Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1912-03-14
DOWN TOWN OFFICE
Greatly to Be Desired BY Our Cltl-
zenS Generally
WEST. UNION CONSIDERING II
Representative Of Company visits Alma ana
Eooc fop ulncatf


mug the past two years the business
interests of the city have been handi-
capped by the character of the SER
vice furnished by the Western Union
| Telegraph Co. The local office has
been located in the Union Depot and
such service rendered 10 our citi-
zens as has been possible by the local
agent when not otherwise engaged
with an ever increasing train business
The consequence has been that the
agent has found it absolutely impos-
sible to attend to Western Union
business. Practically no messenger
service has been maintained. and
phone service has been little better
No blame can be attached to the
agent,-his hands are tied. The busi-
ness has simply outgrown the facili-
ties furnished by the Western Union.
Company.
AS a result of numerous kicks" re-
gistered by our Board of Trade and
patrons of the office, the Company
have recently considered establishing
an independent office for their busi-
ness. On Wednesday a special rep
resentative of the company was here
and made a thorough canvass of the
situation He found that the chief
patrons of the telegraph service were
placing large portion of their busi-
ness with the Postal Company
through its Saginaw office These
patrons would rather place their busi-
ness with the local company, bue
A.
sages out on account of the made
quate facilities furnished and in such
cases call Saginaw Postal office over.
long distance phone. This represent
ative found one Company had dis
carded the w. u. service entirely.
placing with the Postal company
about one-half as much business as
the w. u. receive at its local Office.
This representative seemed inclined
to recommend the establishment OF
an uptown Office here, and certainly
this ought to be done. Several loca-
tions were examined and one will
undoubtedly be selected within the
very near future
The business men of this city have
in the past shown their disposition 70
work together for the good of the
city and its commercial interests. II
is fair to presume that should the
Western Union Company establish an
independent office and furnish first
class service, the business interests OF
the town would give that company
practically its entire business. This
would be growing business for the
reason that the facilities have hereto
tore been so extremely bad that the
telegraph has been entirely discarded
in every possible case With the ad-
vent of the "day letter" and especially
the night letter." this service has
greatly increased. 1t is equally GER
tain that if the present arrangement
is continued, the Postal Company's
business will steadily increase, as IL
has in the recent past, and local busi-
ness men would be entirely justified
in throwing all their business to the
Postal Company. We hope this NAV
be avoided. The city needs an eff
cient telegraph service, and we be.
lieve the result of the investigation
of local conditions by Mr.. Malloy will
result IN the establishment of an in
dependent office
The maintenance of an independent
office here will naturally depend upon
the net results-whether il can be
made to pay. We believe il can.
This will depend entirely upon US.
If, therefore, an uptown office. is in
stalled, let us try to forget the short
comings of the past for which the
railroad company is really to blame,
and favor in every possible way the
new office. 1t becomes then a local
institution, and its success is the sue
cess of the community Our interests
are identical in making Alma a bet
ter city to live and to work in. II
the Western Union does its part, it
may rest assured we will do ours.
ONE INTERESTED.