The Holly chieftain., 1913-12-05
An Open Letter to the
Telephone Using Public

non To iull understanding that there is
mutual dependence between the public
ser nee corporations and the public, and
thai public prosperity depends largely 40.
on the utilities that bring them in contact
VIII each other, and that the more near
ly perfect in efficiency and sufiiciency the
utilities serving the public are, the more
prosperity, comforts and conveniences
the public will enjoy.
We believe our story is an interesting
one, and we hope that every one will
read it.
No As an instance of the kind of
startling news which newspapers some
time publish, we want to call your at
tenuon to recent articles in the news
papers headed, "United States Govern
ment Calls Upon Two Girl Stenoeraphers
to iell Where They Got Two Million
Dollars to Form the Corporation Secur-
itieS and Investment Company" Then
the articles went on to say that this Cor
poratOn Securities and Investment Com,
pany was scheme of the Telephone
Comnany TO further its purpose of mo-
nopOllHlnG telephone companies, etc.
The truth is that our company has been
met with strong feeling in the State OF
Montana -weIl-nieh unive THAT
something should be done to relieve the
citizens OF that state, OF two telephone
systems. Public meetings have beenheld.
and votes taken, that the telephones OF
one or the other OF the systems should be
thrown out. Resolutions and letters
have been submitted to US, and we have
started out to see what we could do to
relieve the citizens Of that state of this
burden
We found that the Independent interests
operating there also operated in Spokane,
in the State Of Washington, and in north
ern Idaho, and that the Independent in.
terests doing business in Montana could
not be bought or sold, SO rs to alone
cover the property in Montana but that
the purchase must include their property
in the States OF Idaho and Washington
The Mountain States Telephone and Tel
eGraph Company does not operate in
either Oi these sections, and, therefore,
is not responsible for conditions there,
nor does it wish to operate there, but we
felt we must meet the situation in Mon
tam, and SO, in order to be in position
to either buy or sell, from or to, the In
dependent interests in Montana, there
was formed this Corporation Securities
company, to enter into negotiations with
the Independent interests in Montana
which negotiations are now in proeress
and, il possible, to buy these Independent
interests in Montans, northern Idaho and
Washington, and then in the end; il that
purpose was accomplished, the Corpora
ton Securities and Investment Company
should sell to The Mountain States Tel
ephone and Telegraph Company the por-
ton of the Independent plants located in
Montana and sell to others the portion
OF these Independent plants existing in
northern ldah" and Washington.
We explain this SO the public may know
that in the above Foreward, where we
say there is no company within com
pany, or wheels within Wheels we are
speaking absolutely truly. and also that
this Corporation Securities and Invest
ment Company, which was SO freely ad-
vertised by the articles in the newspaper
referred to, is absolutely legitimate and
proper company and organized tor the
specific purposes stated.