The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-04-19
WANT TO TALK TO NEW YORK
TELEPHONE CONNECTION WITH
THE EAST IS NEEDED

So Say Jobbers and Business MSis so
the Committee on Street, OF the
of Amer
lean Telephone and Telegraph
Company for Franchise to En-
ter ST. Paul Under Consideration.
Unless the American Telephone and
TELEGRAPH company concludes to ac-
cept from the city of st. Paul a fran
chise permitting it to enter this city
with a long distance telephone syS-
TEN. it is altogether likely that st.
Paul won't be included in the list of
towns in which that company oper-
ates.
This will be the case, at least. if
the views of the present committee
on streets of the assembly prevail
The matter came up before the COM
mittee yesterday, and there were pres
ent representatives of the chamber OF
commerce and the Commercial club
and several of st. Paul's jobbers and
business men. Ambrose Tighe, repre-
senting the telephone company, was
also present.
The committee had not intended to
discuss the telephone question, but,
when 1t convened and found so many
of those interested in the matter, pres
ent, those who wished to be heard were
given permission to express their views
with the understanding that no &C
ton should be taken by the commit
tee until a future meeting.
The American Telephone and Tele-
graph company asks a franchise per-
hitting the company to establish in st.
Paul a local telephone system and to
enter St Paul with it's long distance
lines, which are connected with 1000
other cities and towns of the United
States.
The company is willing to pay a
gross earnings tax. but will not accept
q franchise in which is any provision
regulating the charges to be made
for the use of the telephones which
may be placed in ST. Paul in connec-
ton with a local exchange.
The representatives of the company
asking the franchise, Ambrose Tighe,
states that the company will not ac-
eept a franchise for a long distance
system alone. 1t must include the To-
cal exchange, and the question Of
charges must be left entirely with the
company.
This in brief Is what Is asked. A
majority of the members of the COM
mittee on streets Of the assembly are
opposed to granting any kind of a
franchise for the operation Of a local
exchange unless the city shall name
the maximum rate to be charged for
the use Of the telephone, as was done
in the franchise granted to the MiSSis-
sippi Valley Telephone Co.
At the meeting yesterday afternoon
the matter was thoroughly discussed.
Representatives of the chamber Of
commerce and of the Commercial club
addressed the committee briefly, giving
it as the sense of the bodies represented
that the telephone company should be
admitted to do business in st. Paul,
but that proper restrictions should be
placed about it in drawing up the
franchise.
]. w. Cooper, of Griggs, Cooper &
Co, Robert A. Kirk and j. w. Doerr
also addressed the committee, impress
sing upon the members the Importance
OF securing for st. Paul telephone con-
neetion with the cities Of the East.
"V' hen | want to telephone to New
York, "~Said Mr.. Doerr, 81 have to take
a car and go to Minneapolis, which
city has telephone communication with
all of the Eastern cities. Such a state
Of affairs should not exist. st. Paul
is certainly entitled to a long distance
telephone connection and if franchise
can be granted to his company, which
VIII not eventually work injury to this
city, such action should be TAKEN
Considerable discussion was INDUCED
in and the matter finally referred back
to the subcommittee for further con-
sideration with instructions to report
at the next meeting Of the committee.