The Butler weekly times and the Bates County record. (Butler, Mo.) 1918-1950, 1921-01-06

| thank you gentlemen tor this Sue-
gestion and am glad to avail myself
of the opportunity given to give YOU
the facts on the situation as it really
exists. To begin with, want to say
to you that it is matter of entire in
difference to the City of Butler who
furnishes us telephone service, wheth-
er it is your company or Mr.. Erhart;
but we insist that one company only
work at it; realizing that through one
common switching arrangement only
is real general service available.
With that idea of the situation, have
made quite an effort officially and
otherwise to have these two COM
panies arrive at an understanding
whereby general service would be
available to all of us.
The widely circulated rumors"
you mention we think are not rumors,
but are actual and bona fide" propo-
sitions.
We have these propositions from
Mr.. Erhart. He offers to switch all
incoming calls from your company
free, and charge ten cents for out-go-
ing calls. A hardship on Butler, but
one we were willing to forego to get
the matter settled. He also offers
free connection, both ways, where
there is only one other switch board.
He offers to buy your company out.
He offers to sell his plant to your
company His offer follows:
A thoroughly competent telephone
engineer to go over his plant and de-
termine what it would cost to build it
new at this time. Mr.. Erhart agrees
to accept for his plant 50 per eent-ef
such an amount in full settlement for
his telephone system. To settle once
for all the Johnstown and Spruce sit
uation, the Butler business people
have agreed to build one line to each
of these points.
am very sure these propositions
are made with Il desire OH the part OF
Mr. Erhart- to arrive at settlement
of the matter. So far we have had no
proposition whatever from your
company, except to wire the town,
which means dual system of tele-
phones, All unthinkable arrangement.
l am quite sure our council will
back any plan wherein only one gen.
eral switching arrangement is called
for.
Butler is trying to forget Mr.. Camp
bell since he is gone, and has no in
terest here. l suggest it would be
wholesome for you people to try that.
There are 700 telephones in Butler.
For your company to be able to rem
der the same service these users now
have, and that you formerly had be-
fore this change, you must duplicate
each phone; all initial expense to the
subscribers OF approximately $751;
ooOoO DO you wonder that city
council hesitates at allowing an ar
-rangement by which its citizens must
be at such an expense and actually
for naught. Because when You get
all your phones in, we are exactly
where we started, except that we
have our homes and Offices decorated
with two telephone instruments. You
happen to be at a distance from your
telephone and hear call. You rush
back to. the instruments and "hello,
"hello" into one with no response, and
set it down and try the other one. A
delightful experience, of course.
I want to thank you again for CIV
ing me this opportunity to place this
matter before you, and assure you
shat If Butler is not taking the best
possible position on this matter for
the patrons Of your company, as well
~ for our city, whose interests are
Identical. it is mistake of the
head and not of the heart.
]. T. Hull.
49,. M~vor nuk1ne No