St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-02-13
FOR UNITED ELECTRIC CO.
Attorneys OF Rival Companies,
Indulge in Caustic
Remarks.
ACTION POSTPONED A WEEF
Attorney Ovitt to Submit
More Definite Information
as to Plans.

the part OF the CITY COuliCll Will
reference to it's application for
franchise to operate telephone sys-
TEN, it must submit a detailed state
ment of what it proposes to do, and
how and when it proposes to do it.
Such was the decision arrived at
Yesterday by the subcommittee on
streets of the board Of aldermen.
This committee consists OF Aid. VI
mer, Markham and Hare, City At
torney Chamberlain, City Engineer
Rundlett and superintendent of Po-
lice Alarm Birge, all Of whom were
present at yesterdays meeting. A.
B. Ovitt, the attorney for the United
Electric corporation; B. L. Freely,
the local manager of the Northwest
ern Telephone company, and 0. M.
knight, of this city, who represents
the Columbia Telephone company,
who also wants a franchise, were
also in attendance. ::
The proposed ordinance granting
the franchise was read by City At
torney Chamberlain, and each sec
ton was discussed and additions and
amendments suggested. The first
defect found lay in the section in
which the company agreed not to
erect any poles on certain portions
of Wabasha and Fourth and Fifth
streets, and on streets under which
the National Subway company has
conduits. This proposition was not
at all satisfactory to the committee,
and, at the suggestion of the city
engineer, it was agreed to prohibit
the company, in case it secured the
franchise, from erecting any poles
in the district bounded by Broadway
and Seven corners and Eighth street
and the river Aid. Markham, who
came in later in the session, said
that even more than that must be
eXacted. The Markham ordinance
requires every company to obtain
permission of the council before
erecting a pole in any portion of the
city. Mr. Markham said that when
he introduced the ordinance he had
the residence district more in mind
than the business portion Of the
city. The object was to put a stop
to the planting of poles at pleasure
in front of peoples houses. W
The city attorney suggested that
the company should apply for the
right to- use certain streets, and
that the ordinance should state on
what streets they would be permit
ted to erect poles, and what streets
the wires must go under.
Manager Freely, of the Northwest
ern Telephone company, began at this
stage of the proceedings to interject a
few caustic suggestions and COM
ments. He remarked that there ought
to be some evidence at hand to prove
the ability of the United Electric cor
poration to do what it promises. Mr.
Chamberlain answered that the city
would fix that by compelling the COM
pany to give a proper bond.
Then Mr.. Freely questioned Mr..
Ovitt about the telephone system that
the United Electric corporation has
recently established in Faribault and
Winona. Mr.. Ovitt admitted that the
Faribault system is operated under
Tie tlJiS vi Tic SlllLSIS letOpiiOilc
company, and that the one at Winona
is known as the Winona company, but
that plants were put in by the United
Electric corporation.
"Now, isn't it fact" continued Mr..
Freely, addressing Attorney Ovitt,
that it is your intention to get the
best franchise you can out of St Paul
and then dispose of it to the best ad-
vantage, as you did in Winona and
Faribault?"
mo, sir, it is not" promptly an
sWered Mr.. Ovitt.
The discussion was then resumed
Aid. Markham declared himself un-
alterably opposed to allowing any COM
pany to come into the city and pre-
empt a right without giving salts
factory assurance that it intends to
do business.
when would your company begin
to put in its plant and Row many miles
of wire would it lay the first year, Mr..
Ovitt?" inquired Aid. Markham.
Mr.. Ovitt was apparently not as mi
nutely informed as the committee
wished, but he answered that the COM
pany would begin work within six
months, and that he understood that
it would lay from thirty to fifty miles
the first year, an equal amount the
next year, and so on every succeeding
year.
City Engineer Rundlett thought that
the company ought to do far better
than that, and referred to the fact that
the Northwestern Telephone company
laid on an average during the first five
years, 200 miles a year. At this juno
ture Mr.. Freely INDUCED in more com
ments, saying:
IF the new company can't put in but
fifty miles of wire during the first year
there went be many telephones oper-
ated by it. And I would like to saw
right here that such service as we give
cannot be rendered for 81 a month, as
this company agrees to do
Mr.. Cvitt took exception to Mr..
Freedy's remarks.
There is no occasion for becoming
personal about this matter" said Mr..
OVitt. Il am here simply to represent
my clients, and there is no occasion for
you to cast any reflections or criticisms
upon them or me. AS to the statement
that we cannot give equally as good
can, because we have no royalty to
pay on our telephone as the Northwest
ern company has"
Aid. Markham called attention to the
suit for infringement of the Berliner
patent now pending on appeal in the
United States court, and remarked that
if the patent should be sustained the
United Electric corporation would be
unable to proceed another step. A de-
cision is not looked for before the last
of the, year. Supt. Birge said that the
mechanical construction of the tele-
phone was highly important to the
city, and that care should be taken to
escape a suit for infringement
Mr. Chamberlain said that the city
would not be liable for infringement.
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