Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 62, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 November 1909 — AN INTERESTED OPINION. [ARTICLE]

AN INTERESTED OPINION.

In a labored article of a half column length, the Rensselaer Daily Republican—it was judiciously omitted from the weekly edition goes to the oeuntry—advances "argument” why the city council should not grant a franchise to the Home Telephone Co- The whole article could easily have been condensed into three or four lines; Two of the ow’ners of the Republican are stockholders in the old telephone company, one quite heavily interested. and what is more natural than for the Republican to stand up for ahd defend its own? This is the whole thing in a nutshell. The fact is, and no one knows it better than the Republican, that the Home Telephone Company was organized because of the “bum” service and exorbitant rates of the Jasper County Telephone Co., to its country patrons and the outrageous toll rates charged in the county. Since this move was started the latter has reduced its rates in the country—or put them back, rather—to the old price. But -it would immediately raise them again if it thought the Home Company could be killed off, and in an effort to do this it is dictating to the council the sort of franchise it shall grant, if any, to the new company, endeavoring to make its path as difficult of travel as possible. The old company, through its officers, stated last winter, when it wanted an extension of its franchise at increased rates of 50 to 100 per cent, that it would gladly welcome the opportunity to sell at almost any old price; that it was continually losing money and wanted to get out of business unless the Increased rate frachise was granted. After the organization of the new company a committee was appointed to wait on the president of the old company and get the price wajited and A complete schedule of it had tp sell. That was about the last of August, and the president talked to the committee about the same as he did when trying to get the high-rate franchise through. He said they were anxious to sell, would sell at a very reasonable price, and that he would present a proposition to the new company within a week or two weeks at farthest. That was nearly three months ago, and no proposition has been presented yet nor has anything been heard from them when, if ever, it will be.

If they are losing money all the time, as claimed, it would seem that an opportunity to unload their junk -*■—to use their own words of less than a year ago—onto someone else would be welcomed, instead of hanging on and inviting competitionThe stories don’t “jibe.” Now, as a matter of fact, no business man is compelled to put in the new company’s phones unless he chooses to. We heard one business man say, however, that he would gladly pay for two phones to get the service he used to get when there were two companies here, and perhaps there are others who feel the same way. However, as the Republican states, there are many excellent farmers behind the new Home company, and we might add that many more mighty good farmers and business men will get behind it. If the business men would rather have the trade of the few people who own and control the old company than that of the scores of men who are behind the new company, they have a perfect right to decide. This movement was inaugurated to give the people more efficient service at more reasonable cost. It would never have come but for the actions of the old company. Now that it has come it |s simply a question of encouraging the company which has already brought about a reduction in rates and better service, or turning it down and giving support to the company which caused the conditions that brought about the organization of the new company. The country can get along without the town, but the latter could not long exist without the support of the former.

It our opipion the council should grant the jiew company a franchise, afid a fair and reasonable one, too. It should not be dictated to by the old company or its stockholders and impose conditions which are unreasonable and hard to comply with. It should pot antagonize the country people by asking anything unreasonable or in refusing to grant a franchise at all as advocated by the Republican. The new oompany did not bring about the conditions which brought it into existence and is in no way responsible for them.\ It •'hQUld not suffer for yie faults of others, and it would be a very shortsighted policy to “hold it up.’