The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-12-12
THE BOARD CONQUERED
~ T6E ORDINANCE RET0KING TIE
TELEPHONE FRANCHISE.
IL will Expire Twelve Months Afser tho
Approval of the ordina"o'-'"e
Opening Of spring stree.

Opening Of sprinC street
The Board OF Aldermen held IFS regu-
la monthly meetiua tu tLr 'oD"V" '"""'.
Der last evening There were F'csS"'
McssrS. Turp,n pres'deHD' AA's"' h LINN
BoykIu. Gray, HardW iDNc. Nlhe' Hd.."'
Mitchell. Moore. Molnicashc NoO'e'
Reeve. Sn.ad. Stdrkc, Vaughan ana
White
Upon the recommendation Of The Com
mitjet on Streets. the Board adopted
resolution compelling the ManCheSl I'M
provemcut Company 10 raa 'He cars o''
the Marshall-street line on seven
mrlute schedule, and as late as on othe'
lines tn this city.
Mir Eo,kin moved that the rules be
suspended in order that the ge"Hen',"
present on behalf OF the resolution ~
heard which seeks TO revoke iut N""' w.
OF the Southern Bcli Telephone 'o"i'""''
The Chair decided that me mouo" re-
quircd a two-thirds vote, ana IL N'' N''
By the following vote. ,..,.tr
GRAY Mitchell. Moore Reeve S'aIAe anu
NJ" Ncssrs. Hardwicke KING, Mann.
Nountcastic. Noblc. Snead, White ana
on motion 81 Mr. White the vote was
then recous.dered and the rules sus-
pended
coming from the other branch In regard
To NE telephone question was then taken
up.
After considerable discussion on the
matter Che Botrd decided on motion of
SIR. Allen. that fifteen minutes be allowed
Co each side. and that they shall select
their own speakers
on motion Of Mr. King Colonel cut
shaw. The city Engineer. was FIRST heard.
he explained briefly how the telephone
company secured its charter which could
not Doe revoked until twelve months after
The Council had agreed on such action.
The company operated under the old
POL" ordinance. and under a. resolution
from The Street Committee granting the
erection of additional poles. The com
puny. as b. now existed, was monopoly.
iu his opinion. for no new company could
come Boo and use the poles already erected.
But they should Doe allowed TO DO so UNI
der fair compensation. There was also
q proposition before the Street Committee
for the laying ~ cOnduits In certain streets,
but n if was granted good many poles
would sun remain. lu the granting of the
conduit system 81 would be stlIl more
difficult 20 prevent monopoly However.
a proper ordinance should be granted At
the proper time. after the present ordi-
nance had been revoked. - order that all
companies might be put on an equal foot
Ing.
Mr. TATTTs0i SPEAKS.
SIR. s. =. +. Patteson next appeared
before the board as counsel for the tel
ephonc company. He eaid the city had
asked for thirty-uine free telephones.
and because the request had been denied
the city authorities desired to rctort by
r,,akug the charter. The representa-
t.Nes = the company were present 90
4- rrtain what the city expected the com
u8uy 20 do. and the latter was anxious
10 respond 10 all reasonable demands.
The telephone business was q peculiar
oa, and could only bc conducted by one
company. II the present company was
driven out the same privileges would
have 20 DO given 70 another company.
and it could not be- divided among differ
emit companies. for no one would want
more than one telephone in his Office.
Hr Thought DO would be- best 10 refer the
whole matter - committee, where
propositions could bee made.
Major Robert stiles also Joined in the
request 90 refer the matter 10 com
mItfee ana o. protest against repeal
Of fh, franchise. The company gave he
city very large services. OF the 1000
poles of the company, the city used IJt
The whole difficulty originated by The
Iaseare OF the ordinance In 1880. which
provided for the strluging OF etropg-cut-
rent wires and WeJk-curTcnt wires from
the same poles. This the company re-
sisted. ana the Committee ON streets fl
utlIv rrt,del from the demand. Major
stiles next r-futed several inaccuracies
ia former statements made before the
Common Council The company had not
only its privileges under The city Ordi-
nauces. bur il also had some rights to
10 through the streets under an act OF
Congress.
CITY Attorney G.. Y. Meredith said that
up body Of men ought TO have an ordl-
nance Of that kind that could not DE re-
ucaled at any time and that did not give
similar privileges 80 other companies
He thought The ordinance should he re
pealeI lu order 10 secure Ia the city the
original power of repeal. The same priv
il,pes could Doe again given To the South
ern bell Company. or general measure
could Doc adopted 10 give different com
lanier the same privilege The Bell tele-
uhore should not be driven away. but II
should be simply controlled. As 10 the
LEGAL aspect. the Council could well repeai
IA. franchise as long as a sIpstahtl"i
route was given the company.
ON motion Of Mr. White. another hiteth
minutes were granted 10 the representa-
[
captain f.. II. peaHe stepped forward
who read the petition submitted by the
chamber 10 the Council. and explained
the same He asked that no addltlouaI
privileges be given 30 the present com
MANY until other companies had been
given an opportunity TO come III.
ON motion OF Mr. Blake, ten minutes
were given 20 Mr.. Marx Gunst to explain
certain matters i'm connection with the
question which had not vet been toucred
iipoD. He denied that the attempt TO re-
yoke the privilege had been made because
free telephones had been denied the city
THE BOARD CoSCURs.
The Board finally concurred i'm the CT
dinance as adopted by the Common Coun-
cu rcvokng the franchise. The vote on
coucurring was unanimous
,rbe Board cOncurrrd in the resolution
concentrating $40 for the grading ana
Tsving OF the alley between Gilmer ana
Graham streets and Marshall ana clay
streets. also n.the resolution appropIlai-
tr, tinI for the grading OF the alley be-
,..een Tyyeptv-seVenth and Tweniy-eIshth
and Leigh and Nj streets. .-,..
s,he BOARD also ConCurred IN the resoIu-
,tlr authorizing the city authQilueS 10
tsko tb.. necessary steps FOR the opening
~ Srrinc street through the property VI
lie State penitenuary.
rho BOARD also concurred m the resolu,
,,,r concentrating A653.02 20 the PdS-T'I
s.lou1t OF The School Board similar &C
ZION was taken on the resolution apPIo-
priatin, $3.50 for the purchase oil coai 10!
Inc oolored poor by the superintendent
o. the city Almshouse' dlsO' on INV 10