The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1902-02-04

chem (Which puts upon his company
tie same restrictions al are nos placed
u1on Mr.. Floyd J
M. ingram was asked 10 stA'e his
Jni:clions IT, the franchise.
Mir. Ingram said that HE ordinance
that Was passed on the h Of D:cem-
94r Che one granting the unrestricted
franchist-) w&s: the one that his COM
pany was COW operating under IN every
Gown in which his COMPANY does busl-
ness, without exception, in the seven
Southern States. In Florida they were
limited to thirty years under the State
law. Our objection to one part OF the
ordinance that you have passed Is
limiting US to twenty years In our
.omuauv we have to borrow money on
ponds. and where we issue bonds tney
are issued for thirty, forty, or nl1y
wears, usually fifty, and we cannot Dor
row money unless our permits eXteno
for that length of time. That ls the
objection to the short term tranchlse.
However, believe my company would
be williog to compromise and come IN
under thirty year permit.
We object to another clause in the
ordinance, the one requiring that we
shall use only material OF the latest
improved design. The same section Is
in the franchise granted the local COM
pany, and that company has worked
great many forfeitures OF that orol-
nance in this town. There is great
diversity OF opinion as to what Is inc
Iate,t improved design. We will agree
that we shall use only tirst.class appa-
ratus in every particular, and give
conncil the right to condemn any ma
terial, and We will furnish q tirst-clasS
service.
Another objection is that You stale
in the ordinance that we shall never
exceed the prices Of $24 for business
'phoues and S1S for residence 'phones
excent for metallic circuit service. His
company could not accept that because
thev could not tell what material Will
cost twenty years from today. we
can't name our prics S for the future
anv more than you can nam> it in your
husiness. It is simply al imlos<lolllty.
He said he had heard good deal OF
talk that his company was coming IN
to put down prices and drive the nome
connanv out Of business Hnd then raise
prices to suit themselves. But be made
the proposition that his company not
be allowed to charge any less than the
home company. That would DO away
with that argument and his company
would agree to that The local COM
pany is competing with US both in
Spartanburg and Union and why should
thew be afraid of competition here? But
won't it protect local company II we
aeree to charge no lower than ;ney:
Here MIR. Iugram presented list OF
charges prepared for town in Ala
hama, which would be about the same
thew would charge here. The prices
range from slOO to So so per month.
He said that man can IN this way
take any service that suits him. we
have about twenty.one different rates
and we give the public the opportunity
70 get what service they want and pay
for il. But he could not guarantee
never to increase the prices. Ii 1t Is a
hardship to restrict the local company
wc do not want to see them bound up.
We want to see them enjoy the same
privileges you grant US. We have 10"
prices if the public want them, but we
have higher and we ask for the prlVl'
lege of giving different grades }; ';'
vice and charging different prices Our
long distance service is covering the
whole country and if we connect you
with this YOU can talk to any polnt on
the line, There is no current on the
wires. Two little batteries you can
hold in your hand will enable you TO
talk 1900 miles. If permission 10 come
in is granted us, we will put up poles as
Won saw. At first we would pat in one
central station and if one person wanted
t. we would furnish 'phone and II all
wanted it we would furnish it. Fur
thnr. we would provide c!o5s arms on
our poles for the use Of the city ana
wou]d be glad to furnish a reasonable
amount of service free to the city.
We are willing not to charge lower
price than the local company, and II
Won pass al ordinance we can accept,
I will furnish you with contract
signed by the president OF our COM
pany to the effect that the schedule OF
prices we submit to you shall not be
increased for term of five years. In
addition to this, we will furnish SER
vice for the city free, connect the city
with the long distance line, and put IN
snv restrictions of that kind you want.
# this could not be done, then his COM
panv would simply skirt the town
arouod the northern side Of the town,
in the hope that in the near future you
will 1aoiGa m let lis in
M.vor Klettner here wished to state