The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-09-09
STAND TOGETHER

The News Scimitar went into the fght. to prevent the mayor
and city commission from giving the Cumberland Telephone and
Telegraph company an increase in rates for no reason other than
70 protect the people from a gratuitous and unnecessary burden
Of more than $1,000 a year,
Sometimes the city government shows more sense than the
public is accustomed to give it credit for having. Iii S a cunning
administration.
The News Scimitar stuck a peg at the point where the ad-
ministration deserted the people and turned to the corporations
for support. Everybody knows what corporation support means
Utility corporations look after their own. They discard their
servants with slight formality when they are ready for the scrap
heap, but they stand loyalty by them so long as they deliver.
The telephone attorneys were cautious in attempting to make
il appear that they were not amending the franchise while at
the same time they were securing for their client all the benefits
of a special grant which, in the eyes Of the law, cannot be re-
garded as anything but a franchise, The city administration fol-
lowed the telephone companys program to the letter,
As a result The News Scimitar went into the fight, without
the sympathy or support Of any other newspaper, to compel the
administration to give the people an opportunity to determine
for themselves if they are willing to assume an increase in rates
with little or no prospect for an immediate Improvement in ser
vice. -
Since the adoption of the charter giving 500 freeholders the
right to demand by petition a referendum election for the pur-
pose of r~epudaing an act of the city government, no petition for
referendum ever before has been successful.
The petitions already signed have the names Of more than
1000 qualified feeholdcrs. We confidently believe that no voter
in the city Of Memphis, provided he is not subsidized by the
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES forces, would have refused to sign the
petition if he had been eligible, nor do we believe that any indie
pendent voter will vote for the increase in rates if ne has an
opportunity to express himself in an election,
It is not expected that the administration will take any action
not advocated by the utility corporations, and therefore the courts
eventually must decide whether the acknowledgements
alliance or the people are to control the affairs OF the city OF
Memphis.
Except for the fact that the administration was in sympathy
with the street railway company the increased car fare could
not have been fosted upon the people assuredly the telephone
company would not have been given a raise, and the gas COM
pany, except from conclusions drawn from past events, with. its
rotten service, would not have the audacty to ask for More
money for its product,
There is something strange, and sinister in the disposition
Of all the public utility corporations to rush through their APP
plications and secure advanced rates while the present administra-
ton is in office.
The citizenship OF Memphis must stand together on these
questions, for conspiring against them is the strongest and most
powerful combination that ever united in the common purpose Of
defying the will Of the people.
Many years will be required to undo the evil that has been
accomplished in a few months, but we must see to it that this
condition is not permitted to go a step farther.