The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-04-17
THE TELEPHONE TROUBLES.
Council Orders the Central Union to
Withdraw Within Fourteen Days.
The Company's Poles and Wires Will Be Re-
moved by the Street Commissioner at
the End of That Time.

A special meeting of the Council was held last
night, the immediate cause being the action OF
the Central Union Telephone Company in estab-
fishing stations after the ordinance repeating
its charter had been passed All the members
except Messrs Howes and Swain were present
Superintendent Hockett of the Central Union
company was an interested attendant A num-
Der of citizens and representatives of other tele
phone companies were present.
Mr.. Rocker, chairman of the judiciary COM
mittee presented the following:
Resolved by the Common Council and Board of
Aldermen of the city of Indianapolis That the Central
Union Telephone Company be and the same is here
and alleys of the city of Indianapolis. whether such
wires strung poles or otherwise also to take
down and remove all poles owned or erected by it on
said streets alleys excepting those poles erected by
said company in the place of poles formerly erected
by the city of Indianapolis for its fire alarm telegraph
wires which said poles. thus excepted are hereby de-
cared to be- and are the property OF the city OF ndi
annapolis.
Resolved further That if all of said wires and all
said poles except those herein above excepted not
taken down and removed from off the streets and
alleys of said city within days from the passage
of this resolution then in that event the street COM
missioner of said city is hereby directed to at
said wires from the streets of said city and to
take down and remove all the said company's poles
from said streets and alleys and this resolution shall
be sufficient authority therefor.
Mr.. Edenharter, although he had signed the
report, moved to amend by striking out the word
''sevenr and inserting the word fourteen" A
motion of Mr.. Rocker that the amendment be
laid on the table was adopted.
Mr. Rocker said what he wanted to determine
was when the Central Union company was to
obey the law
Mr.. Pearson said that it was wrong for the
49, I,o
taken down even in thirty days. He did not think
it was possible to do it in fourteen days. He
favored giving the company fair time, and then
if the poles and wires were not removed in that
time, the Council should adopt extraordinary
measures.
Mr. Rocker thought that even when the reso
luton was passed the telephone company would
not take down the poles and wires.
Mr.. Thalman thought chance should be given
!, the new company that might come in to pur
chase the poles and wires This removal would
cause an expense of 81 500 to the city in the way
of ire-alarm telegraph poles that would have to
be put up. He thought that in sixty days the
new company would be in, and if it could obtain
4 the Central Unions poles and wires the purchase
would then be made He was opposed to any
spitework toward the company.
By consent, the judiciary committee was al
lowed to amend it's report by inserting the word
fourteen" instead of seven" before the word
'daysn which il did.
Mr.. Cummings, of the committee, scratched
his name off the report He said he was in favor
of compelling the company to begin the work In
seven days. and offered an amendment to that
effect
Mr.. Erdenharter said the Council had been
too dilatory with the telephone company. He
wanted the Council to say to the company, 1--WE
propose to do you up" If the company could
come inside of two weeks and show that it
had made progress in removing the poles and
wires he would favor giving it more time. Mr.
Hockett-I don't know whether he is here to
night or not and I don't care" continued the
speaker-'was here at the joint meeting a
few days ago. / went and talked to
him about the proposed action of the
Council, and he smole SMILE such
as only men like him can smile. showing that he
felt confident that there were 80 many conserv-
alive men in the Council that nothing would be
done"
Mr., Pearson was in favor Of stopping the COM
pany from extending its business, but not in ia
vor OF cutting down poles and wires. He want
cd to see it 60 out gracefully
Mr.. Rocker said he had met man on the
street during the afternoon who offered to bet
him 10 centcigar that just that state of affairs
he now witnessed would prevail in the Council
He had met any number of men, among them
judges and lawyers, VINO had insisted that the
Council should make these corporations obey
the laws. The Central Union company intended
to remain here by subterfuge by pulling the
wool over the eyes of the Council If the mem
bers went away without some emphatic action
it would be victory for the company. This
company had no more right to be putting up
these stations than any one of the score of other
companies that were trying to get in.
Mr.. Pearson said something had been said
about members having been ''seen" by the Tele-
phone Company. The Telephone Company had
not tried to 'see" him. The man interviewed by
- IL A.
mixed up in all these telephone schemes. If the
man referred to him, he lied basely and lied
falsely.
Mr.. Haueh inquired of the city attorney if,
after giving the company notice by the passage
Of this resolution, the Council could at once tear
down the poles and wires.
City Attorney Taylor said that when the ordi-
nance repeating the charter was revoked, the
poles and wires became an obstruction in the
Streets and after notice given, the Council had
right to tear them down.
Mr.. Thalman said he was one of the conserva-
tives He did not get his ideas from the tele-
phone Company. He did not know any of the
men except Mr. Wallick, and had not spoken to
him for a long time. If the officers of the COM
pany were violating the law some should
file against them, and have them arrested and
fined 1t would be six months before the city
could get telephone service.
Mr. Haugh said he would rather be without
telephone service six years than to be dictated to
by the company
1udyoE Jenny Shlu ne udu NOT taken much
stock in the passage of the telephone law but
the Legislature. in its wisdom Rad passed it, and
the highest court of the State sustained it. The
feeling of everybody was that the company must
obey the law. The Council took the people at
their word. 1t was proper they should DO SO. A
committee of the Council had said that if the
company would keep in all its instruments till
the last contract had EXPIRED and all should
be taken out at once, the charter should
not be revoked. The company said it
would take them out part at time The Coun-
Gil had then revoked the companys charter.
That was supposed to mean something 1t was
supposed that the company would get out; that
1t would treat the city in the same frank, manly
way. The morning before he had been informed
that the company was going about the city and
establishing new system of business. He had
not imagined it would do this. In view