The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-02-20
TELEPHONE BILL
WAS DISCUSSED
Committee Heard Five
Gentlemen on Measure.
OTHERS WILL SPEAK.
The Hearing viii be Resumed at ~
O'clock This Morning.
ABLE LAWYERS ON BOTH SIDES.
ABLE LAWYERS ON BOTH SIDES.
Mcssrs Frank w. Christian and i;ppa
Euntou. Jr., FOR the Act tand -hcssfs.
Il. B. Munfurd, Henry E.Poi-
lard and A. c. Gordon A against
Objections Made
and Answered.

The Senate Committee on General Laws
spent three hours yesterday afternoon
hearing argument for or against the oi'i
TO Incorporate the Virginia Telepnone anu
Telegraph Company.
Mr.. Frank w Christian. of Richmond.
and Hon i2Tr,a !Iunton. Jr. oil warren
ton, spoke for the measure, and senator
b. b. Munford, City Attorney Pollard. oi
Richmond and City Attorney a I. uoi-
dom of Staunton, against it,
The measure viii be further considered
at 10 o'clock this morning.
The hearing took place in the Aefiale
Chamber. which was wcil-Hlied with m
;erested persons. Among the Spectators,
who occupied front seats. was Generai
T. p. Meany president Of the American
Telegraph and Telephone GIong Distance)
Company
BY agreement each side was allowed
three hours in the aggregate Mr. Frank
w Christian was first heard in favor oi
the bill. He said he was sauSned thc
objections To the bill were founded large
ly uI,an a lnisarprehension Of what inc
legal effect would be. The chief obJecti"n'
he said, as far rs he had been able TO
learn. was that the act took from the
cities and towns the right Of local self
government. lie thought il could be
shown that this claim was not well
founded. The bill guarded every right
of a municipality and left to the cities
and towns power to control and regulate
rhr operations Of the proposed telephone
company.
THE PRINCIPLE INVOLVED.
Mr.. Christian went on with an able
argument as to the difference between
the power to control and regulate and
The authority to prohibit" The bill! con-
tenlplated Il system of telephone COM
1nunication with every county md city
an the State. 1t was designed to establish
an enterprise that would be OF great bene-
tit to all the people of the state. THIS
proposed system would. in effect. allnihi-
sate distance and re5uSe time to the
minimum. The corporators showed their
good faith by Offering TO deposit with the
State Treasurer SlNo.og1 of Virginia bonds
us a guarantee that they would establish
This system in all the cities ana counties
Of the Stale within a specified time.
Mr.. Christian called attention TO the
fact that under the existing laws the
company can Greet its poles and establish
IT'S wires along the public roads of any
county but vixen it reaches the borders
of city or town the permission of the
council of such municipality is necessary
in order to use the streets. Business
men would not put UP their money to
build Lp such a system when town or
city council could. by arbitrary action,
keep the company out.
This is Il matter, Mr.. Christian argued.
OF interest TO the whole State, and il
should be considered from that stand
point. II was not Just, nor practicable.
he contended. that city should have the
power at any time to drive out a great
enterprise, and thus seriously affect the
usefulness of the system. All that is
needed for the public good is that the
cities shall have power to apply reason
able regulations to govern the company S
operations within it's borders. The cities
should not be allowed 10 hold the reserve
power of revocation. If the cities should
have The power to make rates some other
section of the State would suffer thereby.
The corporators were perfectly willing
that the Legislature should define the
rates, but they We're unwilling that every
little locality should have the right TO
impose harsh conditions upon the COM
pany.
TlID REGULATIONS.
Taking up the phrase. Reasonable
regulations which has been criticised
In the bill. Mr. Christian said this was
The proper legal expression. But he was
perfectly willing to strike out the word
reasonable lie was frank TO say.
however. that the meaning of this pro-
vision would be the same, for a munici-
pality could not impose ''unreasona bic
regulations
Mr Christian said as long as the tele-
phone was a local institution and COM
pany confined its operations TO one city
or town. it was proper and just thai a
municipality should have the right - say
whether or not a. company should Use its
streets. But this Is no longer a local
tcm embracing the whole State city or
town should not have the right 10 H"bi-
trarily keep a company out of It's :,"rders.
II is but natural for one locality TO try
and get all II can for its people. Under
The general law now in existence the
cities and towns would vie with each
other in seeking 10 impose harsh condi-
tons upon the company.
Objection had been made to the biz!
on the ground that litigation growing
out of the measure might so to the
Federal courts and n long time might
clapSe before the question dues tons
could be settled. Mr.. Christian said the
ccrporators were willing to amend the
bill in order 10 provide that all questions
of law growing out OF this act should Ibe
settled by the courts OF this State.
Senator Foster asked Mr. Christian II
II was proposed to allow this telephone
company 10 enter n city on different
terms from those accorded companies al
ready In operation.
MIR Christian replied IN The affirmative
but said the company asked Tor orlv
what was just, II thera are companies
in existence upon which unjust condi-
tons are imposed the municipality should
remove such conditions. i1e preferred
tha, the object sought 10 be attained be
accomplished by general law. Tor his
company did hot ask nor desire. any
special privilege.
MIR. MINFoRD'S POSITION.
Senator Munford read ,ha resolution
adopted by The City Council! or i:,th-
nond. protesting agaiast tho passage q:
ti1e bill. He poin.cd out his objections
10 the act, and rnovc1 to amend 1t so as