The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-05-12
The TELEPHONE HEARING
CITIZENS HEARD BY THE COMMIT
TEE LAST NIGHT.
The Petition of the Massachusetts, Com-
pnny Before the Committee on Ofdt-
nances Again - Anthony Cnrro1l's
OpfniOns-Stot tements by Morris f.
Tyler.

Tyler.
Another hearing was held last night
by the committee on ordinances on the
petition of the Massachusetts, Tslepho-
company for permission to erect poles
and wires in the streats of New Haven
and to construct other apparatus nee
! essary for a telephone business. The
hearing was held in the aldermanic
chamber in city hail. and was attended
by large number of citizens interested
in the matter under consideration. Last
nights hearing was for the purpose of
hearing citizens pro and Goa on the Pc
tition. Judge Stoddard, C. S. More
house and John w. Alling appeared to
represent the Southern New England
Telephone company, and S. Harrison
Wagner and ex-Patent Commissioner
Seymour to represent the petitioners.
The first one to speak was Joseph r.
Manning, who favored granting the pc
tition. He said in part: THE commit
tee represents the mass of people, and
the committee | believe, and at least
hope will determine this question from
that standpoint from which the people
who elect you expect you to do. 1t has
been said that the Southern New Eng
land company being so intrenched, its
influence is certainly greater than that
Of an outside company, and on that ac-
count it is presumed by some that the
case will be determined in favor of the
Southern New England 1t seems to
me that there should be no monopoly
in the telephone business. To give to
one concern exclusive right to fix on
the people any charges it may see fit is
not right, and there are two remedies,
one to fix rates by legisla ion and the
other is to permit competition. If the
rev company should come in and
place 5000 teleph mes that would make
5000 in all in the city, and mean more
wire to manufacture, more poles to pro-
duce. more buildings erected, labor en-
ployed, The city Of New Haven pays
to the Southern New England company
between $500 and $1,000 per year for
telephone service. and that in itself is
worth considering. A few thousand
dollars saved goes a great ways
Anthony Carroll was the next speak
er He said that the Southern New
England Te,ephone> company was the
only objector to allowing the new COM
pany to locate here. He didn't under
stand how it would cost the city any
thing even If the new company did sell
out, since the Massachusetts company
offered to furnish bond. He said "The
Southern New England company snub-
bed this committee and the whole city,
which you represent. Last Wednesday
A bill was put into the legislature which
was to deprive us from having any
thing to do with the streets and would
hand them over to the Southern New
England Telephone company forever"
He read the bill and said that the
Southern New England company not
only claimed the ground, but the sky
above. He said: "A municipal corpora
tion is not organized for the distribu-
ton of charity. I consider the city of
New Haven a corporation and you ara
representatives of the court Of common
and I do not think that public
charity is to be distributed All mu-
nicpaI franchises should be put in the
market for the benefit Of the city There
is no privileged class under the consti-
tuition, but here in New Haven we have |
the cultured class and I don't think
that they have any more rights than
other citizens These objectors may be
worthy people, they may be worthy but |
they have no more rights than other |
citizens. They have no right to steal |
from the public treasury and hand over
TO any corporation. What do / mean
)y stealing? Just this, This new COM
oany offers to furnish telephones free
70 municipal offices and if it is exclud-
I'd every dollar that is paid for tele-
phones is stolen from the people. If
his company comes here and reduces
'ur taxation don't it help all our cit-
.ens. OF course it won't help the stock
holders of the Southern New England
company, but it will help an ordinary
itiZen many of whom can hardly keep
heir heads above water because of tax
tion.
Artificial class distinction tends to
the community It's time
hat this transparent demagogism--that
5 a terrible word, isn't it? But if some
Door fellow wanted his pay raised it
would be demagogism. l say it is time
his transparent demagogism ceased.
my fair-mnded man reading the ordi-
ances proposed by the Massa achusetts
can see no objection why the
ought not to be allowed to To-
ate here"
Chairman Dewell-"Mr Carroll, don't
ou think you are little bit hard on
he feeble-cultured class?"
Mr.. Carroll-"No, sir; they didn't
ave common decency when they We're
obbing me by inches s
Judge Sheldon thought that an ordi-
ance, if passed, should be broad ,
nough to allow any company to come
!. The time would come when it
'ould be considered a mistake that the
ity had parted with any franchises.
[e thought that the city should guard
18th great care all it's rights in the !
-reets. He said that company which
ad already received great privileges
'om the city asked to have these privi-
ges exclusive for time out of mind,
lat the old company would not give
he service it could, and attempted to
revent another company from giving
atter service He said: THE uncom- '
on zeal of these men is suspicious 1t /
for you to determine whether this 1
DID and arrogant method of dealing d
ith the franchises of New Haven shall G
successful. 1t is for you, represent
g the general interests of the people,