The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-10-29

Petition for Old Scheduie-The Position
Of the sunset CompAny.

Petition for Old scheduie-The Position
of the SUNSET Company.
The subject of telephone rates will come
up before the city council this evening.
when the Sunset Company will apply for
an entirely new franchise, and then the
matter will probably be cleared up with
some prospect of 3 final settlement The
officers OF the company have teen circa-
iating petition TO the city council ask
ing fer the restoration of the old rates.
which was signed by between 400 and SO
subscribers. but some of the signers have
since claimed that they hsd understood
the term ''old rates" to mean the liked
rates without any switching charge which
prevailed until about y year ago. when q
low liked rate with the addition of .
switching charge was made for all new
subscribers and those old ones who pre-
ferred it. These signers say that they OBJ
jecs TO switching charge and that. if the
petition is to De interpreted to ask it to be
continued, they will withdraw their sigma
lures. The petition reads as follows:
SEATTLE, WASH, Der. 4. 1894
TO the Honorable Mayor. Board Of 4li-
erraea and House Of Delegates % the CITY
Of Seattle: We, the undersigned, suoscrio-
ers OF the Sunset Telephone and Telegraph
Company, respectfully ask that the ordln-
ance recently passed by the city council
arbitrarily reducing the rates Tor tele-
phones In the city of Seattle be repealed,
believing as We do that such action should
not be taken against parties having large
investments and doing business in our
midst without careful investigation and q
proper regard for the interests Of such
psrties."
In order to remove doubt rs to the mean
ing of the petition. Louis Glass the special
agent of the Everett Company. was asked
for an explanation and said:
1.-The original or old rate, as you call it,
was So tor stores and 81 80 for residences
There was . special rate when subscriber
had telephone in his place of business
and one in his residence, of S. and 81 re-
spectively. We also had q rate of 81 per
month and two cents q switch for the first
100 switches and one cent for each switch
over 100. This rate Was made for the bene-
mt of those who had telephones which
were used by the public great deal and
for which they could charge the public If
they desired TO do so. These are what we
term the original or old rates.
Appended TO the petition there were
between 400 and 500 signatures, represent.
ing $50 telephones out of total of SEQ. OF
ali the telephone users seen only thirty
five refused to sign and over 300 were not
seen by our agents who obtained the sig
natures
while canvassing for the signatures
We came in closer contact with the pa
irons of the company than ever before.
and learned considerable in relation to
their wants. They ali wanted better
rervice. The present apparatus was put
in Immediately after the fire of June O.
1859, and is now obsolete. They wanted
the assurance, IN case the present rate
ordin ance was repealed. that we would not
raise the rates BY changing from q liked
to switching charge. We promised to try
to do as they desired.
Il submitted the matter OF better serv-
ice TO our people in San Francisco. and
after considering ii they replied that the
franchise of the company, obtained in 1883.
was so faulty that they would not be will
ing to expend the large amount necessary
10 change the whole system, unless they
could get a new and more favorable fran
chise, which would protect ms in our
vested rights Ii this was don0 they
would be willing 20 insert clause agree
ing to not increase or change the rates
during the life OF the franchise. They
also promised to put in an en-
treiy new switching system that
would cost from $4,000 to $50, 600. Ii
would cost this much. AS every telephone
would have to be changed.
1--WE intend 10 present that petition to
the council next Monday evening, and
hope for favorable action upon II. One
thing Is certain. ana that Is that the Sun
set Telephone Company will not continue
business at the rates recently liked by the
city council. for the reason that it cannot
operate the system at prort, aud would
even prefer 70 go out of business rather
than TO sustain the loss
I'VE would like 10 have franchise
which would permit us to put our wires
Va 1 ~ 10 h. ~
TO do this before the city passes laws TO
compel US TO do II.
~. W. Goodwin, who sent in one or two
communications TO your paper regarding
the telephone company, informed me that
If the telephone company would 20 back
to the old rates he would do all he could
to assist in the passage of an ordinance to
that effect. In fact large majority of eur
subscrib srs favor such q measure. and We
feel moderately confident that their
wishes will prevail in the premises"