The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-03-07
LONG DISTANCE PHONE
ALDERMAN WANT A MONTH TO GET
THEIR HEADS TOGETHER
Special Meeting Of the Board Last
Ugh to Consider the OrdfDaece
which the Southern Bell Telee-
phone Company wants to Enable
1t to Run It's Wires Underground.

At the regular meeting of the board
Of aldermen on Monday night, Mr.. T.
o. McManus, local manager of the
Southern Bell Telephone AID Telegraph
Company, presented an ordinance which
he asked the board to pass, giving his
company the privilege OF running its
wires under ground al)ns the streets.
alleys and lanes of tn. city of Whining
tom He explained that in yfe:| OF the
decision of the company to complete
its long distance connection into Will
mington from Raleigh by way OF Selma
n Goldsboro, ii was the purpose VI
the company to entirety rebuild its VII
mington exchange, substituting an up
to-date metallic service and running its
wires under ground in Conduits instead
Of on unsightly wire and cable laden
poles over head along the streets. IL
urged immediate action because 1t
was necessary for his company to make
its estimates and know what it vas do
ing before undertaking the construction
OF its long distance line into Whining
o
The ordinance submitted by the
Southern Bell Telephone Company was
put to the board but it failed II re-
ceive the unanimous vote, which. under
the rules OF the board must be had in
meeting at which it is introduced. AL
derman Mann voted against it and con-
sequently it had t O lie over till another
meeting.
AS the Bell Company is anxious to
get to work here at once. Manager Nc
Nanus got the board to hold a special
meeting last night at S o'clock to again
consider the matter.
The board met last night at s o'clock
With Mayor Waddell presiding. The
members in attendance were Aldermen
Spencer. Maunder. VonGlahn. Sweeney,
Harriss. Johnson, Skinner and Mann.
Absent. Aldermen Parker, and Bailey.
In the absence of City Clerk and Treas
urer B. F. King assistant Clerk c. H.
White acted as clerk.
Mayor Waddell called the meeting to
order and had the clerk to read the call
for the meeting. The call was signed
by Aldermen Spencer, Maunder. Von
Claim, Sweeney. HarIiss. Skinner, Mann
and Parker.
The clerk by request read the pro-
posed ordinance which gives the com
pany the privilege to erect. operate and
maintain lines of Telephone and tel
egraph. including the privilege OF erect
IT, -1ro. ,aoaC=ar,r A~t,ro, a-5 o1oo
trical conduits upon. along and yer
the public roads. sheets, alleys and
highways, and also the privilege Of ex-
cavating the streets and constructing
conduits n subwa's for it's wires.
The ordinance iuderniies the city
against any loss by damage from its
works and also provides that ten days
before any excavation o. alterations are
made in the streets TIE company will
deposit with the city Iieri; and treas-
urer the sum of $1,000 as security for
the proper restoration OF ,he streets.
Mainly this is what the ordinance
covers.
Alderman Harriss said he was IN IA
vor of putting the wires under ground
DuL liz WIS HOl SuIACIGIDy IdtilIlldI
with the proposed ordinance to say
whether he could vote for il just yet.
He said in the light OF recent expert
ences he wanted to be sure that no ex-
elusive franchise is granted by the or
dinance.
Alderman VonGlahn asked %
much Of the territory Of the city would
r. ,oyo-ol ~, tha ,,n.ler- Ground uriroS
He understood that the area would be
small and he had hoped to see all wires
IN the city placed under ground.
Mayor Waddell informed him that 1t
was contemplated to put the wires un-
der ground on all down town streets.
Alderman Sweeney said he was not
prepared to vote on the ordinance. and
asked the mayors opinion as to
whether the ordinance proposed to give
the Bell Company exclusive rights.
Mayor Waddel said if the ordinance
Is observed it states that 1t is not inforce
until the Bell Company accepts it. This
he said, would make a contract binding
and fast between the city and the tel
ephone He said that mas
HluCu dS tne "Oulu iiohS IN
excavations till fall. he thought there
was time enough for the board to take
its time In considering the proposed o.
dinance. He suggested also that hasty
action might grant a monopoly and q
free franchise, that 1t was not neces-
sary to hasten with the matter as
there will hardly be II operations till
fall. and he stated that 1t might be well
to impose some conditions binding the
telephone company not 10 increase its
rates.
Alderman VonGlahn called attention
To the ordinance requiring that copies
Of all ordinances offered be furnished
by the clerk, and that IL this Is done
the aldermen can act more intelligently.
Alderman Johnson said he was not
willing to vote for the ordinance after
having had only three days to consider
- uo -o45 - @or-o~o1 on ordinances 4