The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1912-11-26
The Telenhone AGAIN

ance.
The Telephone Again.
For some reason the managers of tn
Bell Telephone Company thought 1t nee
cessary to come to Mount Holly and pre-
sent its case to the township committee
What 1t expected to secure In return
not known as the matter seems to b.
one between the individual and tn
company and the township authorities ar
not apparently In the controversy unles
the telephone company expects in som,
way to get more privileges In the matte
OF right oflway when it shall be directed tt
remove its poles, wires and boxes from
places now occupied by virtue of promises
given when those privileges were desired
The spokesman of the telephone com
pany was an agent from Philadelphia ant
he wanted to dispel any idea that the
order to discontinue the pay-as- you use
phones came from the Public Utilities
Commission. This idea was advanced by
the local manager of the company who
said the corporation was powerless to dc
| otherwise because the commission had SO
ordered. But. Mr.. Reppller, the IMAM
higher up, said the order was sent out
because 1t was feared the commission
would make some such order, and the
company did not want to be caught nap
ping.
Mr.. Repplier said the system now In
vogue was instituted to popularize and
advertise the Bell telephone. That object
has been reached and there is now no need
to cater to the public any more. 1t is a
question whether the advertising re-.
ceived on the installation of the svs-
tenn is In 1t with that being given the
company now, although the latter is of a
different character from the former.
V. Claude Palmer. the township coun-
sci, was present, and he asked some verv
pointedquestions and at timesEhad the rep
resentative very much on the defensive.
One inquiry brought forth the response
that the proposed change was not so much
one of fear of the Utilities Commission as
1t was to add dollars to the company's
treasury, and Mr.. Repplier asked if 1t was
fair to ask the company to furnish tele-
phone service at less than cost.
To this there were affirmative replies
and the answer was that a corporation
with the reputation that the Bell company
wishes to maintain should not put 1t up
against the matter of dollars and cents, but
should have some regard for its promises
Chairman Mason stated that he has one
of pay y-the-call telephones at his resi-
dence and when it was installed he had an
understanding that there would never be
any interruption of service In the form of
an advance in rates, 1t having been ex-
planned to him that the company would
be benefited by that class of business and
there would be no reason for change of
contract.
The representative of the company said
that there was possibility that the agent
who got so many phones Installed had
been more jealous than wise and had
possibly made promises which he was not
authorized TO make. This upholds the
suggestion of THE News last week when
1t said that no two agents seemed to agree
on any one thing, that one would be on
hand one week with proposition and the
next week another would come along with
an entirely different idea.
The subject of being compelled to re-
move poles, wires, and other parapher-
MALTA from private property was preached
and Mr.. Repplier said the company was
not talking too much about that vet. and
intimated that the matter would right It,
self at the proper time. Here is an i'm.
portant point. Agents of the Bell Tele-
phone Company are already at work try.
Ing to get signatures for contracts under
the new system. Look carefully at what
lie offered you to sign and do not attach
your name to anything unless you are
perfectly aware of the contents of the
paper. This matter Is now entirely In the
hands of the customer. If the telephone
company has pole, or wire, or switch
box, or any other contrivance on your
land make it take the affair down. 1t has
been clearly shown that the Bell Telephone
Company does not care one iota about the
citizen or his convenience The one thing
uppermost In the mind of the corporation
Is to get the dollars and dollars and then
some more dollars. If the company is
now enjoying privileges from you make
1t get along without them or else make II
pay good price fer what It wants.
Sauce for the goose is sauce for the gan.
der.