The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1919-02-14
Railroad Ownership, Etc.

| DcdT COIuHCTCltsl. trust you are
willing to let your readers hear both
sides of government ownership of
public utilities discussed in view of
the fact it is now a big question of
our day l thank you for publishing
my article three weeks ago. 1t was
necessity for Woodrow Wilson and
| Congress to take possession of these
corporations, ETC., to win the world
war. These were largely pro-German
and cared more for making money
than for the U. S. They didn't serve
us in time of war. They were prof
iteers and wanted to be let alone.
They were bosses until the U. S. took
| them in charge. The time is at hand
to stop these bosses and do business
for ourselves. We want pure democ-
racy. We must make democracy safe
for ourselves. One-man power don't
pay l herewith submit a few more
samples of private ownership of pub
lie utilities, but these do not include
the st. Louis trouble with her Mayor
and railway, nor will it include the
many Investigations Congress IS
vexed with about some corporations.
In or about 1899 and four others
organized the Clinton Telephone
Company with a cash capital of
$4,000. We put in about one hun
dred phones at So per month per
phone, receiving about $4,000 g. year,
about $3.50 net profit, or about
fifty per cent net profit. We then
lowered our rate to $3.50 per month,
and still made big profit above all
expense. l was the manager and
built the plant, end it was poorly
done. We ran this plant about five
years. 1t was then needing repairs.
At this time the Cumberland Tele-
phone Company, of Nashville, sent
Mr.. j. w. Temple, of Union City, to
buy us out. They were charging
rapidly. We offered to take $4,000.
They offered $4,000, which, among
ourselves, we would have taken, but
l held out for the $4,000, and they
paid it in cash. MT. Hume employed
me and l continued to be manager.
The first winter sleet and storm
wiped the entire plant out, except
about $1,000 worth of phones and
office fixtures. With good poles and
new wire they rebuilt at a cost of
$4,000. l was still manager and
continued about two years. My
management yielded them fourteen
per cent on the $4,000 they had in
vested at Clinton, or about twenty
eight per cent on the actual plant
value. They now ordered mo to
raise the price on all our patrons:
Families to $1.65 and offices and NOR
chants to $3.50. I advised them to
not do so, and lost my position. They
raised the price. I know from my
ledger and bank book that this Cum
berland Telephone Company was
making over rs per cent net profit
l have given this as a prGctical ex-
ample of private ownership of public
utilities. Whom do you think pays
all this cost? From my experience
and observation l believe the Govern
ment could run such plants at half
price and make millions each year,
besides a saving of large money to
each user.
Government is cooperation of
people, to do for each individual
jointly, what we all need and ought
to have on equal terms. Corporations
are a few cooperating to make
money-and to make that money off
Of the many. They wont treat all
persons alike. When the M. & o.
R. r. was started nearly seventy
years ago they built largely on cash
furnished by farmers along the
course surveyed out. l have stock
(now) issued to my father then. l
saw the first engine land at Columbus
about 1855. After it was built and
watered it then broke CD They |
squeezed out all small stockholders. |
The water bloomed and yielded |
gold (en) fruit to few. This is a |
way the schemer9 grow rich while
the many stay poor. Yet some peo-
pie seem to love these rich men.
You mention w. J. Bryan as a |
free silver man and a sub-treasury
man, a government-railroa owner
ship man man, as tending to social
ism. Bryan never favored free silver
money at any time, per Sc, nor gold
per Sc. We were suffering
then for lack of money in all bust
ness except banking and mortgage
trade Bryan was for paper money
issue-a legal tender
one kind of money for rich and poor
and enough to employ every man
with work. l heard a. banker in
Union City say our Government
ought to let the banks attend to