Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-01-29
FAIR DEAL ASKED.
Central Union Telephone Com
pany Heard.
REPRESENTATIVES, SEE ALDERMEN

PaitI ssCosos
REPRESENTATIVES SEE ALDERMEN.
8 DIfcitor Richardson Says Hubinger's Fro
jscs 10 .u Impossibliity II He Intends to
Protection Sought BY the Old Company
Telephony in it's various phases
was discussed before the members of
the street and alley committee las,
night by l.. G. Richardson, general
solicitor of the Central Union Tele-
phone company, who was acccmpa-
MED by Supt. II. H.. Matlock. The
presence nf these gentlemen before
the aldermen was occasioned by the
announcement that j. C.. Hubinger,
president of the Mississippi Valley
Telephone company, which is seek.
ing q franchise from the city OF Rock
Island. would confer with the com.
mittee, and explain the merits of his
enterprise.
But Mr.. Hubinger did not mater
iaIlze. He had been notified, so it
was claimed by Mayor Knox. who
also failed to arrive home from
Springfield in time to attend the
meeting. The committee did rot
feel disposed to take any action on the
Hubinger ordinance until he wa.
present, SO the matter vas laid aside
and Mr.. Richardson, of the Central
Union company, was given an oppor,
tunity to state his case. MI. Rich
srdson said that he did not wish tc
be understood as seeking to dictate
what the committee should do witt
Mr.. Hubinger's propositions; be sim
ply desired to explain q few
points which might prove a great as
sis.ance to the aldermen in deter
mining the sincerity of the new com
pany. MIR. Richardson said iht
city's thoroughfares are now strun.
with telephone and telegraph wires
and that additional ones would onl,
increase the danger attending suct
,hings; more poles would be necessary
and after all, allowing that Mr.. HUI
binger places an exchange in Roc.
Island. Mr.. Richardson c~ontended
how is the public to be benefited
when he cannot furnish q service
equal to what is being given now
and can only exist a short time, il be
Is sincere in the terms he offers I,
prospective patrons. The resul
would be. Mr.. Richardson said, thai
after q year or so the city, dottea
with poles and strung with surplu
wires, would have a telephone ex
change on its hands which was onl,
taking mp room and doing no good.
An Imposr,b:Iuy Claimed.
MIR. Richardson said that sucl
would certainly be the csse, becaus,
TO maintain telephone lines on MIR
Hubinger's plan is an impossibility
1t was this fact that Mr.. Richardson
wished to impress or the committee
He suggested that if the committe'
wanted to test Mr.. Hubinger's sin
cerity to require him to furnish
bond to carry out what he contem
plates in the ordinance, and ais,
oolige him to construct and main
tain exchanges in Davenport and Mo
line. and require him to erect pole
in heighth equal to the Central Unto,
company's. Doing this, and givin,
the reduction he promises, Mr.. Rich
ardson said Of course the committee
first satisfied that he can exist
should give him a franchise.
Mr.. RichSrdson then explained tn.
financial condition of his company
many of whose stockholders resid'
in this city. He said the compap,
has an actual cash investment O
81. 600. 600. Four and 5 per cent his,
been realized on the investment, bu
that last year the company in orde
to carry on necessary improvement
was obliged to mortgage it's equip
ment to raise the money. Mr.. Rich
arGso said, however, that if com
petition necessitated il his ccmpan,
would cut rates, regardless of the
loss, until one or the other shoul'
fail. Then the company surviving
would put up rates to where there i
q profit. Mr.. Richardson asked tina
the committee give at least consider
alton to his statement and guart
we'll against any attempt whicI
might be made to injure the presen
company's property and business b,
unfair measures.