Licking Valley courier., 1917-10-25
WOULD permit
Phone Merger
BY AMENDMENT
FRANKFORT CHAMBER OF COM.
MERGE GOES ON RECORD
FOR ONE SYSTEM PLAN
RESOLUTIONS ARE ADOPTED
jubmisslon Passed BY General Assem-
bly, With Only One Dissenting
Vote-History OF Competition

The Frankfort Chamber of Com
nerce by the action of its Board of
directors is on record in favor of and
las pledged its efforts to the adoption of
| constitutional amendment at the No
9ember election permitting telephone
Companies operating in this state to
purchase competing lines.
The action of the Chamber of Com
nerce board, taken with view of ef-
'ecting economy by eliminating un-
necessary phones, was given expires.
sion in the following resolution:
Whereas, the General Assembly at
its 1916 session adopted a Constitu-
tional Amendment to be submitted to
he voters of the state for ratification
1t the November, 1917, election, under
he terms of which, with the approval
y the state authorities and the City
Council of the city in which the tele-
)one companies are located, one tele-
phone company may purchase the
ines Of another, be it
Resolved, That the Frankfort
Chamber of Commerce endorse the
adoption of the Constitutional Amend
nent and urge the voters of Frank.
lin county and the State-at-large to
vote for the amendment at the ensu.
ng November election, and be ii fur.
her
Resolved, That the President of the
Chamber of Commerce be authorized
20 appoint a committee to aid in what
ever manner it can in bringing the
Constitutional Amendment to the at
tention of the voters and other COM
mercial bodies"
History OF Amendment.
The Constitutional amendment
passed by the 1916 General Assembly
authorizing the purchase of the tele.
phone lines, passed the Senate with
only one dissenting vote and encount
cred 20 opposition whatever in the
House. The representatives Of both
parties recognized that only by means
# this amendment to the Constitution
could the state be saved the annoy.
lnce and expense of two telephone
systems in the same community.
Some Of the larger cities, particu.
larly Cincinnati, New York and Wash
ington, early recognized that two tele.
phone systems were an unnecessary
burden on the community and never
granted to more than one company a
franchise for q telephone system, with
the result that every telephone user
in each of these cities is in direct
communication with every other sub
scriber.
Burden In Kentucky.
In Kentucky, in the early stages of
the development Of the telephone bust.
ness, numerous small companies
were organized. They did not con.
meet, different kinds of equipment
were used and the standard of main.
tenance was not universal, which re.
;arded the advancement of telephone
development in keeping with other
states more progressive. Nearly
every community in Kentucky has, at
some time in its history, experienced
a telephone war that engendered
hard feelings, as each side had It's
partisans, and the public has been de.
prived of the convenience and eeono.
my that one telephone system affords.
The public interest is thoroughly
protected under the proposed Constl-
tutional amendment, as no purchase
can be made without the consent of
the City Council The passage OF the
bill, providing for the Constitutional
Amendment and the practically unani.
nous vote Il received in the General
Assembly Is evidence that II was
passed in response to widespread
and popular demand for relief from
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