The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1913-12-02
Hn Open Letter TO the
Telephone Using Public

Denver, Colo, Nov. 30-The Noun
tain States Telephone and Telegraph
Company, in the consideration OF It's
future development, recognizes that
its highest interests as public util-
ity lie in establishing the closest and
most friendly relationship with the
public generally, and with its patrons
in particular; therefore, 1t is the
purpose of The Mountain States Tele-
phone and Telegraph Company, thru
this announcement, to inaugurate
what may be termed an advertising
educational series of articles, both In
the newspapers and in the form OF let
tiers to its customers. 1t is our hope
that this campaign may mark new,
era in the relation Of public utility
corporations 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 regard US, and
how we may fairly and efficiently
serve the public-in other words, what
is Just and right to us and to the peo-
pie. and to convince the public that
we will voluntarily remedy any
wrongs we are doing. II pointed out
to US.
We shall show you our financial az
fairs, frankly and freely. 1t so hap
pens that our financing has been OF
such a mature that 1t is easy for w
to clearly show to you this side Of our
affairs. What we mean by this is,
that we have absolutely no water In
our stock; we have no bonds nor any
preferred stock, and no mortgages or
any kind upon which to pay fixed
charges. We have more invested In
our plant at its present replacement
value than our issue of common stock
and we have no other stock issued
than the common stock. There are no
wheels within 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 manip-
ulation of our stock-in other words.
no high financing has ever been done
in connection with The Mountain
States Telephone and Telegraph Com
pany or its predecessors. The stock
never has had any speculative value,
1t has been, and is now, simply a
safe investment.
There is a great Misunderstanding
upon the part Of the public as to this
side OF our business. Persons with
Interior motives, striving for office,
and newspapers wishing to give star
tllnB NEWS isee nOte DeioN) iTequeht-
ly publish stories Of how rich GER
tain officials of our company are.
Right now this is being done in con-
nectidn with the new revenue tax.
We suppose these stories grow 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 officials Of our
company are merely trustees of the
property, for the stockholders, and
none Of them are rich men, nor have
they a very heavy holding OF the
stock. II 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 made any money
whatsoever out Of dealing In our
stock. They have all paid dollar for