The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1913-07-10
HAY STACKER QUESTION
Friction to Be Avoided-Telephone
Company Offers Solution

Boise, Idaho, July 8, 1913, Especial
to the Optimist) Tho annual argu-
ment between tho agriculturists and
the public utility companies which op-
crate wires in tho State of Idaho again
bobs up Ever since the invention of
the mechanical hay stacker, its trans
portatiOn along and across the high.
ways has been the source of much
controversy between tho ranchmen and
the wire-owning corporations. The
former has always maintained his
right to move his harvesting apparatus
as he saw fit, frequently with disas-
trous results in the matter of broken
wires and interrupted service.
The wire owning corporations have
relied, in the past, upon tho Idaho
laws, which permit them to recover
heavy damage, and have based their
objections to the ranchers' arbitrary
action in hauling stackers through
the lines on the grounds that man,
innocent users Of wire service. power,
serious Interruptions and inconven:-
ence.
Inere seems to be middle ground
in the controversy, however, and t..
has been taken by The Mountain
States Telephone and Telegraph Com.
pany, which, through Division General
Manager DeNlke at salt Lake City, |
DAY made the following announce
ment: mo charge will be made
the ranchmen who desire to move hi;
stackers through the lines of the tel
phone company, provided ample no.
tice is given to the telephone COM
pany ana transportation furnished to
a lineman who will cut the necessary
wires and repair the same. This
method insures the least possible in
terruption to the telephone service and
should be very acceptable to the
ranchmen, inasmuch as it insures both
themselves and their neighbors the
greatest amount of freedom from oe
layed telephone service
Mr.. DeNike qualified his statement
as follows: 1--WE feel that we a.
partners with the ranchmen OF Idaho
IN many ways. 1t is to our interest,"
be harvested rapidly and inexpensive
ly. The moving OF hay stackers is
essential to sucn harvesting, but W.
are also partners with every telephone
user in the state. 1t is our auty |.
furnish continuous exchange and long
distance service, and this can be Sc
cured only by cooperation on the p...
OF the ranchmen.
Section 1885 of the Idaho Reviset
Codes provides as follows: ANY per-
son who wilfully or maliciously does
any injury to any telegraph or T.
phone property mentioned In the
ceding section is liable to the corpora
ton tor one hundred times the amount
OF actual damages sustained tnereL
to be recovered in any court of comp
tent jurisdiction 1t was without
doubt tnat this law was framed giving
the wire companies the right to re-
cover damages one hundred times as
great as the actual expense involved,
but we feel it will be unnecessary for
us to rely upon this statute. Since,
however, our company has taken the
liberal attitude which l have outlined
above, and which is, we think, all that
should be asked of us, we certainly
expect to make examples by bringing
suits against those ranchmen who
have little regard for their neighbors'
telephone service and for our property
rights. | anticipate very little dir
ficulty when our position is known. |
hope the newspaper people will give
this the widest publicity as the sea-
son is at it's height when these move
ments of hay stackers are most essen
tial.''