The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1913-12-05
An Open Letter to the
Telephone using Public

for dollar, in cash, at par, into the
treasury of our company, for every
share they hold, and they have simp-
ly come into our company because
they believed it to be safe invest
ment.
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 preservati n, GER
tain corporations were almost COM
PEELED to be in politics; but in these
days, when the tendency is to place
all corporations 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 be-
lieved by the public, would be fool
ish thing and entirely unnecessary.
This is, therefore, to state emphatic
ally that we are not, either directly or
indirectly, 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 a 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 fair, and
that it is not so much the question OF
what our telephone rates are as 1t is
that when we make a state
ment regarding them, and show our
true financing, that we shall be hon
est, 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 subscriber pays US
goes, the public may know that we
are not trying to deceive them or
keep any thing 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 univcrsa;
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 puO.
lie will understand each other better.
There is at least no harm to be done
in trying to accomplish this desired
result. .. rG a
It is our aim to educate, please ard
satisfy the public and to be educated
ourselves. 1t seems to us that every
corporation has the right of self-de-
tense, 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 hou we were
going to let the public kno truly
about us, but we believe that no prob
lem was ever more important to both
II 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, IL we can only bring the pub
lie, through education, to full under
standing that there is a mutual de-
pendence between the public service
corporations and the public, and that
public prosperity depends largely up