The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1913-07-18
HAY STACKER QUESTION

The annual argument between the
agriculturists and the public utilities
companies which operate wires in the
state of Idaho again bobs up. Ever
since the invention of the mechanical
hay stacker, its transportation along
and across the highways has been the
source OF much controversy between
the ranchmen and the wire-owning
corporations. The former has always
maintained his right to move his
harvesting apparatus as he saw TIT,
frequently. with disasterous results in
the matter of broken wires and inter-
rupted service.
The wire owning corporations have
relied, in the past, upon the 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 grouds that many
innocent users of wire service, power
light and transmissions were caused
serious Interruptions and inconveni-
ence.
There seems to be middle ground
in the controversy, however, and this
has been taken by the Mountain
States Telephone and Telegraph
company, which, through Division
General Manager DeNike at Salt
Lake City, made the following an
nouncement: mo charge will be
made to the ranchmen who desires
to move hay stackers through the
lines of the telephone company, pro-
vided ample notice is given to .the
telephone and transportation compaa-
les who will furnish lineman u cut the
necessary wires and repair the same.
This method insures the least posi-
BILE interruptions to the telephone
service and should be acceptable to
the ranchmen, inasmuch as it insures
both themselves and their neighbors
the greatest amount of freedom from
delayed telephone service"
Mr.. DeNike qualified his statement
as follows: I'VE feel that we are
partners with the ranchmen of Idaho
in many ways. 1t is to our interest
quite as much as to theirs, that crops
be harvested rapidly and inexpen-
sively. The moving of haystackers is
essential in such harvesting, but we
are also partners with every tele-
phone user in the state. lit is our
duty to furnish continuous exchange
and long distance service, and this
can be secured only by cooperation
on the part of the ranchmen.
Section 1885 of the Idaho Revised
Codes provides as follows: Amy per-
son who wilfully or maliciously does
any injury to any telephone or tele-
phone property mentioned in the
preceding section is liable to the cor
poration for one hundred times the
amount for the actual damages sus-
tanned thereby, to be recovered in
any court of contempt Jurisdiction
Without doubt this law was
framed to give the wire companies
the right to recover 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 atti-
tude which | have outlined above,
and which is, we believe, 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 neigh
bors' telephone service and our prop
erty rights: anticipate very little
difficulty when our position is known.
| hope the newspaper people will
give this the widest publicity as the
season is at its height when these
movements OF haystackers are most
essential"