The Glenwood post., 1913-12-06
Denver, Colo, November 80, 1913.

Denver, Colo, November 80, 1913.
The Mountain States Telephone and
Telegraph COMPANY, in the consider,
ton of its future development, reeog-
nizes that its highest interests as a
public utility lie in establishing the
closest and most friendly relationshi
with the public generally. and with
its patrons in particular; therefore, 1t
is the purpose of the Mountain States
Telephone and Telegraph Company,
through this announcement, to imam
gurate what may be termed an adver-
tising educational series of articles,
both in the newspapers and in the form
of letters to its customers. 1t is our
hope that this campaign may mark Il
new era in the relation Of public
utility corporations to the pIilic they
serve. We want this education to
work both ways-tha. 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 puhlic-in. other words, what
is just and right to US and to the pep-
pie, and to convince the public that
We will voluntarily remedy any wrongs
We are doing, if pointed out to us.
We shall show you our financial af-
fairs, frankly and freely. 1t so hap
pers that our financing has been Of
such nature that it is easy for us 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 pre-
ferred stock, and no mortgage of 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 email, 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 anv speculative value:
II has been, and is now, simply = safe
investment.
There is . great misunderstanding
upon the part Of the public ss to this
side Of our bus1nesA PeFsoas With
ulteriof motives, striving for Office,
and newsPaFess wishing to give star.
tling news tsee note below frequently
publish stories of how rich certain
officials Of our company are. Right
now, this is being done in connection
with the new revenue tax. We sup
nose these stories grow out Of the
belief Of certain of the public that the
executive officials of our company own
the entire plant. It is absurd, for
these executive officials of our com.
pany are merely trustees of the prop
erty, for the stockholders, and none OF
them are rich men, nor have they a
very heavy holding of the stock. IT
is true that certain reputed rich mer
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
ont of dealing in our stock. They have
all paid dollar for dollar. in cash, at