The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1915-03-17

of the company to furnish the pest
service possible at minimum ia.e!
He then explained the Jones anu
Francis bills which arc now up peloie
| the house and senate, ana II lheso
bills become 1aw it will place the
! telephone under the control OF Tue
state railway commission and IL upon
investigation the commission mas
that telephone company charges too
much for the service then TINS rate
will have to be reduced and II tele'
phone company is not receiving laii
return on the investment then tne
commission will put new rate IN
force. Ii this becomes law, sald W..
Kuehnle, it will take the matter OUT
of the hands Of the company ana pace
| it in the hands of the people Tor the
commission is body OF men NOM
mated and elected by the voters OF the
state OF Iowa to represent them IN al
justing railroad and telephone rates
and service. He said that the COM
pany was willing to give it another
trial and that there was no reason iof
them to raise the rates at this time'
but they would wait unl the new law
was in force. He announced then
that the old rates would stand subject
to the state and that in the meantime
the service would be improved.
Mr.. Kuehnle then explained how lie
became the principal stakeholder in
the telephone company. Some stock
he purchased to keep. it out OF the
hands of the Bell people and have the
company gobbled up, other stock was
purchased from a stockholder VINO
was going to sue for the dividends
which had been declared but never
actually paid.
He urged that all complaints be
made to the manager or stockholders
of the concern rather than to the OPP
orators, who were too busy to stop
and listen to complaints and thus in
terfere with the service.
Mr.. Kuehnle closed his remarks by
Saying that life was too short to har-
Dor i'll will against anyone and that all
should realize the need OF meeting
each other half way.
A resolution was brought before the
meeting as follows:
Resolved, that we favor law put
ting telephone business in the control
of the state railway commission, said
commission to have charge OF regula-
tion of rates and service. We urge
our senator and member Of the house
of representatives to favor either the
Jones or the Francis bill, which are
practically identical"
This resolution brought forth much
discussion. Mr.. Chas. Specht was not
control of the telephones in the hands
of few men and that meant that the
telephone company would get what
they wanted. He stated that he had
not heard OF any farmers going down
to Des Moines urging the passage OF
such bill, but that the telephone com
panies were only too anxious to have
it pass. Mr.. c. P. Harvey. addressed
the meeting and explained what the
railroad commission had done for the
farmers OF Iowa and how the rates
had been regulated so that farmers
were saved thousands of dollars each
year in their shipments of live stock
and grain. Stanley Browne and Frank
Brown both talked in favor OF the rail-
road commission. Mr.. Specht then
asked how much it benefited the farm
ers OF Iowa to regulate the railroad
rates when it cost the people in the
state $250,000 to fight against inroads
made by the. railroads, which meant
higher taxes for all.
Norman Inghram spoke in favor OF
the commission and said that it was
no more than right that capital should
be protected and that unless it was
protected it would become discour-
aged and there would be no big rail-
road systems, telephone systems, etc.
Mr.. Fred Brandenberg after a few
remarks in favor of the resolution
asked for the previous question and
after it was read by the chairman the
vote was taken, a majority of those
present voting in favor Of it. The
meeting then adjourned.
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