Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-11-09

tnat when two or more persons use
the same residence circuits the rate
per annum per instrument shall not ut
any time during the continuance of
this franchise exceed 500 per instru-
ment within the corporate limits Of
saio city, and for quarters, halves and
miles beyond the corporate limits
aforesaid, a like reasonable rate shall
be charged, the above rates to apply
only TO annual subscribers; provided
that no toll shall be charged to users
OF such telephones within the corpo-
rate limits of said city for service to
any point within radius of eight
miles of the City Hall; provided. fur,
ther, that the Southern Bell Telephone
and Telegraph Company, it's success
sors or assigns, shall not furnish a tel
ephone service of any kind at q rate
less than $50 per annum per instru-
ment for business telephones, nor S25
per annum per instrument for resi-
dence telephones, except that when
two or more persons use the same res
idence circuit, the rate per annum per
instrument shall not at any time
curing the continuance of this fran
chise be less than SIS; otherwise the
rights herein granted shall cease and
determine.
And the section seven Of the fran
chise of the American Telephone and
Telegraph Company of Virginia be
amended so to read as follows:
The same amendment is repeated In
the same form as that of the Southern
Bell Telephone and Telegraph Compa-
ny above.
The resolutions of the Hay and Grain
association recommending that the
citizens use the Southern States Tel
ephone Companys phone service. and
that the Councils put the telephone
companies under q maximum rate OF
S3S We're read.
MINORITY REPORT.
The minority report of MIR. J. G, TIL
ton was read as follows:
Norfolk, Va. Nov. 9Th, 1900.
TO the Honorable the Common and Sc
lect Councils of the City Of Norfolk.
Virginia:
The undersigned member of the Spe-
cial Telephone Committee, appointed
by your honorable body for the pur-
pose of investigating the reason for
the recent proposed increase of rates
of the Southern Bell Telephone Com
pany. and report back to the Council
any recommendations that 1t may see
mt to make, has the honor to report
as follows:
He would respectfully call to your
attention that in the year 1895 the
Councils of this city gave a franchise
to the Southern States Telephone Com
pany, wherein the said company was
limited to a maximum rate, and where
In the city of Norfolk, on its part, I'M
equivocally pledged its municipal faith,
and agreed that 1t would never, during
the existence of the Southern States
franchise. grant to any person, firm or
corporation a telephone franchise upon
any different terms and conditions
than. was granted to the Southern
States. and. yet, we find that subse-
quent to the granting of this Southern
States franchise. the city of Norfolk.
by Its Council, granted to the Southern
Bell Telephone Company. and to the
American Telephone and Telegraph
Company. commonly called the Long
Distance Telephone Company. fran
chises wherein no maximum rates
whatsoever were named.
So plain and so palpable a violation
of the city's undertaking with the
Southern States Telephone Company
was this. that before these franchises
were granted by the city the city of
Norfolk required and demanded that
the Southern Bell Telephone Company
execute a bond, with good and suffl-
cient security in penalty of fifty
thousand dollars. to save the city of
Norfolk harmless in case any action at
law or equity might be brought against
1t by the stockholders of the Southern
States Telephone Company.
He would further suggest that after
the granting of these franchises where
in the Southern Bell was limited in so
far as the minimum rate was concern
ed that the said Southern Bell Tele-
phone Company Immediately under-cut
the Southern States Telephone Com
pany in the price of its phones to the
sum of eighteen dollars per year. and
by Its present schedule of rates still
further proposes to under-cut 1t.
1t is easy to see that If such O. step
is permitted by this Council that the
use of residence phones Will be COM
pletely monopoliZed by the Southern
Bell Telephone Company by reason of
the lower rates it offers in contraven-
ton of its franchise. This being the
case. 1t is so plain that even a way
faring man, though a fool. can per-
ceive that the business part of the
community will be forced to use n
phone that will put them in touch aEI
communication with the residential
portion of the community. and the
Southern Bell Telephone Company, be-
ing unlimited in the price it can
charge 10 the business man can re-
coupe itself of any loss that 1t might
sustain by reason of the low rate on
the residence phones by doubling,
trebling or Quadrupling the price
charged to the business man on the
business phone.
The undersigned would further call
TO the respectful attention of the City
council that when the Special Tele-
phone Committee heard Mr.. Charles II.
wilson, general manager OF the Bell
Telephone Company, and while he SOL
EMMY asseverated that his company,
during the past two years. had never
lost less than ten thousand dollars per
year, yet he persstently refused to
state to the committee what the GROSS
or net revenues of his company in the
city OF Norfolk were, or what their
nlant cost them. or what thair axna.,d.