Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1902-06-20
CHEAPER PHONES
Demanded by a Committee From
a Citizens Meeting.
Council Rescinds the Former Or
dinance and Will Take Action
July 4.

At a special meeting of the City
Council Monday night, the question
of telephone franchise was con
sidered. At the last regular meet
ing an ordinance was passed pro-
viding for the sale OF a franchise on
June Is, as the present franchise of
the Cumberland Telephone Co., ex-
pires on Aug. 9. The ordinance
provided no schedule of maximum
rates to be charged and a public
meeting of citizens was held at the
Commercial Club rooms last week
and a committee was appointed to
confer with the council on the sub
ject. This committee was com
posed of r.. E. Cooper, NJ. c. Forbes
and Geo. c. Long, Who submitted
report to the council, after consulta-
tion with Mr.. Webb, an official of
the Telephone company.
Upon the opening of the council
DR.. Jackson moved that the ordi-
nance passed be repealed and the
motion prevailed by vote of to l.
The matter was then opened for
discussion and Chairman Cooper, of
the Citizens Committee, submitted a
report, asking the council to include
in the future franchise the maxi
mum price, to be allowed, and to al
so demand improved instruments
and better service; it was also
suggested that the franchise be for
5 instead of 20 years. The prices
asked by the committee were as
follows, all instruments to be long
instance ones instead of the obso-
lete Blake instruments now used:
Business houses $500, now 81 CO.
old style instruments $3.50. Offices
$3.50, now So so, old style $500
Residences Sis, now $3.50, old
style 81 90. Party lines, residen
ces 81. so, now old style ST so. Bust
ness houses on party lines $3.50.
Messrs. r. E. Cooper, NJ. c.
Forbes and Geo. c. Long spoke in
support of these reduced rates.
Mr.. Cooper read reports from sew.
eral other cities on the Cumberland
lines, showing that they enjoyed
lower rates than Hopkinsvllle.
The Cumberland company was
heard through its attorney, Mr..
Hunter Wood, who argued that the
proposed rates were too low. He
produced new ordinance in which
some concessions were made and
asked that it be passed. 1t was
agreed to abolish the use of the OBJ
solete phones after one year and
put in long distance phones at the
present rates. 1t was also agreed
to reduce the number of subscribers
on party lines to two. Mr.. Wood !
argued that these changes would !
cost the company $4,000 and that
the proposed lower rates would |
drive 1t out OF the city.
Mr.. Cooper replied by producing |
a statement from the assessor that
the Cumberland company in |
sworn statement valued its taxable
property at only $1,000 and $500 for
the long distance plant. He said
that 60O'phones at an average of $50
ayear amounted to $4,000 and that
he had an inside estimate that the
toll receipts were $4,000 more,
while the operating expenses were
$3.50 a month, or $4,000 a year.
He asserted that the profits were
necessarily enormous and that the
company could well afford to
give Hopkinsville as low rates as
it gave any other city of the same
size. After some further discussion
Councilman Jackson moved the
adoption Of an ordinance liking the
rates offered by the Citizens Com
mittee and Councilman Galbreath
offered a substitute fixing the max
lmum rates at the figures conceded
by the telephone company.
Councilman West moved a post
ponement, to enable tie council to
confer with the Cumberland people
and by general agreement the mat
ter went over until July 18th.
Galloway Patient. /