Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-07-28

y,,p TELEPHONE QUESTION.

The Common Council will meet to-
night to consider the ordinance propos-
inc ~ grant a franchise to the American
,relephone and Telegraph Company 10
enter Richmond and do business here
There IS no question as 10 the pro-
prety Of allowing the company 10
operate an exchange here for the trans
action of long distance business. Every
body agrees that that phone system
,Vould IN, advantageous to our city.
The real question is as to permitting
The company 10 establish an exchange
for doing q local business. Here pun
40 ordn,on IS divided. There are some
who are out and out against granting
the American company any local iran
chiso whatever These contend mat lor
,ha CITY Council 10 charter announcer
cornpanv TO do a local business here
,vo,,ld be an act Of bad faith towards
Tho home company. They further IN
.ist that. IL IL chooses, the American
comruny may make easy terms Win the
home company for phone connexions
between Richmond and its patrons IN
o,ber cities. Other of our citizens re-
4oo, Tho suggestion that the home COM
pany has an exclusive franchise mere
and these favor giving local fran
chise TO the American company upon
the same conditions that have been
agreed 10 by the home company. Ana
the chief Of these conditions is That
,boro shall be a maximum OF rates
dxed. IL is argued that If the American
company can get franchise TO do busi-
ness here and charge what it pleases'
i, NAV buy out or Kill out the home
company, and then charge telephone sub
scrIbers here whatever 1t pleases. 80
while conceding that under certain cir
cuustances II might be desirable, If not
Indispensable. for the American com
many to do a local business here. 1t Is
urged that the City Council ought 10
see TO 1t that the American company
Is not permitted 10 exact prices hishe'
than we are now paying. Again there
are persons here--few IN number, we
believe-who think our city should grant
the American company all that II asks
and leave II to that companys FAIRNESS
and discretion not to charge more than
its service is worth.
Our situation is further complicated
NV the fact that the Bell Telephone Com
many is doing business here In deiiance
Of the people of Richmond. The iran
chise that we gave that company mas
expired but under the system OF gov
eminent by injunction" Of when the
Chicago platform so bitterly complains
wa are not permitted TO stop the opera
,,ors Of that corporation. But in this
matter an appeal IS pending and we
have some hope that the injunction VIII
be dissolved. If it is, then our hahds
will be free 10 do what we VIII. But
shonld we give a franchise to the
American company TO do local busi-
ness and should the injunction be con-
armed and perpetuated, the Bell com
many and tho American company both
would have the right TO occupy our
streets forever with their poles ana
wires, We venture TO say that
an understanding would soon DO ar
rived at by those two companies one
or the other would do the local business
and the survivor wouid have the right
90 fix It's own prices for service.
So if the City Council desires to pro
tect our people against excessive
charges. IL must insist upon fixinG
maximum prices. But It is said that the
American company will not accept q
charter upon such conditions. We are
not so sure as TO that. But II II re-
fuses such charter. well ana good
Highly as we value the long-dis'ahce
service. 1t Is incomparably less valua'
BILE 10 us than cheap local service We
would better rely upon The telegraph
companies wires. as we are now doing
than TO put ourselves IN the position o.
having to pay the old phone rates fol
local business. In other words, II Is
more essential for Richmond people tc
have a cheap mode OF communicating
with one another than II is to have
long-distance phone wires over which
10 talk TO New York. Boston, and Chr
cago. The American company is lookins
out for It's own Interests. and the coun-
ell must look out for ours.
! Remember that the Common Council