The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1913-12-04
An Open Letter to the
Telephone Using Public

our company, for every share they
hold, and they have simply come in
to our company because they believed
1t to be safe Investment.
There Is, too, upon the part Of the
public, a belief that the company is
largely engaged in politics. We imag-
inc this feeling is caused by the fact
that in the past, simply from the
standpoint of self-preservation, certain
corporations were almost compelled
to be in politics, but in these days.
when the tendency is to place all cor
porations and trust affairs into the
hands of central body, such as the
Interstate Commerce Commission and
local state commissions, etc., to deal
with the conduct of businesses such as
ours, being in politics, as believed by
the public, would be a foolish thing
and entirely unnecessary. This is,
therefore, to state emphatically that
We are not, either directly or indi-
rectly, in politics, in any way, shape
or manner, and shall not be.
We are going to attempt to give
you the entire story as to our rates.
We have been told, when stating to
some of the public that we proposed
starting campaign like this, that our
efforts would be futile, that our sub
scribers would turn out to be selfish
and only look toward the end of get
ting as cheap telephone rates as pos
sible. We do not believe this. We
believe that the great majority of the
public are inclined to be tair, and that
it is not so much the question of what
our telephone rates are as it is that
when We make a statement regard
ing them, and show our true financing
that we shall be honest and that the
public shall know that we are honest.
That when we make statement as
to our profits and earnings, showing
just where the dollar that our sub
scriber pays us goes, the public may
know that we are not trying to de-
ceive them or keep anything back that
should be shown. When we honestly
do this and our position seems to be
just and right, we believe that the
fairness of the public will sustain us.
We are going to set forth the in
herent difficulties Of giving universal
telephone service. These articles and
letters are not to be a piece of spe-
cial pleading or adroit use of words,
but a clear, business-like setting forth
Of facts. We hope, before We get
through, both ourselves and the public
will understand each other better.
There is at least no harm to be done
in trying to accomplish this desired
result.
It Is our aim to educate, please and
satisfy the public and to be educated
ourselves. It seems to us that every
corporation has the right Of self
defense, the same as an individual.
The public has the same right. Listen
to our defense and we will listen to
yours. No problem has ever been
harder for us than just how we were
going to let the public know truly
about us, but we believe that no prob
lem was ever more important to both.
If we really can make you feel that
you are partner in our business, we
shall have accomplished much. A
large part of the problem will be
solved, If we can only bring the pub
lie, through education, to a full under.
standing that there is a mutual de-
pendence between the public service
corporations and the public. and that
public prosperity depends largely upon
the utilities that bring them in contact
with each other, and that the more