Atlanta Georgian and news. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1912, August 24, 1907, Image 3
fHE ATLANTA GEORGIAN AND NEWS.
(SATURDAY, AUOUST 24, 1907.
SO PLAIN A CHILD SHOULD SEE IT!
The Bell Telephone Company’s gross
income from Atlanta for 1907, as es
timated by Vice-President Gentry,
will be about $400,000.00
If the Bell Company pays Atlanta an in
come tax of 1% on this amount . . $4,000.00
But deducts what it already pays the
city $3,421.00
(For franchise tax, business license, registration, fees, etc.)
Atlanta will get $579.00
The Bell Company pays the city of Richmond about all the franchise tax,
business license, special registration fees, etc., that i*t already pays Atlanta, AND
IN ADDITION PAYS 3 PER CENT INCOME TAX AND A TAX ON EVERY
POLE, EVERY DUCT AND EVERY MILE OF WIRE.
Richmond is a smaller city than Atlanta and the rights used by the - Bell
Company are less valuable than in Atlanta.
New Orleans gets between $16,000 and $17,000 a year from the Telephone
Company.
WILL THE CITIZENS OF ATLANTA STAND BY AND SEE THE CITY
SOLD OUT TO THE BELL COMPANY FOR 33 YEARS?
LET CITY GET ITS DUE
FROM BELL TELEPHONE,
SAY ATLANTA CITIZENS
Troubles of the Phone
Are Told. by
Customers.
That the Atlanta public will not be
satisfied with a 1 per cent tax on the
franchise of the Southern Bell Tele
phone Company, Is shown In the many
expressions that have come to The
Georgian since the action of the board
of aldermen last Thursday.
That council is expected to go deep
ly Into the matter and make such
contract with the eompany as to assure
the city of a fair and equitable return
for Its franchise. Is Indicated by the ex
pressions of many citizens. One of
these who has awakened to an active
Interest In what the city Is getting from
the corporations Is C. H. Girardeau, of
Moss & Girardeau, who writes:
Mr. Girardeau's Letter.
To the Editor of The Georgian:
Keep up your light for Atlanta'The
Southern Bell Telephone Company
should not be granted ft franchise for
practically nothing. If granted this
franohlse, It will be the main foundation
to their stock and bond Issues and an
asset worth millions of dollars. Atlanta
is not Indebted neither by inherent
rights, right by occupancy, or any
other rights to the Southern Bell Tele
phone Company more than she Is due
to any other like corporation or Indi
vidual. Through franchise privileges
given by the Atlanta council to the
Southern Bell Telephone Company, they
have become enriched by the thou
sands, tens of thousands, yes, hundreds
of thousands of dollars.
A 5 per cent gross income tax would
be a small thing compared to what the
company is getting for this amount.
This company has had the right to
tear up and occupy streets that cost the
city enormous amounts to pave and
maintain.
The shade trees on our sidewalks are
marred and destroyed without thought
or consideration. The mean service
that has been handed out to its patrons
at its own price during past few years
does not entitle this company to a very
high consideration by those who repre
sent the people on the council floor.
Tried to Call Doctor.
It can not be that the enormous num
ber of telephone messages being trans
mitted over its wires cripples the serv
ice to such an extent that It Is harass
ing to attempt a conversation over its
wires. If this were true then the serv.
Ice done at night, when al lbuslness Is
practically suspended, would be better
than that rendered in the day. I have
stood for thlrty-flve minutes with the
receiver at my ear trying to call a phy
sician to assist in an emergency call
at 3 o'clock a. m. before central re-
Hponded.
Hundreds of times I have waited at
the receiver for several minutes without
uny response from central, and then left
the ’phone In disgust, without service.
My surprise has been that the public
has suffered so long without raising a
hoycot and transferring the business to
the Atlanta Telephone Company, as the
services rendered by these companies
are not comparable when efficiency is
questioned.
Keep up your light for a Just tax and
an efficient service as a condition In
the franchise. Respectfully.
C. H. GIRARDEAU.
some one stumbling down the stairs—
“ ‘Hello! No, there is no Miss So and
So here, this Is 5718-J‘—and the re
ceiver goes up to stay, you’d think.
"Maybe It does, and maybe It does
not, but the next morning or sooner
somebody says: ‘I wish you would re
port that ’phone!’ ’I have.’ ’Well,
write them a letter: I’m tired of get
ting out of bed to answer that ’phone
for some one else,’ and I reply: ’I did,’
and a few days after a man came and
said: ’I want to see your ’phone.’ He
saw It. Then said: ’Give me the test
board, please,’ and a ring or two and
a word or two. and he said:
1 ’’ ’Good-morning, your 'phone's all
right now.’
’’ ‘Well, It’s not all right, and I’ll
write them a letter myself.’
“But I’m still answering the ’phone
from three to five times a day. to be
told. ’That’s the wrong number,’ and
I seem to be helpless.”
Colonel James M. Goldsmith, deputy
sheriff of Pulton county, had some pa
pers he wanted to serve on four little
children living in the northern part of
the city. He went to the ’phone to call
up the mother that she might have all
the children ready when he got there.
"North one-flve-seven-nlne-J.,
said, and waited four minutes. No re
sponse.
"Fifteen hundred and seventy-nine J,
North." No response.
"Fifteen seventy-nine North J. Hello,
hello. I wanted 1579 J. North. No, I
don’t want the brewery 1 ."
Deputy Sheriff Dan Perkeraon came
tB his assistance, saying:
"Just watch me get that girl in just
minute.”
Twice he got the wrong number, and
once the line was busy.
"Central, give me 500!”
Five hundred assured him that the
line was all right, and he renewed the
.ttack.
"Central, please give me North 1579
Please, Central. Central, If you
don’t, I’ll have to walk.”
At last he gave it up, and with a
few remarks about the service, heartily
Indorsed by Colonel Goldsmith, he
went out to serve the papers. Three
of the children .he found at home, but
the fourth will necessitate another
trip.
To the Editor of The Georgian:
I cannot let this opportunity pass
without expressing my utter disgust at
the present service of the Southern Bell
Telephone and Telegraph Company. I
am no kicker, but on the contrary, will
suffer Imposition unsurpassed, and
when I assert that the above service is
rotten, It is no wonder others are com-
plaining of the odor.
Yours very truly.
A. M. HOLLINGSWORTH.
248 Highland Avenue. Grocer.
COMMUTERS’FARES
MAY BE CUT OUT
AFTER SEPJEMBER1
Railroad Men Say New Rate
Will Necessitate
Changes.
From Mrs. C. W. McClure comes s,
letter descriptive of telephone trouble*
in the home, which Is a graphic sketch
of many Atlanta families* experience.
Mrs. McClure wrltee:
“I am so glad you have taken up the
Bell telephone service, for my experi
ence each day Is something like this:
"We sit down to breakfaat. whan
’ilng-allng-ltng’ goes the telephone, and
1 leave my coffee to hear:
" ’Is this ES0-L7 I beg your pardon,
that’s the wroftg number.’
"Well, that la so little nothing la
said about It. and all goes well until
lust as I’ve gotten the baby, to sleep,
perhaps, and then ’Jlng-allng-llng-llng-
llng’—and I hurry to the ’phone again,
to hear:
" ’Is Mr. Schrader there? Well, what
number la that? Oh. I beg your par
don, that’s the wrong number’—and If
the baby has not been wakened, all
goes well again, until Just as I am In
the midst of some absorbing work I
hear:
"’Jlng-allng-llng. Yes, well, have
you any blue china custard cups?
Why. isn’t that McClure’s? Oh, hla
residence! Well, I want the store, 49(1
you say? Well, haven’t they an ex
change? Well, I asked for the ex
change’—
“And there may be no more Inter
ruptions perhaps until the lights are
out and I have Just dreamed, when I
hear:
“’Is that the door bell or telephone?’
But no need to listen lung, for I bear
Many Daytime Drunks.
Councilman Press Huddleston was
acting recorder Saturday morning and
a sorry time he had of it. With the
exception of one murder case, the oth
ers arraigned before him were drunks,
to the number of twenty-five or more.
He commented on this to Clerk Pres
ton. who said that for the last two
weeks the police were arresting more
daytime drunks than ever before since
he has been clerk. The acting recorder
was lenient with those who seemed sor
ry and wer not known to the police as
old-timers—on the latter he was as
hard os Judge Broyles.
THAT TELEPHONE TAX.
While our city fathers are fussing
and being fussed at about the tax to
be collected from the telephone com
pany. let the working people of Atlan
ta not lose sight of the fact that the
oldest savings bank In the city, the
Georgia Savings Bank and Trust Com
pany, accepts deposits as small as II
and pays 4 per cent per annum Inter
est and compounds It twice a year.
What an opportunity for any one to
save In a small way! Have you any
money In the bank? Are you teaching
your children to save? Think of these
questions seriously, and then say to
yourself. "I am so many years old. what
have I accomplished In this world?
What have I got to show for the years
of hard work that I have had to do,
and what Is the outlook for the fu
ture?” A great many men die, some
of them you perhaps have known,
without having saved up enough money
to bury themselves, and their family Is
left burdened with this debt. How
would It be If you were to die? Think
of these things now, and If you have
no bank account, come to this old sav
ings bank on corner Broad and Ala
bama streets and get a pass book.
You have seen the sign In large golden
letters. SAVINGS BANK, many a
time. Open every Saturday afternoon
from 4 to (, In addition to regular
morning hours. Write or call for one
of their circulars, and it will be given
to you gladly.
Now that one of the chief toplca of
Interest over the state Is the reduced
railroad fares, the order for which, is
sued by the railroad commission, goes
Into effect on September 2, railroad of
ficials are calling attention to the fact
that there are now In effect In Georgia
rates as low as 1-2 cent a mile and
less.
Few persons are fully acquainted
with the cheap rates now Issued by the
various railroads, and now there Is a
probability of some of these rates be>
ing abolished. If they are railroad men
say It will have the effect of almost
depopulating some of the small towns
within a radius of thirty miles of At
lanta.
As the time approaches for the order
of the railroad commission to,go Into
effect, speculation as to what the va
rious roads affected will do about It
increases. Injunction cases are now
Tending In the Federal court brought
by the Seaboard Air Line and tbe Geor
gia, Southern and Florida railroad, but
the other lines have made no fnove.
It Is the general belief that nothing
will be done In the courts to prevent
the reduced rates going Into effect, but
It Is the opinion of many railroad offi
cials that In order to protect their In
terests, the railroads will discontinue
some of the cheap rates.
Cheap Rate Tickets.
Tickets are now sold by all the roads
to large consumers of transportation aa
low as about four-tenths of a cent a
mile. Quarterly tickets may be secur
ed to a point os far away as Athens
good for two trips a day at a rate of
about 1-2 cent a mile.
Hundreds of business men In Atlanta
live in towns within and out of a ra
dius of thirty miles, and ride on these
reduced tickets and do business here.
There are family tickets, school tick
ets, week-end tickets, excursion tick
ets, business men’s tickets and other
varieties which are sold for rates that
make It like riding on trolley cars.
While no official could be found who
would say all of these rates might be
abolished, several there were who are
inclined to the belief that some of them
will be discontinued. One railroad of
ficial was emphatic In the declaration
that no convention would be given the
rate of one fare plus 25 cents unless It
was a convention of a national scope
and brought people here in the thou
sands. Other conventions would pay,
he thought, the regular rate.
MAY FORCE MEETING
OF
IF THAT FINE SHOULD EVER BE PAID!
TWINS BAPTIZED!
Tl
Both Professed at Same
Time During the
Meeting.
Move to Force Senator
Platt to Call Ses
sion.
receive today a blank request _
tsry Chaonrer II. Crosby asking for Im
mediate election of sewn directors. Ac.
conipanylng this Is s Isttsr declaring that
there baa bean no meeting of shareholders
of the corporation for 46 yean.
The stockholders’ commutes, which
claims to represent more than n majority
of the stock holdings, thus replies to Sen
ator Thomas C. Platt, president of tho
pany, who recently refuse.! to call any
meeting for election of directors and said
the articles of association prnvlda that two-
thirds of tha stockholders must be heard
from before any such call would bo Issued.
Lost Diamond Pin.
Solomon Livingston has reported to
the police the loss of a diamond scarf
pin containing fifteen stones. He says
the pin was taken from hla room at 45
Mitchell street and he suspects one of
two people whose names he has given
to the detectives.
1
Secretary Logan Ratums.
Secretary Joseph C. Logan of the As
sociated Charities Is back horns from
hla first vacation. Until this year he
has always bean too busy to take one.
but he decided he wanted to know what
a vacation felt like. With hla family
he spent two weeks at Tumenrllla In
North Georgia and he returns to At
lanta greatly tenanted by hla trip.
SOME BELL SERVICE.
Atlanta Georgian, City.
Gentlemen: I am writing this, using red Ink, because It will
give a better Idea of how I feel about the way the Bell Telephone
Company treats the people of Atlanta. I say ‘‘people of Atlanta”
advisedly, because I can find no exceptions among the people I
know to the rule of POOR SERVICE and BAD TREATMENT.
There la home satisfaction In seeing them get their dues oc
casionally though. Don’t hold up till they are made to pay their
Just share of the taxes. That Is the main thlngl Also, get a
commission to guarantee the patrons of the system decent service
and a maximum charge for same.
When I had a ’phone put In at my residence they gave me
the number of somebody else who had Just had It removed from
their retldenee and for montha I had to answer the rings for other
people. Thoroughly uneatlefactory any way you can look at It;
but I had to pay the full price all the same.
How about Atlanta owning her own system of loeal ’phenes?
Five thousand Bell subscribers would start the thing going to
morrow If given a chancel H. L. BRIDGES, 8uffererl
Atlanta, Ga., August 21, 1907.
Atlanta Georgian, City.
Gentlemen: 1 frequently have one, two and three days that
my ’phone Is out of use, and have to use my neighbor’s. I wait
from one to three and five minutes for a conneetlon.
The ’Phone Company reversed my residence and office
’phone numbers In the guide book and was six montha getting It
corrected. EDWARD H. WALKER.
College Park, Ga.
Tha Georgian, Atlanta, Ga.
Gentlemen: Seeing that others are telling of the Imperfect
service of the Southern Bell Telephone Company, wish to say
that only last night I was given the wrong number three differ
ent times, and at last waited twenty minutes, with watch In hand,
and got no response, although I made every effort possible to at
tract the attention of the operator. I am like others—think the
city should receive a reasonable compensation for the use of her
streets from corporations that are collecting large sums from her
people and giving bad service In return. Respectfully,
MILTON A. SMITH,
President 8mlth & Simpson Lumber Co.
Special to Tbe Georgian.
Carteravllle, Ga, Aug. 24.—Last Sun.
day Myrtle and Murphy Stokes, 14-
year-old twins of Mr. and Mrs. H. B.
Stokes, were received Into the church
at Pine Grove. Recently they professed
religion together and were both bap
tised at the same time. Ten of the
eleven children of Mr. and Mrs. Stakes
belong to the church.
TO NEWRATE LAW
L. & N. Reported to Have
Asked For Confer-
AT N. Y, CHAUTAUQUA
Dr. Belk Tells Good News
of Georgia’s New
Law.
Dr. P. R. Belk, pastor of St. Mark
Methodist church, has returned to the
city, after spending hla month’s vaca
tion In the east, and he will All hia pul
pit at 11 o’clock Sunday morning. He
visited the Jamestown exposition, spent
ona week at Ocean Grove, N. J., and
ten days at the New York Chautauqua.
"When I told the people at the Chau*
tauqua that Georgia had gone dry,” he
stated, "and when I told of the magnifi
cent Work of The Georgian In the cam-
>ilgn, I was given a genuine, old-time
amous Georgia Chautauqua cheer. The
three hundred Methodist ministers
there had no end of good things to say
about The Georgian.”
NEW CARNEGIE LIBRARY
OPENED AT MONTEZUMA.
Special to The Georgian.
Montezuma, Ga., Aug. 24.—The hand
some Carnegie Library was opened here
last night. An Interesting program wa*
rendered. The liulldlng cost 110,000,
and Is located near the Central depot.
Montgomery. Ala, Aug. 24.—It la
reported here that Milton H. Smith,
president of the Louisville and Naeh-
vllle railroad, has Indicated to Govern
or Comer that he desired to have a
talk with him over the rate situation
In the state. An officer of the Western
of Alabama le said to have been in
conference with the state officers this
week, and a leading member of the
staff of the Central of Georgia has been
seen In the office of the executive. With
this comes the rumor that all the roads
doing business In the state will put the
new rate law Into effect.
Judge Thomas G. Jones, of the
United States court for the Middle dis
trict of Alabama, has addressed a let
ter to Judge Mitchell, sitting In the
circuit court of Bibb county, thanking
him for the statement from the bench
that the grand Juries of the state
courts had no right to Interfere In the
matter of the laws restrained In the
Federal court on the petition of the
Louisville and Nashville Railroad Com
pany.
Commissioned Saturday.
Charles W. Alllston. of Madison, was
commissioned Saturday captain of
company B. Third Infantry.
Special to The Georgina,
Newberry. 8. C., Aug. 24.—The
standing committee of the board of
trustees of Newberry College at a re
cent meeting elected the following pro
fessors: Chair of natural sciences. Pro
fessor Roy 7.. Thomas: English and
modern languages. Professor Otto R.
Patawald, A. M.: assistants In the pre
lory department. Pri *
- and J. E. Cannon.
Y ETHERIDGE
FOR COMMISSIONER
Eighth Ward Attorney En
ters Race for Police
Board.
HARRY A. ETHERIDGE
Harry A. Etheridge, one of the best
known young lawyers In Atlanta, has
announced his candidacy for a police
commissioner, subject to election by
council. His friends predict a strong
race for hlin.
Mr. Etheridge Is a resident of the
Eighth ward, and hae lived and prac
ticed law In Atlanta for fifteen years.
He is now 38 yean- old. and recognised
as prominent In his profession.
“There are no strings tied to me, and
I belong to no clique or faction.” said
WILL NOT ACCEPT
GLENN’SPROPOSAL
Rate Hearing Will Not Be
Terminated Before
Montgomery, j" ,
Washington, Aug. 14.—The Southern
Railway has declined to accept the
propoettlon made by Governor Glenn ta
terminate the rate hearings before
Standing Matter Montgomery, pending
a final determination In the coses In
volving Jurisdiction, which have been
appealed to the supreme court of the
United States.
This announcement was made by
General Counsel Thom, of the South
ern, shortly after his return from New
York, where he presented the proposal
to President Finley and the other ex
ecutive officers of the Southern. Mr.
Thom made known the decision of the
railway to Speaker E. J. Justice, one
of the attorneys engaged especially to
represent the Carolina governor In the
rate law fight.
At the doee of the directors’ meeting
In New York yesterday. President Fin
ley made a statement in which he j
he said:
"At a meeting of the board of dl-
rector* of tbe Southern Railway com
pany today the Income account and re. •
suits of operation for tho fiscal year
ended June 80 lost were considered.
“A dividend of 1 I-t per cent was
declared on the preferred stock out of
accumulated surplus, making a total
dividend distribution of 4 per cent for ;
the year.
"For this purpose there was appro- 1
printed a portion of the surplus In
come carried forward from the year
ended June 10, 1906, after payment of
the dividends fbr that year."
GLENN WIELD8 BIG 8TICK
OVER THE SOUTHERN
Asheville, N. C, Aug. 24.—Governor
Glenn, who has Just returned from Now
York, says he Is positive the rate of
2 1-4 cents will, hold good on the North
Carolina railroad, and If the Southern
embarraasee the latter road he wilt i
compel final adoption of the new rate
by annulling the Southern’s lease of
the North Carolina. The North Caro
lina Railroad Company was formed
shortly after the civil war. the state
subscribing a majority of Its capital
stock, and a rood was built from Char
lotte to Greensboro. The road did not
prove more than nominally profitable. J
and fifteen years ago was leased to the
Richmond and Danville, which was
succeeded by the Southern. The leased
road Is one of the most Important in
the South.
Served Writ on Officers.
Special to Tbe Georgian.
Huntsville, Ala, Aug. 24.—Deputy
Marehal Arnold has returned to the
city, after having visited,many of the
counties of northern Alabama and serv
ed on the Judges and solicitors the writs
of Injunction Issued by Judge Thomas
O. Jones, restraining them from Inter
fering with the Louisville and Nash
ville railway.
Aged Doctor Dies.
StHH-lnl to The Georgian.
Anniston, Ala, Aug. 24.—Dr. John L.
Hughes, 80 years of age, died at his
residence yeeterday at Piedmont, after
several days’ Illness.' Dr. Hughes was
perhaps the oldest citizen of this com
munity, having resided In this section
of Calhoun county about sixty year*,
over fifty years of that time being de
voted to the active practice of medlclns.
Mr. Etheridge. “I have always been
a prohibitionist In doctrine and prac
tice, and i stand for the rigid enforce
ment of the law.”