The Clio messenger., 1914-04-17

Fooling the People
During the past few years, our con-
genial neighbor, Birch Run, has been
afflicted with double headed telephone
system. Part of the citizens of that
usually calm and peaceful berg had or
have one kind of a telephone. part of
them another kind of telephone, and
part of them no telephone at all. Those
having none at all, presumably, not be-
ing able to determine which kind they
wanted, or not daring to have one kind
or the the other for fear of offending
their friends and neighbors who might
have the other kind, having friends in
both camps, so to speak, thereby prov
ing one part of Abe. Lincoln's theory,
that you can fool part of the people all
the time. Of course, all the business
men-doctors, lawyers, and some others,
had to keep two kinds of telephones,
just like they do in regular city, there
by having something on this same class
of men in Clio, and proving another
part of Lincoln's theory, that you can
fool part of the people all the time.
But these same business men finally get
ting wise to the situation. and becom-
ing tired of double taxation for the
benefit of the telephone companies, about
two or three months ago undertook to
straighten out the situation and get a
different condition of affairs for them
selves and those residing in their COM
munity, by trying to get everybody into
one system, or using one kind of tele-
phone, so neighbor could talk to neigh
Dor, friend to friend, ard those having
no telephone at all could have one with
out dissolving and breaking up family
and social ties and relations, and more
particularly, to rid themselves of the
burden of paying for two kinds of tele-
phones, thus proving the last part of
Abe's theory, that can't fool all the
people all the time. Now, do you sup
pose they have accomplished this?
Well Not yet-nct by considerable
number of vets. 1t looked perfectly
simple and easy at the start, like it
would be purely child's play. Looked
like Providence had particularly favored
Birch Run by laying the proper founda-
tions for working out the "Universal
Telephone Service" idea so much read
about over the signature of the Bell
Company. Neither of these two Birch
Run plants were owned by the Bell
Company nor yet by its competitor, the
Valley Home Company. So by purchas-
ing the plant connecting with the Bell
Company lines, these wise men thought
they could make a deal and combine
that plant with the one connecting with
the lines of the Valley Home Company,
either by purchase of the plant, or by
sale to that company of their plant,
or by an exchange of service between
the two plants, and then have the COM
bined plant connected with the lines of
both the big companies. Looked SIM
pie. Sure.
Right here is where they met their
first great difficulty. Apparently the
word Home" in the Valley Home
Company is a misnomer It's spelled
differently and sounds altogether differ
ent, but to the fellows in Birch Run it
rings about like the word Bell" that
is, it has about the same cold chilled
steel meaning, If friendly and SYM
pathetic feeling for the Valley Home
Company once existed in Birch Run, it
has utterly and possibly forever passed
away. for no sooner did these men try
to do business with the Valley Home
Company then did that company inn
mediately proceed, fguratiyely speak
ing, to tell them to chase themselves.
Further, that company at once hustled
out and began to write contracts for
service at prices and rates low enough
to startle most anyone. The aforesaid
VALLEY Company writing contracts for
residence and rural service at $1200
per year and for business places at SIS. 90
per year, also offering to let farmers
furnish their own wires or circuits and
pay $500 per year, the companies to
furnish the telephones, keep them in
repair and furnish day and night SER
vice. Applying the immortal Lincoln's
theory to the people living in and
around Clio, are we being fooled? If
the Valley Home Company are anxious
to furnish service at Birch Run for s. 90
and $500 per year, why can't they do
the same thing here? Are we being
Disseminated against? If so, what are
we going to do about it?
Subscriber.