Crittenden record-press., 1917-10-04
WOULD PERMIT
PHONE MERGER
BY AMENDMENT
FRANKFORT CHAMBER OF COM
MERGE GOES ON RECORD
FOR ONE SYSTEM PLAN
RESOLUTIONS ARE ADOPTED
Submission Passed BY General Assem-
bly, With Only One Dissenting
vote-History OF Competition

Tie frankfort Chamber of Com
merce by tie action of its Beard OF
Directors is on record in favor Of and
has pledged its efforts to the adoption OF
a coast.tu io3al amendment at the No
vember election permitting telephone
companies operating in this state to
purchase cor. .1eting lines.
The action Of the Chamber OF Com
merce board, taken with view OF ef-
fecting economy by eliminating un-
necessary phones, was given express
sion in the following resolution:
Whereas, the General Assembly 1t
It's 1916 session adopted Consttu-
tional Amendment to be submitted to
the voters Of the state for ratification
at the November, 1917, election, under
the terms of which, with the approval
Of the state authorities and the City
Council Of the city in which the tele-
pone companies are located, one tele-
phone company may purchase the
lines Of another, be 1t
Resolved, That the Frankfort
Chamber Of Commerce endorse the
adoption Of the Constitutional Amend
ment and urge the voters Of Frank
lin county and the State-at-large to
vote for the amendment at the ensu-
ing November election. and be 1t fur
ther
Resolved, That the President Of the
Chamber Of Commerce be authorised
TO 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 1915 General Assembly.
authorizing the purchase Of the tels-
phone lines, passed the Senate with
only one dissenting vote and encount-
cred no opposition whatever In the
House. The representatives OF both
parties recognised that only By means
Of this amendment 70 the Constitution
could the state b saved the annoy
ance and expense Of two telephone
|, systems In the same community.
Some Of the larger cities. particur
larry Cincinnati, New York and Wash
2 ington, early recognised that two tele'
! phone systems were an unnecessary
burden on the community and never
granted to more than one company q
= franchise for telephone system. with
the result that every telephone user
In each Of these cities Is In direct
communication with every other sub
scriber.
q Burden In Kentucky.
. In Kentucky. In the early stages ol
the development Of the telephone bust
I ness, numerous small companies
j. we're organised. They did not con
. meet, different kinds Of eQuipmen,
we're used and the standard Of main
s tenance was not universal. which re
tarded the advancement Of telephone
development in keeping with othel
states more progressive. Nearly
u every community IN kentucky mas, u
|. some time In its history, experienced
telephone war that engenderet
hard feelings, as each side had ID
partisans. and the public has been de
prived Of the convenience and econc
my that one telephone system AFFORDS
The public interest is thorough.
r. protected under the proposed Consti
a tutional amendment, as no purchas
E can be made without the consent o
ID the City Council. The passage OF tn
OF bill. providing for the Constitutions
\. Amendment and the practically unan
4. nous vote It received in the Genera
Assembly is evidence that II wa
passed in response to q widespread
and popular demand for relief tror
present telephone conditions.