Omaha daily bee., 1902-05-02
COUNCIL BUSY ON TELEPHONES
One Ordinance for Submission to
Values of the City IL De-
cided On.

Giving as It's reason that the company Is
not yet organized and that 1t has no guar
anty that 1t ever will be, the committee Of
the whole OF the council refused Wednes-
day afternoon to consider the ordinance
for a telephone franchise submitted on be-
half Of the Omaha & Council Bluffs Tele-
phone and Telegraph company by Charles
Webster Of Minneapolis.
The committee took up and discussed sec
ton by section the ordinance submitted on
behalf Of the Interstate Telephone company
by Vic Stevens. president OF the Dubuque
Telephone company. A number OF changes
were decided upon and the ordinance was
turned over to City Solicitor Snyder to re-
draft and report back to the committee at
a meeting to be held Monday afternoon,
May ~.
The original ordinance provided hat the
company should complete and have its
plant in operation within two years from
the date OF the passage OF the measure.
At the suggestion OF Attorney wadsworth,
who appeared for the company, this was
changed to one year from the passage Of
the ordinance. Another change provides
that the $1,000 be deposited by the COM
pany to defray the expenses Of the special
election shall be Deposited -':thin ten days
after the passage Of the resolution by the
council recommending the submission Of
the granting OF the franchise TO the voters
OF the city and before the mayor shall or
der such an election. instead of within
thirty days after the acceptance Of the or
dinance as provided in the original meas
ure.
The ordinance was further amended by
the insertion Of a clause requiring the com
pany to lower or raise its conduits at it's
own expense as might be required in the
event OF the city laying sewers. This pro-
vision is IN the other ordinances submitted.
Alderman Lougee' raised the question
whether the company could not, under the
ordinance as introduced. string its wires
on poles placed In the alleys instead Of
putting them in underground eonduits on
the streets In the prescribed district. In
order to prevent this the ordinance will be
amended 90 as to prohibit the stringing Of
overhead wires IN the alleys adjacent to
the district defined for underground con-
duits.
Alderman Mcdonald attempted to reduce
the life OF the charter from twenty-five to
twenty years, but no change was made In
this respect.
Considerable discussion was had over the
question whether the city council had the
right to pass an ordinance Of this char
acter before It had been submitted to the
vote OF the people. and City Solicitor suy-
der gave It as his opinion that It had not.
In his opinion all the city council could do
is 70 pass a resolution. after deciding upon
the character OF the ordinance. recommend
ing It's submission to the voters for their
approval or disApprovaI. and in the event OF
the ordinance receiving q majority OF the
votes then pass Il in the ordinary manner.
In referring the ordinance for redrsfting
By the city solicitor Alderman LOngee sug-
gested that there was no need TO hurry the
matter. as he had been advised that the
Council Bluffs Independent Telephone COM
pany. realizing that its original PROPOSE