Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1913-12-04

to the treasury of our company, for
every share they hold, and they have
simply come into our company be-
cause they believed it to be safe
investment
There is, too, upon the part of the
public, a belief that the company is
largely engaged in politics. We inn
agine this ceiling is caused by the
fact that in the past, simply from
the standpoint of Self preservation,
certain corponaticrs were Almost COM
PEELED to be in politics; but in these
days, when the tendency is to place
all corporations and trust affairs I'm
to the hands of central body, such
as the Interstate Commerce Commis-
sion and local state commissions, ETC.,
to deal with the conduct of businessei
such as ours, being in politics, as be
lieved by the public, would be a
foolish thing and entirely unneces-
sary. This is, therefore, 10 state
emphatically 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
come of the public that we proposed
starting campaign like this, that
our efforts would be futile; that our
subscribers would turn cut to be
selfish and only look toward the
end OF getting as cheap telephone
rates as possible. We do not believe
this. We believe that the great ma
jority of the public are inclined to
be fair, and that it is not SO much
| the question of what our telephone
rates are as it is that when we make
statement regarding them, and
show our true financing, thaat We
shall be honest, and that the public
shall know that we are honest That
when we make a 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 anything back that
should be shown. When we honest
| " do this and our position seems to
be just and right, we believe that
the airuess 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-hke setting forth
of facts. We hope, before we get
through, both ourselves and the pub
lie will understand each other bet
ter. There is at least no harm to
be done in trying to accomplish this
desired result
1t is our aim to educate, please and
satisfy the public and to be educated
ourselves. 1t seems to us that every
corporation has the right of SeH-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 how we were
going to let the public know truly
about US, but we believe that no pro-
blem was ever more important to
both. If we really can make you
feel that you are a partner in our bu-
siness, we shall have accomplished
much. A large part of the problem
will be solved, if we can only bring
the public, through education, to
full understanding that there is
mutual dependence between the pub
lie service corporations and the pub
lie, and that public prosperity de-