The morning news., 1899-01-17
POLES STAND IN THEIR WAY.
COUNCILS OBJECTION TO NEW TEL
EPHONE FRANCHISE.

UndergrOund-COmm Report
Considered and Referred Back.
Bell Peoples Statement Before
COunciI-WnI Fight any Reduc-
ton in Rates.
The advsability of having competition
in the telephone business in Savannah
was discussed for some time at a special
meeting Of the City Council yesterday af-
ternoon. The matter came up on the peti-
tion Of Mr. w A. Bisbee of Jacksonville,
who has asked for a franchise to con-
struct and operate an exchange.
For the purpose of getting the matter
up for consideration, the petition was re-
| ferred to the street and lane committee,
but the report on it did not seem to be
thoroughly understood by Council. and it
was recommitted to the committee for
further consideration. Before the board
sent the petition back, however, the tele-
phone situation was discussed, the opn-
ions of the aldermen being both for and
against competition. Some thought the
price now being paid for telephone service
in Savannah Is high, compared with what
is charged in other cities.
Mr.. Bsbee's petition. which has appear
ed in the Morning News, asks for the
right to establish telephone line in the
business and residential portions of the
| city. When the proposed company is in
corporated it will be known as the Geor-'
gia Telephone Company.
The report of the street and lane com
mittee, which the board was called to
consider, recommended that the petition
be granted, provided the company puts its
wires underground from Bay TO State, and
Jefferson to Abercorn streets, the under
ground system 10 be constructed within
five years. If the company should sell out
to any other operating in Savannah the
committee recommended that the fran
chise be annulled. The company was to
give bond in the sum of 5000 TO carry
out the terms of the petition in good
faith, to commence work in six months
and to complete the overhead system with
in year. All work was to be done under
the supervision of the street and lane
committee.
Messrs. Charlton, Mackall & Anderson,
| and O'Connor, O'Byrne and Hartridge rep
resented the petitioner. After the matter
| had been stated to the board by Mayor
Meldrim Mr.. j. Randolph Anderson and
| Mr.. NJ. A. OByrne were heard in behalf
proposes TO give the people of Savannah
competition in the telephone business, and
| thereby bring beneficial results in the
| shape of reduced prices.
| Manager Pope of the Bell Telephone Com
! pany was on hand to urge that the new
comers be required to put in the under
| ground system, the same the Bell has
| done to some extent, and as other new
! companies have been required to do as a
! condition
| chise 1t being much more expensive to
| put in the underground than the over
! head system, there could scarcely be
more severe attack on a new company
| than to make this requirement of it. Mr..
! Polk said the Bell company has many of
its wires underground. that the Tyson Tel
| ephone Co. and the Edison Electric Illumi-
mating Company, both new enterprises that
asked for franchises, were required TO
| put their wires underground and for this
| reason he thought a failure to attach the
! condition would be a backward step. He
! did not think the petitioner should be given
/ five years to adopt this system.
Mr.. O'Byrne replied to Mr.. Polk p-
| quantity. In the first place. it was not the
| policy of the city, he said, to shut out
new enterprises by requiring all wires to
| go underground. The fact that other
companies had voluntarily put their wires
| underground did not signify that the city
had adopted this policy. Mr.. O'Byrne in
sisted that it did not become the Bell
company 10 object to the petitioner en-
! teriug under the conditions asked. when
that company had operated in Savannah
for eighteen years under the same cond-
| tons the new company desired to start
| He assured Council he had every reason
20 believe Mr.. Bisbee intended to inaugu-
rate the new system at the earliest prac-
ucabie moment and stated that the bond
| of 5000 not to sell out to any other com
pany in Savannah was sufficient 20 guar
! antee steady competition.
Mayor Meldrim asked Mr. O'Ryrne If he
understood the bond was a guarantee to
begin work within six months, to which he
replied it was not. The Mayor said his
| understanding was the petitioner was to
give che bond "to carry out the terms or
the petition in good faith" He said the
conditions were that the underground svs-
TEN should be laid the work completed
within five Years, and the petitioner was
not to sell out 20 any other COMPANY in
| Savannah. The bond was to carry out the
! terms mentioned in the committees report
Alderman Davis, chairman of the COM
mttee, said Mayor Meidrim was correct
! The intention of the committee was to re
quire petitioner to begin work within six
months, he said, if only one pole was
| erected The overhead system should he
n
derground in five years, he said If tbe
petitioner did not do this, or if the COM
pany sold out to any other existing com
| pany, the franchise would become void
Alderman Krouskoff agreed with Navor
Meldrim that there should be no mistake
about the conditions, and for this reason
he believed the recommendations should
| be more accurately stated.
Alderman Duncan was against eIIoU,ipe,
the new company 10 erect poles. for the
| reason that others had been denied ,bis
privilege, and it would be inconsistent for
the city 10 make exceptions He said he
Edison company is required to put in The
| underground system and if he did NOT vote
for the petitioner TO do the same. he uo,,Id
move to amend the Edison ordinance
Because Of the confusion caused bv two
telephone companies operating in The
same city, Alderman Thomas was decided
| ly opposed to granting the petition undar
| any conditions. He said he knew obo,,t
the constant clamor for competition ana
that people were always eager to see tbo
| of Hoh b.atu