Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-05-24
THE TELEPHONE CASE
MUCH INTEREST IN THE DECISION
OF THE SUPREME COURT.
COMPANY WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT.
Judge Holiday Says the Decks Are
Just Cleared for Action and That
the Real Contest VIII Now Begin
The Taxes.
The Taxes.

The decision Of the Supreme Court Of
the United States in favor Of the city
against the Southern Bell Telephone
Company has awakened much interest
here, and the outcome will be watched
closely. AS explained in yesterdays Dis
patch, the decision, of Mr.. Justice Har-
Ian does not mean absolutely that the
Bell Company must cease TO do business
here. The case is merely remanded to the
lower court, and will again be fought
there, though this time the fight will
be made along different lines.
The Bell people are determined to re-
main here If such thing be possible. and
one Of the points upon which the company
will rely, it is said, Is that when 1t was
given and accepted franchise here In
1884, 1t took a vested right which cannot
now be taken from It..
DECKS CLEARED FOR ACTION.
Messrs. Stiles & Holiday, counsel for
the company, have returned from Wash
ington. and Judge Holiday said yesterday
that the Courts decision by no means
disposed of the question but simply
cleared the decks for the real and most
important action. Further than this
Judge Holiday would not say, but those
who are interested in the company say
that they entertain no fears of being
driven from the city. 1t will be remem-
bered that when the City Council re-
voked the franchise Of the company orders
were issued requiring the city Engineer
Ito cut the Bell poles down. Then IL was
that the company applied to Judge GoiI
| and received temporary injunction
which was subsequently made permanent
Though by Mr.. Justice Harlans decision
| this Injunction has now been dissolved, no
| steps will be taken toward the execution
of this order as Judge Goff still has juris-
| diction in the case, and the fight in his
| court will be renewed.
TAXES HAVE ACCUMULATED.
During the tendency Of the case in the
| United States courts the city has abso-
lutely not recognized the company's exis-
| tence and has steadfastly refused TO ac'
| cept any taxes from it, though each yeai
a tender has been made. As result OF
| this the company stands indebted to th'
| city in the sum of more than Sn,VJJ, IL II
! thought, though no accurate hgures are
| obtainable.
The license tax which was formerly as
| sessed against the company was $500 anC
| there was an additional pole-taX OF .
per pole. No record has been kept II
| the city Engineers office of the number
of poles the company has erected since
| the litigation began, but 1t is estimated
! there that there are about 1900 Bell poles
scattered throughout the city. This woulC
make the pole-taX aggregate 5000 pei
annum. and would, therefore. make thu
| total tax in arrears for the three years
since the litigation commenced S114O0.
| POSITION OF LONG-DISTANCE COM
PANY.
A rather interesting question whlcr
ARISES as a result Of the decision In th'
FSupreme Court is the position the Long
| Distance Company will occupy If the Bel
! Company is forced to discontinue business
here. That company, though 1t work
ed diligently to secure a franchise IRON
! the Richmond Council, failed in its en-
! deavor and came into the city any how
! operating over the poles OF the Bell com
| pany. No one could be found yesterday
| who was sufficiently yersed in the many
| Legal points involved to give a definite
expression on this subject, but the con-
sensus of opinion is, that if the Bell Com
pany goes the Long-Distance Company
| will share a like fate. But either Is re
earded as a very remote contingency.