The evening herald. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1906-1942, 1919-05-10
Member of the Associated Press
SATURDAY. MAY 10. 1919.
THE TELEPHONE OUTRAGE

L ne business men OF II Idualn Z Il
are going to face the question as e,
whether they will quietly accept n,
dictum OF supinely subscr len; I'uo
lie Service Commission ar -. robbed
by new telephone rate or assert
their manhood and refusa - pay trib
ute to the Bell Telephone company
which dictated the Geu re- ~. Under
the rev ru;,> &C these satC - S3rrr.
ing time sei"crs. whom the people
OF this state IGNORED b. c;vciirs to
tie high oftic> OF Pubic .ervice
Commissioners. the busine..' r'..n OF
.h,: city Will hive TO pay ore dollar
r'Cnth ad iiucral for tHa use CT
the telephone. II i; is a desk pnone
ther, is an additional pc1a!'y c.
twenty-five cents. Thus practically
every business man in klamath Falls
is penalized to the extent of $1.25 a
month, or an increase of 80 rer cels
on present rates. or FIFTEEN q ,llars
year. Are the business men # this
city going TO submit to this aold-up"
Are they going to permit tao so-calleC
Public" Service Commission ~ SCI
aside our contract with the telephone
company, under the terms OF which
there was to be no increase in rates
until one thousand phones were N
use? Are We going to quietly accept
the action Of this Corporation Ssrv-
ice Commission in this telephone rob
berry, as We have accepted similar
light and watr rates? Not II the ey-
pressions heard today are an indica-
tion of the sentiment and determine.
tion of the business men OF the city
TO resist to the last ditch this new
move to pick the last nickle out ol
their pockets. The business men oi
klamath Falls will not pay the rates
They will throw out their phones
and keep them out until sucn time 4:
the city itself can install a telephone
system of its own-ona that the cor
poration serving puolic officials can
not dictate to and one that will moi
be made the medium CT filming the
last cent from the already oyer-5uf.
dened, over taxed business man.
Under the new ruling of tho Cor. .
poration" Service Commission. the
increase applies only to buspns.
phones. Why? It's masters figured
that business houses could not get
along without a phone If the resi-.
dents kept theirs. Consequently they
have planned 70 rob the business man
first. In announcing :,d5 larlsipn, We
are informed that tbs increase is
good only for OGe year. dGring which
time a full Investigation - 20 be
made and If it - iOrnd tat the in
crease was not Warranted the thaiges
will be reduced. At the Cud Of "A vfal
il will be found that the poor Husi-
ness man was Disseminated against
and the residence phone "harSe vii
go up, but there will be no reduction
in the charge for business phones. Il
anyone doubts that such a program
will be followed, all he has to do is
TO read the decision OF the Corpora.
tion" Service Commission when il
the increased rates foI
light and water. And yet there are
some who cant accoun- for thc sIread
of red handed anarchy ,hrougEou
the world,
Any hope Of securily relief taru
the courts need not be antertnined
Tor following the twentieth century
plan of let the people rule" ouI
lOnored and respected supreme court
has ruled that franchise between Q
:ity and a corporation, liking rates
S mere scrap of paper and that OuI
Service Commission
las unlimited authority 10 scr aside
uch a franchise and to raise OF
over rates or anything else.
So there is just one thing fer the
BUSINESS men of klamath Falls TO Go
nd that is to refuse t. recognize the
ulings of the "COrpOration" serving
Commission and not pay the iucr"ps.
d charge. Monday morning IN agree
lent will be circulated, Indcr The
srms of which every user uc bust
ess phone will agree not 10 pay the
lcreased charge. Every businc8s anC
Professional man should sign il and
zen every resident thruout the city
lould order his phone removed