Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1913-07-10
Hay Stacker
Question
Friction to Be Avoided-Te'ephon
Company offers Solution.

The annual arguments between the
agriculturists and the public utility
companies which operate wires in the
State of Idaho again bobs up. Ever
since the invention of the mechani-
cal hay stacker, it's transportation
along and across the highways has
been a 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 fit,
frequently with disastrous 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
actions in hauling stackers through
the lines on the grounds that many
innocent users of wire service, pow
er, light and transmission were
caused serious Interruptions and in
convenience.
There seems to be a 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
olyo r;+y +odov rooda Tho folloWiro
announcement: mo charge will be
made to the ranchmen who desire to
move haystackers through the lines
Of the telephone company, provided
ample notice is given to the telephone
company and transportation furnished
to a lineman who will cut the neces-
sary 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
delayed telephone service" ]
Mr.. DeNike qualified his statement
as follows eve 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 inexpensive
ly. The moving of the hay stackers
is essential to such harvesting, but
we are also partners with every tele-
phone user in the state. 1t is our du-
ty 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: ANY per-
son who wilfully or maliciously does
any injury to any telegraph or tele-
phone property mentioned in the pre-
Feeding section is liable to the cor
)oration for one hundred times the
mount of actual damages sustained {
hereby, to be recovered in any court {
# competent jurisdiction 1t was S
Without doubt that this law was 1
ramed giving the wire companies the
light to recover damages one hun
red times as great as the actual ex c
ense involved, but we feel it will be S
for US to rely upon this a
tatute, Since, however, our COM y
any has taken the liberal atti- L
ldo which 1 have outlined above, and y
'hich is, we think, all that should be
sked of us, we certainly expect to
AXE examples by bringing suit
sainst those ranchmen who have lit
g regard for their neighbors' tele- q
none service and for our property
ghts. l anticipate very little Difficult
when our position is known. l u
1pe the newspaper people will give Il
lis the widest publicity as the sea-
n is at it's height when these move
ents of hay stackers are most es-
ntial." \