The Coconino sun. (Flagstaff, Ariz.) 1898-1978, 1913-12-05

Denver, Colo., NOV. 80, 1913.
The Mountain States Telephone
and Telegraph Company, in the
consideration of its future develop
ment, recognizes that its highest
interests as public utility lie in
establishing the closest and most
friendly relationship with the pu-
bile generally, and with itspatrons
in particular; therefore, it is the
purpose of The Mountain States
Telephone and Telegraph Com
pany, through this announcement,
to inaugurate what may be termed
an advertising educational series
of articles, both in the newspapers
and in the form of letters to its
customers. 1t is our hope that
this campaign may mark new era
in the relation of public utility cor
porations to the public they serve.
We want this education to work
both ways--that the public may
learn the truth about us, and that
we may learn how the public re-
gard US, and how we may fairly
and efficiently serve the public
in other words, what is just and
right to US and to the people, and
to convince the public that we will
voluntarily remedy any wrongs we
are doing, if pointed out to US.
We shall show YOU our financial
affairs, frankly and freely. 1t so
happens that our financing has
been OF such a nature that it is
easy for US to clearly show to you
this side of our affairs. What we
mean by this is, that we have alb
solutely no water in our stock; we
have no bonds, nor any preferred
stock; and no mortgage of any
kind upon which to pay fixed
charges. We have more invested
in our plant at its present replace
ment value than our issue OF COM
mon stock, and we have no other
stock issued than the common
stock. There are no wheels with
in wheels, nor companies within
companies, to absorb profits. We
finance ourselves from year to year
by selling our common stock to
the people, at not less than par,
in the states in which we operate.
When we tell you the story Of
our financing, we will prove to you
that there never have been any
fortunes, large or small, made out
of the manipulation of our stock
in other words, no high financing
has ever been done in connection
with The Mountain States Tele-
phone and Telegraph Company,
or its predecessors. The stock
never has had any speculative va
lue; it has been, and is now, SIM
ply safe investment.
There is a great misunderstand-
ing upon the part of the public as
to this side of our business. Per-
sons with ulterior motives, striv-
ing for office, and newspapers
wishing to give startling news (see
note below frequently publish
stories of how rich certain officials
of our company are. Right now,
this is being done in connection
with the new revenue tax. We
suppose these stories grew out OF
the belief OF certain OF the public
that the executive officials OF our
company own the entire plant. 1t
is absurd, for these executive OFF,
cials of our company are merely
trustees of the property, tor the
stockholders, and none OF them
are rich men, nor have they very
heavy holding of the stock. 1t is
true that certain reputed rich men
have large holdings of the stock OF
our company some of them being
on our Board of Directors--but
not one of them has not made any
money whatsoever out OF dealing
in our stock. They have all paid
T Gil