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

come in under the fruurhie:. granted
them (Which puts upon his company
titr Same restrictions az are r.uN placed
u ,on Mr.. Floyd
Mr.. lnyru,u WAS u.krI - state his
objections L, the franchise.
MIR. Ingram said that ih' ordinance
that was PASSED on the e h ~ ID. ccm-
nnr (;ha one granting TN" unrr-trlctcd
irnnchiS,) was the one thlt hi% CON-
pany WAS now operating under in every
Lown in which his cnmpan" dO"s busi-
hcss, without exception, in the seven
southern S;lutcS. In Florida they were
!imitcd to thirty years under the state
law. Oar objection to Oh" pnrt Of the
ordinance that you have passed IL
limiting us to twenty ycare. In our
company we have to borrow money on
bonds, and where VIC issuc UDnds they
are issued for thirty, forty, or fifty
years, usually fifty, and we cannot bor-
row money unless our permits extend
for that length OF time. That IL the
objection to the short term franchise.
However, believe my company would
bo willing to compromise and come in
under Il 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 frunchisc granted the local com
pany, and that company has worked
4.
great many forfcitures OF that ordl-
nance in this town. There is a great
diversity OF opinion as to what is the
latest improved design. We Will agree
that we shall use only tirsLclasS nppa-
ratuS in every particular, and give
council the right u condemn any ma
trriul, and We will furnish iirst-claSs
service.
Another objection is that Aon state
in the ordinance that we shall never
exceed the prices OF 81 Tor business
'phonrs ami $lS for rcsid.'nr" 'phoacs
except for metallic circuit service. f1ls
rumpuny cuu'd not accept that because
they could not tell WHIT material will
cost twenty years from today. We
can't name our pric for the future
any more than you can nam" it in your
buSinrss. II is simply an impoS>ihility
lie said he had heard d good deal of
talk that his company was coming in
to put down prices anu driv: the home
cnInpuny out of business nnd then raise
prices to suit themselves. But he made
the proposition that his company no,
be allowed to charge any less than the
with that argument and his company
would agree To Lhut The local COM
pany ia competing with us both in
Slmrtnnl.. and Union and why should
they br afraid of competition here? But
won't it prrt .ct local company If We
n:.rcr Ln charge no lower than they?
Here MIR. Ingram presented list OF
chargrs prepared f'r town in Ala
bnnn, which would hc about tho same
they would Charge here. Thc prices
range from 81 O0 TO ~ 80 per month.
H. said that IL man can In this way
take any service that suits him. We
have about twenty one different rats
and We give the public the opportunity
to get what service they want and pay
for it. But he could not guarantee
never to increase the prices. II 1T is y
harh4hip 10 r'stric, the local company
we do not want to see them bound up.
We want to sec them enjoy the same
privileges you grant rs. We have low
prices il tn, public want them. but we
have higher and we ask for tn, privi'
lcgr OF giving different grades } -"
vice and charging diifrrcnt prices Our
long distance service Is cuvrrin., the
whole country and il We connect YOU
with thia You can talk TO any point on
the line. There is no current Oh the
wires Two little batteries you can
hold in your hand will enable you to
talk $500 miles. II permission" to come
In is granted us, We will put up poles hs
YOU SAY. at first we would pat in one
central station and ifonc person wanted
1T we would furnish II 'phonc ani If all
wanted it we would furnish it. Fur
thcr, we would provide ci0ls arms on
our poles for the use OF the city and
would be glad to furnish IL reasonable
amount of service free to the city.
We are willing not to charge Il lower
price than the local company, and II
you pass an ordinance wo can accept,
| 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 Il term Of five years. In
addition to this, we will furnish SER
vice for tho city free, connect tho city
with tho long distance line, and put in
any restrictions of that kind you want.
Il this could not he done, then his COM
pany you'd simply skirt the town
around the northern side OF the town,
in the hope that in tho near future you
will decide to let us IN.
Mayor Klcttner here wished to state