The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-12-23
Consent Of Public and City Gov.
ernment All That is Needed.
PRICE HAS BEEN AGREED ON
Matter Will Come fore Street Com
mi,tee at Its Meeting Monday Night
Pei ion Seeking Consolidation
is Being Circulated and is
Meeting With General
Approval.

The consent of the counsel OF the city
and of the subscribers to the two com
nanies is all that is needed for the con-
s,,,nraa tion of a deal whereby the Rich
nond Telephone Company will be ah-
sorbed hy the Southern Bell Company
and Richmond will have only one teie-
,,i,o,{,, system, II the sentiment Of over
three hundred business men VINO have
signed n petition asking for the con-
solidation can be taken as that OF others
who haze as yet TO be approached. theie
is little doub: that the consolidation VII
be effected and that shortly. The acton
Of the Street Committee and the Ci.J
Council will of course, be largely gov
eIned by public opinion, and pubic opin-
ion. SO far as it has been touched. Is
Overwhelmingly in favor of the consoli-
Gation.
The negotiations for the deal have been
in progress only a short time Ihey
were opened not more than two weeks
ago batween representatives CT the Two
companies. The price agreed on IS en-
tirely satisfactory to both parties D0t
as to what the monetary consideration
involved is. Negotiations have pro-
pressed so satisfactorily that now every
thing has been arranged for the closing
Of the deal so soon as the consent OF tae
city and the public is obtained.
The Bell people expressly shptiateo
that unless public sentiment was shown
to be in ravor OF the consolidation ana
the official consent of the city was op-
,ained that they would under no consid-
eraticn consider the deal.
PETITION CIRCULATED.
With the end of tapping public send-
rnent petition has been quietly circu-
lated among prominent business men OF
the CITY and the sentiment of those SO
far seen is overwhelmingly In favor CT
the consolidation Considerably over
three hundred have signed the petiuon
asking for the consolidation, and only
"a few of the whole number seen have le-
fused to sign. Moreover, many OF IN .se
who have signed express II as lheii cliii-
Ion that the consolidation VIII be al
,unrafy5gated benefit TO the people OF ,iie
city They say that as the rates OF the
yali Company are expressly stipulated
,,x, .l1e ordinance under which they oper-
.5a that there is no longer the neea iol
fine competition that was SO desuaoie a.
the time that the local company was
t4nizet. ISy the terms of the ofdinshse
y1sly can make is six dollars per Hlen'a
FOR an unlimited business service and
+hrea dollars for the same class OF resi-
dence service There are graduated 1a'es
below these according TO the class Q
service. but under no circumstances can
this charge be exceeded.
CHANGES THAT WILL FOLLOW.
When the deal is consUmmmated. and
# now seems thate undoubtedly Will De
the Southern Bell Company Will come INTO
nossession of the property, lines ana eA-
change OF the Richmond Company. lhefe
viii he hut one exchange and one system
4, tho CITY. The po,es Of the Richmond
,-o,,nsnv that are In the underground
.7istr;ct-, will be pulled down and connec-
tIone made with the exchange OF the
reu Company through their conouits. -A1i
.s1,:7scrihers Of the Richmond Company
who 50 desire. will be taken onto the eN-
change Of the Bell Company.
There are now about 500 snpscF.oeis IA
the city that take the service % ~. 49,
companies The Richmond Company mas
IN round numbers about fourteen nun
fred subscribers. and the Bell Company
about thirty-iive hundred =,
The detern.inat on Of the mater VIII
probably be reached when the QUESTION
comes before the Street COMMITTEE al i.s
meeting on the 29th OF December. IL \
thought that by thta time pubic Sent
rnent vii hare chyystai:zed In one GU
ton or the other and as II Is a shpuia-
ton shat there shall be no deal If there
is opposition there will probably De no
fght such as have previously been seen
when telephone matters have been before
The city government
WILL PROVIDE FOR EMPLOYEES.
The fight 'ch ended in the granting
of its present franchise to the Southern
Bell Company IS too recent to be re-
counted.
II case Reconsideration is effected, the
employees Of the Richmond Company Will
be provided cer by the Southern Bell.
From present Indications it would seem
that the deal W II certainly go through.
should IL not. however. the Richmond
Company will proceed al once with the
putting OF its wires underground under
the permission recently granted by the
civ Council. and will continue to do
business as at present.
The above facts are authorized by
President Addison Maupin. OF the Rich
nond Teierhone Company. and MIR. Fair
FAX Montague, OF the Southern Bell lom-
pany.
THE PETITION
The petition which is being circulated,
reads:
we. the undersigned subscribers for
tc' ephone service in Richmond Va. be-
,iert, that there Is no advantage in having
two companies in opc' alton. but. on the
contrary, consider il an actual d!sadraia-
.age Involving much unnecessary expense
and annoyance and II the managers Of
the two companies can come to an agree
,nent by which the Richmond Telephone
company.s exchange can be consolidated
with the Southern Bell Telephone and 1
Telegraph Company'e exchange. It viii
meet with our approval.
CONTINUED on Second Page.)