The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-01-17
TO OWN THE PHONES
In Addition to Railroads, Gas,
Electric Lights and Water.
m THE CHARTER COMMISSION.
Andrews Moves That the City Own
and Operate All the Telephones
and Other Things.

been going over tnreshSd straw, and they 4
have been 50 busy gathering Up the grains /
OF wisdom that are 10 be put in the new /
charter that there was time for little talk |
ing The talking had hem done. the Few
municipal laws practically settled upon: /
ali that remained was 10 give the finishing /
touches 70 their phraseoIogy and eodify |
them Even with night sessions and an ex- /
ira session on Saturday, the commission /
feels that II has no time to spare az the |
rate of progress that Is being made. Every |
one feels that there II not time TO make |
speeches on abstract principles or mere F..
generahties, yet yesterday there sprung up |
one or two breezy debates between those |
who believe the city should own its water. /!
light. railroads. telephones and other pub |
lie conveniences, and those who believe /
IN fostering private enterprise.
Membership OF the Council.
Taking these in the order in which they |
happened TO come up. the first was re- I
discussion of the number Of members 10 /
form the city council. Middleton proposing
an amendment TO the resolution already /
passed making the council body OF nine /
members, one from each ward. so that IL !
should read one from each ward, and four !
members at large. making a council OF |
thirteen members. Bausuan seconded, |
and after some debate IL was resolved that I
OF the four members at large the two OBJ /
tanning the highest number OF votes should /
be elected for four years, and the two I
Others be elected for two years only.
Tremper then moved that the four alder |
men whose terms expire in 1928 shall be |
councilmen-at-Iarge for two years. but De !
Wolfe did not know If they could legislate !
for aldermen, body the commission had /
wiped out Andrews said IL they attempt !
ed to say these four aldermen shall be the /
Misunderstanding, they would usurp the /
functions OF the people. and the people /
would resent it, as he tAndrews) thought
they ought 70 DO. Joslin spoke strongly {
IN favor OF the election OF councilmen-at- ,
large. and in opposition TO the packed up
wards and district representatives Tregn-
pers motion was lost, and the Middleton /
amendment was then voted on. II was
carried by 10 TO ). the latter being Andrews, |
Crane, Denny. Hamlin and the chairman. /
There followed some parliamentary ger |
rymandering on the part OF De Wolfe 10 !
get the bill reconsidered. and then laid on /
the table. and the captain and BausEnan /
had sly laugh together at the manner in |
which, by parliamentary rules, the commits |
sion had entangled itself. After q time il /
extrieated itself, and Stein moved that the !
fourth section OF this bill be amended by !
striking out the word freeholder. !
This word has been inserted and stricken /
out several times since the commission /
first ran against IL.
There was no further argument on IL,
each side having exhausted itself, one in /
an appeal for IL as a safeguard against |
one not really interested in the city taking !
his seat as municipal lawmaker, and the
other that il was an unjust discrimination
In favor OF class. The vote was taken in
deep silence and resulted as follows:
Ayes-Andrews Fenwick. koehler, Mid 7
dleton, Stein, Tremper, Winsor-7. Noes
Allen, Bausman, Crane, Denny, De Wolfe,
Hamlin, Joslin. chairman-S Tremper
voted aye for the purpose OF having the
matter reconsidered. he said.
It was discovered at this point that they
had finished the bin without fixing the sal
aries OF the councilmen. II went at $3.50
per annum, the present figure. without |
any discussion or show OF interest. Then
the powers of the couneilmen by ordinance
were discussed and Andrews sought 20 add !
a phrase that the councilmen should pro-
vide for the protection OF the people by /
seeing that the street railroads use every |
precaution and device for public safety. !
Tremper said the council had the power.
and any such addition might limit their
powers.
Andrews retorted that the council did not
use It's powers. Everywhere else IN the
country such precautions were enforced.
He instanced the case Of the drunken man
recently killed. and said II the car that
killed him had had a proper fender the
man might have been injured. but he
would not have lost his life. Fenwick and
Winsor also spoke strongly on the subject.
the latter proposing the addition Of the
words: 1T shall be the duty OF the coun-
ell by ordinance TO provide for the protec-
ton OF all persons and property against IN
Jury In the use OF any such street railroad
or car thereof" This was carried.
The Telephones. Too.
Stein then sprung his telephone bill. ''to
provide for the construction, oondsmua-
ton and purchase. ownership and admin
istration Of telephones or other means for
the conveyance OF intelligence within the
corporate limits OF the city. and TO hx.
alter and regulate the rates OF all such
lines. whether owned sns operated by ,ts
ci;y or by Others" Andrews seconded abe
sssotsos.
s~-'n ssfi ~ taevzs< 49, "p@lhlic mono7-
olie-" should ne 3. tna hkszs q the peo-
pie. and this IVES one % them. The tele-
phone service was row a necessity. and 4
great public convenience. end the owning
of such service hv TIE city was simply in
the line OF It's owr 0y electric light. water
and power. II should not remain the privi-
lege OF 4 corporation. which could exact
high prices from the people
Pausman spoke against e. as re has
against most q such schemes. declaring
that this was more radical than any chanre
vet proposed and would enda niger the char
ter II permitted 70 80 in. Il was a danger
Gus thing.
Stein was willing to have It go TO The
was no reflection on the present telephone
system. IN reply % Joslin. Re admitted
that the council already possessed the
power 20 regulate telephone rates. Then
WTnsor rose IN q hurry. and his long beard
fairly bristled while he delivered a few
thunderholts at the unonopolies. Dir. Baus-
man had said there was a clamor against
the Western Union. bat Il had been proved
that the company was giving a cheap and
EXPEDITIONS service. Winsor SAID iris state
u1ent was incorrect. as was the one Baus-
man made about the cheapness OF 0ur tele-
phone system = was h8t short time
age. he said. that the council di5 undertake
70 regulate the charges for telephones. BIT
as c0rporattons &C that character usually
90. the telephone corporation ignored TIE
regulations % the city council, ard the
council sat down under f. The result was
the infamous price Mr.. Ba1srnan hsd .
pay fer his telephone
\ Passage AZ Arms.
Pausrnau-T said cheap Price
winso--Ana 7 say trfsmgus price.
could furnish a telephone system az one
hair the price
T-Nen NJ. Tfns9~ iet himself loose o. thA
'strearay'' of the Western Union. and when
4 vote was taken only four we're with him
for the city's ownership q al the tele-
2ho1es-An3Tews. FeuWlck. Haullsn and
stein. Mi61let3n was not against taa prin-
ciple. bat axainst the motion as 4 taen
stood
street Railroads.
A-s~ews then brought Up his III FOR The
city 70 own an1 operate IRE street Tail-
roass and offered. II the bill 70 repeal hls
h{u were withdrawn, 70 make his bill "a