The record-union., 1899-12-12

influence the greatest freedom among
those owning and controlling such priv
ileges, and being advised that certain
owners of business constituting utility
|. of great benefit to the Inhabitants OF
the city are resorting to special con-
tracts or agreements with certain indi-
viduals, firms or corporations, whereby
competition and extension of similar
facilities are denied to other persons en-
gagged in the same business, therefore
be it
Resolved, That the city of Sacra-
mento will not accord the same priv
fleges to, nor patronize any person, hfm
or corporation owning or controlling, or
engaged in business as the owner ana
controller of any business by which the
public or individual Inhabitants OF the
city are served for compensation by
the use of the public streets or thor
oughfares, or otherwise, if such per-
son, firm or corporation so controlling
such business and privileges enters into
or continues in force any contracts or
agreements with any of it's patrons by
which any other person engaged in the
same business is deprived of access 10
the premises Of any patron of the per-
son, firm or. corporation maintaining
such discriminating contract and an OPP
portunity to afford the same facilities
in and about the premises of any such
patron having such contract upon sub
stantially the same terms and c9nd
tions for business in the city Of Sac
| ramento; and be it further
Resolved, That if any person, firm
or corporation engaged in business as
owner or controller of any enterprise
by which such public utilities and priv
ileges are supplied to the city, or the
inhabitants thereof, by use of the public
streets and thoroughfares, has and
maintains any such discriminating con-
tracts or agreements, the city of Sac
ramento will refuse to receive from
such person, firm or corporation any
service that can be supplied by any
other person not holding or maintain
ing such discriminating contracts or
agreements, unless such service be rem
dered in pursuance Of an express con-
tract with the city entered into after
advertisement, and the presentation
and acceptance of the lowest bid for
such service by such person, firm or
corporation and be it further
Resolved, That the President of this
board appoint committee of three to-
investigate the relations between the
city and the various persons, firms and
corporations controlling and dealing in
such utilities and privileges, and ascer-
tain whether or not any such discrimi-'
mating contracts or agreements are in
existence or being enforced, and report
to this board the result of their investi-
cations on or before the 18th day of De-
| cember, 1S99."
For a moment after the reading of the
resolution there was silence, and then
Trustee Paine moved the appointment
by the Chairman of "a committee of
three to investigate the charges and
report to the board at next Mondays
meeting. He did not believe in acting
rashly in so serious a matter
Trustee Brown said that while every
member of the board was friendly to-
the Capital Telephone Company, he
thought a thorough investigation ought
to be made before definite action was
taken. He advocated looking at the
matter from a legal standpoint, and
submitted that it was only reasonable
that the Corporation Counsel should be
consulted.
Trustee Tebbets said the committee
it was proposed to appoint would nat
urally consult Corporation Counsel De-
vine. He was, he said, friend to
every Sacramento institution. The
Capital Telephone Company, while
composed Of Sacramento citizens and
operated by Sacramento capital, had
been the means Of reducing telephone
rates until half the residences in the
city were supplied with them. In New
| York City telephone service cost $500
per year Turning 10 Mr.. DiIlman,
Trustee Tebbets said:
why don't your committee come out
and tell US your actual grievance, that
we may act intelligently? Why don't
you tell us that the Sunset Company
is working a boycott against your COM
pany? Why don't you tell us that hey
have threatened to discharge their en-
ployes if they patronize your COM
pany% 4Sk
''Oh, no; its not got that far yet"
interjected Mr.. Dillman.
II know9that it has" continued Teb-
bets, "and you know it. 1 want to
say right here that I stand for what
is right. I'm not boodler, as has been
charged, any more than the man who
brought the charge, and I'm ready to-
stand up for justice to Sacramento peo-
pie and Sacramento industries
| Mr.. Dillman stated that by it's hob
nobbing with other corporations the
Sunset Company had got the Capital
Company's phones excluded from GER
tain places, notably. the office of the
Western Union Telegraph Company and
the office of the Santa Fe Railroad
Company, regardless of the fact that
the local company had offered to put in
its instruments free of charge, in order
that its patrons might be accom-
modated. 1t was because of such tactics
that the grievance was laid. rs
Trustee Bentley said If such methods
had been resorted to the Board Of
Trustees ought to do what it could to
remedy the matter He thought all city
offices except those Of the Chief Of Po-
lice and the several fire stations could
get along very we'll without the Sunset
phones. He moved that these tele-
phones in all offices except those men
toned be discontinued, and the motion
was seconded by Tebbets.
Then Trustee Devine called a halt.
He advocated waiting until the COM
mittee to be appointed had reported. If
that report showed such a state of af-
fairs to exist as stated by the Directors
of the Capital Telephone Company. then
he would willingly vote for Bentley's
motion
Trustee Brown called to mind that
| Paine's motion to appoint a committee
of three to investigate had not been
acted upon, and without more ado it