The evening herald. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1906-1942, 1919-05-14
MAKE THEM PAY.

The attitude OF the business mel
Of this city. manifested at the meet
ing of the Business Mems Associa
tion last night. conveys to the Pacifi
Telephone & Telegraph company I
message that II will have reason q
heed. The luminous vote in favor o.
= municipal plant serves notice or
that crooked. contract-breaking. pub
lie pIunderins, pocket picking
> nickle stealing corporation that wher
the City OF klamath Falls finishes
With II, II will benefit but little from
The money II steals from the bust
Aesa men.
II can hide behind that misfit that
% pl.Antly serves its interests thru
The postoffiee department: II can lay
sAs blame At the feet Of that handy
toal. the Public Service Commission !:
4 can say It Is powerless to change
tAe law that the State Supreme Court
% happily interpreted in such q fav-
osahle light for It, but when all is
said and done the victims OF this
company will know, as they know
now. that the responsible party Is
the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph
company, and they will proceed to
collect accordingly
We know that the threat OF q mu-
cinipal system will be treated as q
Joke by the Bell outfit. but whether
that threat will result in the install
lation OF q municipality operated sys-
ton or not, It carries with It a warn
ing to the Pacific Telephone and Tel
egraph company and like public plum
aerinS corporations. that is danger
e1s in the extreme. The decision
was not reached by any radical ele-
neat, but BY the conservative, hard
headed business men Of the city. and
n IN indication that the public is
rapidly reaching a point OF rebellion
that will mean further drastic legis-
lation seeking to curb the new effort
Of big corporations to rob the public.
Behind the conditions that have aris-
en by reason of the war. these big
concerns hastened to feather their
nests at the expense Of the people. in
the hope that they could do so un-
noticed; and they have been sue
ceeding thruout the nation. Encour-
aged BY the revulsion of public SEN
timent against government owner
ship because Of the absolute failure
made by the government with the
railroads, the express companies. the
telephone and the telegraph, the big
corporations are seeking to capitalize
IT to their advantage, forgetting the
fact that there will be a day OF reck-
oning when they will reap the whirl.
wind. That day is nearly at hand in
Oregon and Klamath Falls. This last
outrage by which the Telephone com
pany seeks, thru its tool, the Public
Service Commission, TO rob the peo-
pie may be the straw that will wipe
sut of existence the state body that
has SO we'll served the purpose OF
public utility corporations, and throw
their regulation back into the hands
OF towns, cities and counties, when
the people will squeeze the last drop
Of blood out of them as they have
been squeezing the people.
So far as klamath Falls is con-
cerned, every business man who can
get along without a phone should do
10, both in his home and in his store; n;
every resident should do likewise. /.
The council should then start in to
make this despicable concern spend /.
In the city every dollar Of tribute IT.
% stealing from the people. There
Will be more ways than one tina. the
people of klamath Falls can get at
he company where the Corporation
Service Commission cannot protect
I, and then when the next election !
let us start q petition for
he wiping out Of existence of the
aw that, thru crooked state officials,
this concern to rob its pat.
'ons.