The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-04-03

personal assets lines and conduits which
Il values at sl,776.00o.
The state law. chapter %. section II,
provides that telegraph and telephone
companies shall pay the state tax OF
one per cent on gross income, In lieu OF
all other taxes on their lines and per
sonaI estate. The state gets about sSbOo
Were the property taxed like other prop
erty the city and surrounding towns would
get about $24 600. Evidently the diner-
ence Of s21 800 is the cost OF regulation
which, after all. does not regulate.
Its cost OF operation, OF course inclnoes
its license from the American Bell Iele
phone company That corporation stated
under oath I'm the New YORK courts a a
few years ago that from lSl 10 Ssi !,
increased It's capital from seven milliohs
to twenty millions out Of the profits ana
averaged Is per cent deNldends year Ivn To-.
each year besides. Were this monopoIy
a public one. as Il ought TO ne. opers.seo %
| al actual cost thousands Of people wno
/ cannos now afford to use the telephone.
would be able 10 do 40, and the whole
/ community would be benehted by the IN
/ creased facility of communication
| NARRAGANsETT f. l.. COMPANY.
/ The Act Concerning the Narraganset'
| Electric Lighting Company passed ny
the general assembly In January' ,Ie lSs1
] chise OF ~ years from July !. 1889, In tne
/ city of Providence. Under authorty OF
/ that act contract was made ny whlcn
! the company was 10 furnish the city EVV
! candle power lamps, with 10 amperes oi
current, under an Il. Nj. F. or 70 voHs
each.
The lights were To burn all night and
every night. II the cost Of light shoule
| be cheapened hy any new invention tnt
price was 10 be lowered accordingly. or
the other hand, II the city ordered the
/ wires placed underground. the interes, OF
the cost was 20 he added 20 the price. bN
the legislative act the rate TO u
| charged shall he determined. II posslhie
| by agreement Of the parties at least three
months before the expiration OF the ex
| listing contract. for the succeeding periot
Of three years" and thereafter In Tx,
. manner
Failing agreement the rate for thes,
three-yea periods was to be fixed by ar
bitration.
Aug. I. 1898. the price was fixed by ar
Of 1900 lights. for the term OF sundry un
expired contracts. and for the three-yea
period beginning June 1t 1904:
March s. 1895 the council dlsregardinl
the express provision of the law. con
tracted for an additional period of nv
years. 10 June Is. 1909. az the rate Of
cents. the number Of iights being IN
very one-sided one, giving the compan
SOS. 0o0 a year. OF which s75.0co 10 500 NJ
was n pure bonus. This contract havin
been criticized as illegal and there retn
an almost successful attempt TO establis
municipal plant 10 wss supersede
July 3. 1898. by another contract for tw
three-year periods 1900 1893 and 19n3-iens
While the Jaw conternpiateu contrac,
, only three years ahead. we ind ther
made eight years ahead BY this agree
ment the wires were 20 be placed under
ground. In tho close district the tax o
gross receipts was increased 10 per Ger
; | and n sliding scale OF prices hxed-
cents 10 1900. then 32il cents 20 1893 an
, sO cents 20 1905 These figures corr'
spond To sf21.75. tiiSes and 500 20 pcr yes
respectively. Contract was made for IA
} trcnudescent lamrs
MAY y. iaoo. 10 1905 at go per year Tn
brought the total "a yment by tho city |
the company up 20 s2s7,coo for year endin