The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-07-14

ager Freely Explains.
There was a lively discussion yesterday |
afternoon at the meeting of the commit
tee streets of the board of aldermen |
over the matter of telephone charges for
connections with patrons of the exchange |
doing business in st. Anthony Park
Manager Freely, of the telephone COM |
pany, and C. D. O'Brien, attorney for the
company, appeared before the committee
in behalf of a resolution authorizing the |
company to erect poles and string wires
on streets on TIE outskirts of the city.
The application stated that it was the
purpose of the company to bring all it's
long distance wires in the Twin Cities at
Prior and Selby avenues, and build a
$4,000 building at that point. This was
necessary in order to prevent the long
distance service from being affected by
placing the wire in the underground con-
Quits.
motion was made to have the applica-
ton referred to the corporation attorney
to draw a proper resolution giving the
company the authority, when Aid.
Knauft cut in. He was not a member of
the committee, but he wanted to know if
some arrangement could not be made by
which the authority given the company
to erect poles and string wires could be
contingent on the company giving tele-
phone connection with St. Anthony Park
without patrons Of the company here be-
ing required to pay 10 cents, or owners
OF telephones at the park being allowed
to talk to st, Paul firms without the pay
ment of the same pricA
st. Anthony Park, the Second ward aid
erman said, was within the city limits of
st. Paul, and it was not a fair PROPOSE
! ton to make those who did business in
that district pay 10 cents every time they
wished to talk to parties in ST. Paul. AS
1t was now a number of business men at
the park, who were willing to do bust
ness with st. Paul firms were denied the
privilege of telephone connection unless
they paid a dime. This was discrimina-
ton against St. Paul in favor of Mime
apolis, and some action should be taken
which would correct the matter. The
trouble was that the st. Anthony Park
telephones were connected with the Min
neapolis exchange, and those having
phones at the park were obliged to pay
10 cents every time they talked with st.
Paul. This had hurt the business men of
st. Paul, and should not be allowed. He
favored the company being given no new
privileges until some arrangements were
| made by which any person renting a tele-
phone in the city limits of st. Paul could
get connection with every other phone in
the city without the payment Of extra toll
of 10 cents.
Aid. Kenny took the same view of the
matter, and said it was an outrage that
persons living in one part of the city had
to pay 10 cents to talk to persons in an
other part Of the city. st. Paul had been
| Ii,
pany, and as the company was doing
business here there should be no such
thing as having to connect with Mime
apolis. and pay 10 cents every time a
message was sent to and from st. An
thony Park. He favored allowing the
company no more rights until the Decent
| toll was done away with.
Manager Freely said the question was
one for the subscribers at st. Anthony
Park and not for the city council to con-
slider. The price of telephones per month
at st. Anthony Park was the same
whether connected with the Minneapolis
or ST. Paul exchange. If patron order
ed his phone connected with the Mime
aDol1s exchange it cost 10 cents to talk
to st. Paul. If the patron ordered his
| phone. connected with the st. Paul
change 1t cost 10 cents each time he talk
ed to Minneapolis. The only way to do
and not pay the dime was to have two
| phones, one connected with the Mime
apolis and the other with the st. Paul ex-
change. He saw no reason why the coun-
Gil had anything to do with it, The
question was simply one in which the
| subscriber was interested and he had the
| choice
| Mr.. O'Brien saw no reason why the
| charge for telephone connections with st.
Anthony park should be brought up when
| the company was asking for permission
10 hpna nv better
vice on the long distance lines. The mat
! ter could be considered in another Crdi-
nance or resolution.
Aid. Kenny did not agree with this
view. and said the city was entitled to
some consideration, and unless the COM
| pany would allow citizens to talk over
the telephone to any part of the city
! without paying 10 cents he would not be
! IN favor of granting 1t any more prlVi-
leges.
! In reply to 4 question of Aid. Knauft it
was stated by Manager Freely that the
company haG lines from st. Anthony
! park to St. Paul and about forty sub
scribers whose telephones were connected
| with this city. 1t was simply a matter
| of business, and whichever exchange the
subscriber asked to have his phone con-
| nected with when put in the company
| did so.
Aid. Kenny wanted the application for
| 4
corporation attorney. with instructions to
| include a clause providing that there
| should be no extra toll charged to any
! part of the city. The motion. however,
! was not seconded, and then the corpora
! ton attorney was directed to prepare a
| resolution giving the company the right
to use the following streets:
| West side of Earl street, Hastings ave-
| nue. to Fauquier; south side Fauquier
! street, Earl to Payne; south side Whitall
! street, Payne to Westminster; south side
| Granite street, Mississippi to CORTLAND
| road; east side CORTLAND road, Granite
to Sycamore; south side Sycamore, Court
| land road to Rice; north side Lafond
street, Rice to Como; north side Mime
| haha, Como to Fafrview; west side Fair
| view avenue, Minnehaha to Selby; west
| side Smelling avenue, Selby to Montreal;
north side Montreal avenue, Smelling to
| Davern; west side Davern avenue, Mon
| treal to Stewart; west side Mather street
Stewart avenue to Mississippi river
| a petition csking for the vacation of
| that part of Grace street between Pleas
ant avenue and Victoria street was laid
over for two eeks. The petition set
| forth that the street was now on the
| south side Of the Chicago, Milwaukee &
| st Paul tracks. and in order to cross the
| tracks 1t was necessary TO use grade
crossing. The company had agreed to
give strip of land on the north side Of
its right Of way and pay for the grading
| of the same If the present Grace street
| was vacated.
E. 7. Slayton informed the committee
that the property owners and residents
were in favor Of such change
H. S. Fairchilds, representing Alexan-
| der Ramsey, opposed the committee tax
| Ing any action on the ground that 1t was