Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1903-09-29
THE PEOPLE WIN
In the Fight For Cheaper and
Better Phones
Council Orders Sale of a 2o-Year
Franchise With Maximum
Rates Fixed.


Henry, the council met Friday
night for the purpose of passing an
ordinance authorizing the sale of
a telephone franchise. Councilman
]. b. Galbreath was elected Mayor
protein by a unanimous vote.
Councilman Jackson first had the
"historical Background" of the
telephone situation presented, by
calling for the reading of all ordI-
nances bearing on the subject.
The clerk read that in February
1882 permission was granted to the
East Tennessee Telephone Co. to
terect poles and string wires in
Hopkinsville for the purpose of
operating a telephone exchange. "
This company ceased to operate in
1886 and in Feb. 1887 it was cited
to appear and show cause why its
privileges should not be annulled.
Failing to appear, ON August z
1887, its privilege was revoked, its
poles declared to be a nuisance and
ordered removed. At the same
meeting franchise, the first issued
to any telephone company, was
granted to S. H. Turner and others
for a period CT Is years, and to re-
move all doubt, 1t was made ex,
elusive, thus wlping out the last
vestige of the permit of the former
company revoked.
The Cumberland Telephone
company subsequently bought
Turner's franchise and also alb,
sorbed the East Tennessee Tele
phone company's business, includ
ing "vested rights. " Its Turner
franchise was operated until Au
gust 1902, when it expired. The
new constitution now prohibits eX-
elusive franchises and a sale was
ordered in which the council re-
stricted the prices and after much
agitation limited the time to five
years.
The franchise, undesirable as il
was, became the property of the
Home Telephone Co. by purchase,
the Cumberland Telephone Co. de.
clining to bid. It gave as a reason
that its "vested right" acquired
from the East Tennessee Co. per-
mitted it to revive the rights for
feited and revoked in 1886 and run
under a defunct franchise, as it
chose to call It's permit to use the
streets until the permission was
withdrawn.
In brief statement, Councilman
Jackson presented these facts and
said it was clear that the Cumber-
land was now doing business with
out any authority further than a
contract made with the city last
August. He then submitted the
names of ten of its patrons whose
rentals had been increased this
year, although its representatives
assured the council and the people
that no mans rates would be in
creased, when old phones were ex-
changed for new ones. The con-
tract was read and it was seen that
the prices had been raised on
"business offices" the only class of
patrons who were paying less than
the maximum rates. The party
line patrons of this class were pay
ing So each, the maximum under
the new contract being 81. so, and
in spite of assurances to the con-
trary, the rates were raised to the
limit. The unjust annual contract
feature was also added, but its ope-
rations were suspended when it
was exposed by the victims.
Councilman Jackson moved that
a franchise for 20 years be sold,
with rates limited to a schedule
ranging from So down to 81.
Councilman Davis amended, sub,
stituting five years.
A discussion followed, in which
Messrs. ]. T. Edmunds, E. NJ.
Flack, John G. Duffy and John
FelaRd spoke for the citizens.
Things seemed to be in a hopeless
.angle and the council liable to
pass Swear franchise of com.
small value in affording