The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-11-30
LONG-DTsTANCE PHONES.
Chamber of Commerce Thinks Fran
chise Should Pc Granted.

re GFUnted.
Telephones were prominent in the
discussion of the chamber of com
merce yesterday. Complaints had
been made that st. Paul people desir-
ing communication with Midway dis
trlct subscribers, were obliged to first
raise the Minneapolis central office.
Manager Freely, of the telephone
company, had explained that the Mid
way subscribers could have connec-
ton as they preferred, either with
the Minneapolis or the st. Paul office,
and, of the Midway subscribers nine
had preferred Minneapolis.
The establishment of a long distance
telephone exchange in st. Paul also
came up, on report of the commit
tee on municipal affairs, by Mr.. w. L.
Chaplin, as chairman of a subcom-
mittee.
The following resolution, closing the
report, was unanimously adopted:
That the st. Paul chamber of commerce
believes 1t to be for the best interest Of st.
Paul that telephone franchise be granted
to the American Telephone and Telegraph
company, of Minnesota, and that the chamber
approves and recommends the passage by
the common council of the proposed ordi-
nance. to that effect, recently before the
council, if amended: SO as to require the COM
munication to all places in the Union, to
which the system shall extend.
MIR. Chaplin, in his report, said:
The American Telephone and Telegraph
company has recently applied to the com
mon council for a franchise for twenty-five
years authorizing IT to construct and main
tain appliances within st. Paul. for tele-
phone and telegraph lines subject to certain
restrictive ordinances now in force relating
to all companies generally. The proposed
ordinance has been opposed for the reason
that it does not require the long distance
IN furnish al a a
Gf competing companies should come in
here with the privilege of connecting with
its lines, and because 1t allows the company
itself the right to conduct a local business
if it sees fit.
1t was thought by some that the local tele-
phone company now operating here would
be strengthened and intrenched against OPP
position or in maintaining its tariffs if it
should have the advantage Of connecting with
the interstate line.
The company replies that If It coucedes
these conditions to one city it Will have to
make similar concessions to others aI
to villages as well, and that 1t ought not to
be so hampered.
II it were true that the public might suf-
fer from the failure to impose such cOndI-
lions they ought to be insisted on. II on the
other hand they are unneCcssary for that
purpose and are veXatiodS to those seeking
the franchise they ought not to Re required,
especially as 1t would be considered a Iettec-
ton upon St. Paul to be cut off from telo.
phonic communication with other cities OF
the Union. Minneapolis would be ADVERTISED
as the progressive center n Minnesota and
all persons desiring to Use the line from
here would be obliged 20 81 to Minneapolis
to transact such business.
In this connection it should be stated that
a guide or index showing a complete list
of telephones in each citY and town in the
various states is distributed over the entire
system among the users of telephones and at
present Minneapolis is conspicuous by Its
presence and ST. Paul by it's absence.
I do not see any force IN the position that
the conditions urged by some members of
the council are necessary to protect the pub
lie; the first reason is that II it comes to
question in the future of controlling tele-
phone rates or tariffs we must probaoly find
relief in legislative commissions fixing rates,
treating the companies as common carriers
analogous to railroads.
The second reason is that there cannot,
because of the nature OF the service, be Two
competing local telephone companies doing
business satisfactorily to the patrons In one
place at the same time. No person wants
two separate telephones N his office nor one
telephone connecting only with q partial list
of subscribers Any competition must Q
short lived and end in one company furnish
ing complete service to ill. This is necos-
sarily so and cannot be altered by legis a.
ton.
Mai Espy introduced a resolution
requesting congress to provide school
houses and other facilities for the
education of the children of the Chip
peWa Indian tribe on their own reSer-
vations.
The resolution was passed under
suspension of the rules. Indian Agent
Allen, Of White Earth, reports that
there are 1922 Chippewa children Of
school age. President Noyes appoint
ed Messrs. Flower, Scott, Moore and
Brooks as four of the delegation Of
five to attend the National Stock
Growers convention to be held in
Denver
The following new members were
elected: Messrs. F. Weyerhauser,
Moses H. Clapp. c. H. F. Smith, H.
P. Goodenow, NJ. Bruner and L. l.
May.