cumberland lines Succnc the Cumberlands position is that
osay with whom will do business in the matter of these
mnecions.
Certainly these fair enough and they are not to be
discounted because practically all of the owning the smaller
connected with the Cumberland have appeared before the
and the Railroad Commission and stated that only
Cumberland undertaken the of this contract up
@m but that they approvd the features of the which
objects and in fact these smaller companies do
mnes without the protection that these features Afford
this state of affairs with practically all the telephone men salts
and the public being benefited instead of hurt c bad that
has desire to interfere for these connections the State
disturb of immeasurable the public generally
Here Starkvile the Cumberland connects with many farmers
and important STILL have at this place connection with
Maben and Mason lne where exchanges ope
private parties with lines covering the surrounding country
y generally These facilities constitute business
social adjunct to this community and if the connections are inter
@ with only would suffer here but the inconvenience and
the people these country systems would equally great
greater If the State insists upon its position to point where
force the of these connections the only could
with the nearby towns and country neghborhoods
& would be through the building of another exchange in Sarve
not want for two systems would simply divide the patronage
compel the business and professional take both telephones
caed and besides those not having telephones
I only have partial service With the Railroad Commission reg
% rates and service, two systems become undesirable
an would be the if there State control.
When nobody complains but few lawyers who have worked
@ the Cumberland for private gain, why should the State disturb
present satisfactory conditions and force chaos annoyance
useless expense the alternative Inconvenience and loss?
As appears that violation of the law merely technical
there malicious evil purpose in the making of the
and that there general public complaint but
contrary that the public is benefited hope that the State will
er its position regard to this matter and allow these
s their business peacefully under the jurisdiction of
aoad Commission which with its right to regulate all rates and
'Hes should be able to deal with the situation