The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-03-07
INFORMATION TO COUNCIL.
4 FRANCHISE FOR MoFFET
Granted Right to Establish Local Tel
ephone System-New Electric
Company Growing Impatient.
From Wednesdays Daily Gazette.

In ANTICIPATION OF a more Than Orul-
nary interesting session of that body
a large number of spectators were
present when the city council conven-
ed last night. Every alderman was
in his seat when Clerk Matheson call
ed the roll.
Under the call for reports of officers
the finance committee reported as not
having checked the reports of the
treasurer, chief of police and police
magistrate. Further time was given.
The street and sidewalk committee
recommended the construction OF a
crossing on the east side of Twenty
eigth street and Fourth avenue north,
two on Twenty-eighth street and Sixth
avenue and one on Fourth avenue
Report adopted and crossings ordered.
The committee further reported that
the petition of the Northern Pacific
company for closing Twenty-sixth
street had not been submitted to it
until too late to permit of it's consider
alton and asked to be given until the
next meeting to report. Granted.
Mrs. Pat Roark appeared in person
and asked that her husband be grant
ed the privilege c. running the town
herd during the coming season with
out being required to give a bond.
Austin North addressed the council
calling attention to his petition of
August, 1899, for a franchise for on
structing and operating an electric
street railway system. Attached to
the letter was a copy of the original
petition and ordinance. Referred to
ordinance and street committees.
A petition from Austin North and
other taxpayers residing in North
Twenty-ninth street for a water main
in hat street from Fourth avenue
north, to Seventh avenue north, vas
referred to the water committee.
Under the head of communications
the following from the Billings Water
Power company was read:
Billings, Montana, March l. 1902.
To the Honorable Mayor and Alder
men, Billings, Montana:
Gentlemen: In the matter of grant
ing a franchise to the Citizens Electric
company, we beg leave to call your at
tention to a few points in connection
Herewith before the matter is finally
disposed of.
In behalf of the Billings Water
Power company we desire to say. at
the outset, that we are not opposed
to the granting of a franchise to the
aforesaid company, provided they de-
sire to enter the field in a legitimate
way. and such conditions and safe
guards are incorporated in said fran
chise as will insure benefits 60 the
citizens of the city and put them on
an equal basis with our company
in the furnishing of electric current.
We entered the field of electric
lighting in this place in 1886, when
this was a very small town and the
business was in it's infancy through
out the country. The council at that
time granted our company a franchise
for ten years, they imposing certain
maximum rates that we would be
allowed to charge. both for city light
ing and to private consumers. At the
expiration of this franchise the coun-
Gil did not see fit to grant an extern
sion and we continued business for
a time without any franchise.
Some twenty months ago the coun-
Gil, desiring to obtain a much larger
number of arc nights for street light
ing, and procuring them at the low
est possible nrice. advertised in the
local and Chicago papers for furnish
ing fifty or more arc lights for street
lighting for a term of six years, the
advertisement stating that the
cessful bidder would be granted a
franchise Tor doing a general lighting
business. In consideration of being
granted this franchise, we submitted
the very low bid Of 1886 per light
per MONTH which IS below the actual
cost of furnishing the light. We did
not and could not expect any exclu.
sive rights, but after bidding for and
securing a franchise IN this way. We
certainly had the right to expect thai
the city council would require as
great concessions from IN other com
pany desiring to enter the field in
the city.
We are told that a number of gen
tlemen interested in he proposed
ClIlZenS Electric company are max
ing the, statements that the rates
charged by our company are eXorbi
tant and that, if they are granted {
franchise. thew will furnish lights a
a much lower price. AS to the charge
that our rates are high. we are will
ing that the council should assume
that the charge is we'll founded. AS
Stunning this, we say as taxpayers OF
the city that it is the duty of the toun
ell to- incorporate in the proposed
franchise the low rates that have been
promised and thus guard against any
future combinations of the two com
panies and subsequent raise in rates
which has been the history of two
plants trying to operate profitably il
a small town like this, and unless this
matter is safeguarded now the citi
gems are likely to have torpay for the
experiment in the end.
IMEAh n IL