The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-02-20
RICHMOND VA, TUESDAY. FEBRUARY 20. 1900.

c0rscnt of a city or town council lciole
,ls,n;, ITS streets. &c said the bill Ill
eject would reo-u ii,e provision n the
Cod. giving to municipalities ne right
= say what tel.pholc companies shall
use The streets Of a ,.ity Or toSn.
Mr.. Munford said the great ro!n: at
issu" was whether or not the municipality
should have the r:sh: 20 place RESTRICTION,
uron rates. x great company like the
one proposed to be Incorporated could
CcnG and crush ole local concerns. create,
q monopoly. and make rates that would
be 6 burden upon INC people.
Replying 10 Mr.. Christian. Mr.. Nun
take from the Federal courts jursdic-
ton in legislation that might arise under
this act.
Mr. ~ c. Gordon. city attorney Of
Staunton. said he was commissioned by
his city 10 enter n solemn protest against
the passage of this bill. He told Of
the telephone conditions existing in the
valley. especially in Augusta county He
believed these conditions would be de-
stroyed by the passage. of this bill Wnen
the Bell Company. operated exclusively
in staunton phones rented for $40 :,
year: under the local system the cost
is only sl5 per year. He believed. as did
MIR. Munford that this proposed COM
pany would absorb the small concerns,
and there being no provision as to
1naximum ra tcs. the great monopoly that
would be created could charge cXorbtant
prices.
THE CITY ATTORNEY.
City Attorney II. L. Pollard. of Rich
mond. followed Mr.. Gordon. He said
that one remarkable provision Of that
act was that at one "swoop' it
severed itself from the provisions of
three chapters Of the Code. No re-
striction was placed upon the amount of
real estate that may be held: no books
were To lie opened for subscriptions TO
the capital stock, but this matter was to-
be attended TO privately. and the capital
stocl; might be increased upon zen days
notice.
Rcrlying 10 what Mr.. Christian haa
said about a telephone company pciilS
permitted TO use the public highways
without the consent of the county au-
thoritics While the cities and towns
are given the right to keep 4 company
out. Mr.. Pollard reminded the committee
that q suit for damages for an accident
happcning on a public road could not
be maintained against county 1cl'
a CITY is held liable for injury to per-
son by reason OF the unsafe conditions
of its streets.
Mr.. Pollard said Richmond has been
irving for TWO years 10 lorce an tiie
electric wires in the city to be placed
in conduits. Within ninety days all the
wires will be placed in the conduits. II
this bill is passed the new company
would come along and place its poles
and wires where the others were re-
moved from. This would simply be an
outrage.
BROAD POWERS.
Mr.. Pollard stated that under this act
the company could enter any or all the
streets of the city at its sweet Will.
The bill allows the company TO occupy
the public parks q privilege never given
TO any telegraph or telephone COM
panv. It authorizes the concern to oc-
cupy- the public works of city 1t
corid place its wires on the gas-house,
almshoust. Of other public buildings.
Mr.. Pollard said Il remarkable pro-
vision of this act was that the COM
Dany could acquire private property ana
immediate ely sell or lease or otherwise
disnose of it. thus violating cherished
nr;nciple of the funGamental-lay.--,-.
The City Attorney next addressed him
self TO the alleged monopoiistic feature OF
the question, which he declared 70 be IN
violation of Democratic principles.
Ii had been cOntended III the public
O. l. Dr.