The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-03-09
CHANGING A CHARTER.
THERE rs NOW NO AMERICANTELE'
PHONE COMP1NY IN X. 4.
The Union Telephone and Telegraph Com
pany Has Done Business for Two Years
and IL y Part OF the American.

An act was introduced into the Senate
yesterday morning which recalls very
interesting piece of legislation carried
out two years ago. The act was one to
amend the charter OF the Union Tele-
phone and Telegraph Company OF Rhode
Island. the amendment being nothing
more or less than the change OF the name
to the American Telephone and Iele-
graph Company OF Rhode Island. The
pubic has doubtless been OF the opinion
that there is n concern doing business un-
der the latter name In this state, ana the
question might very naturally arise as TO
what two companies under the same
name could do.
The ACT was simply read by title, and
referred to the committee o. corpora
tfons, SO that only few understood
what its import was. IL was doubtless
thought that IL was an old charter which
was to be turned over TO new corpora
tion, but such is not the case. The com
pany doing business In khoce islanu'
generally known as the Long Distance
Telephone Company, and working all
over the eastern part OF the Unlted
States under the name OF tie American
Telephone and Telegraph Company, Is
the Union Company aud how this name
became tackled onto ie is easily explained
At the January session lS9 l, the Amerl-
can Telephone and Telegraph Company
applied tor a caarter in Rhode lsla
Previous to this time there were no chart
cred rights to the company aud the poles
ana wires were maintained merely by
permission of the towns and cities through
which the long distance lines passed.
How IL w as Done.
TIE act of incorporation as drawn at
first was not complete and was therefore
amended by the committee. so that when
the charter was granted the
company found that clause had
been inserted, which made the act almost
imperative. Ii was too late for change
and nothing was done at that time TO
amend the charter which was so unsatis-
ffctory. AT the MAY session:of the same
year, however an act. carefully drawn
was pa, ID Incorporating the Union
Telephone and Telegrap oh Company. under
which the business OF the long distance
company has been continued.
1t has always been the desire OF the
company to have the name ultimately
changed to the American so as to con-
form to the name Of tue company all
over the country and 50 few days ago,
| as a starter, the disused charter OF the
American Telephone and Telegraph
! Company was amended so AS to be the
cnarter of the Colum Dian Telephone and
| Telegraph Company. This move was
| perhaps the company all over the
| county was to change its name In accord
| ance with the fad OF .naming everything
| for Colu mbus this year. This charter
| never has been used and probably never
| will be but the telephone company will
| finally be orga Iiz ID un Ter the national
| name.
1t will be remembered that just at the
| time of the passage of these acts there
| was a great deal of trouble IN the
| city of Newport between the Providence
Telephone Company and the property
| holders about the position of poles on ne
sidewalks, when many Of the poles were
| cut down by enraged citizens. IL was
| one of the Newport members who pro
| posed the clause which made the charter o.
! the American Company of no use. III
| thus satisfied his constituents and, with
| out so intending, left the company a,
| badly off as 1t was before. There will Ii
no opposition offered to the change of th'
name OF the local part OF the Long Dis
tance Company TO that of tn, whole COM
| DApy.