The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1904-09-23

! tended to the telephone companies.
The document clearly authorized tho
law firm to take up with the companies,
only the matter of rent or tax an the
poles each owns in the city. Fifty per
cent. of whatever was collected for pole
rent was to be given as a fee to the at.
torneys. There is no record that dol
lar has ever been collected for pole rent.
Instead of collecting the rent ON poles, a
compromise was brought in recently re-
leasing one of the telephone companies
from all claims Of whatever character
held against II by the city except for adj
valorcm tax. in consideration for the
payment of $1,000 and the purchase of
franchise, etc This compromise was
finally made by the city with the ielc'
phone company and bore no relation
whatever TO the contract made regard
ing the pole rent. The city agreed TO
pay no part Of IL to anyone, and To give
~ $50 of il to anyone a. fee was an
outrage on the city and taxpayers.
II may be true that this compromise
while made solely by the city with the
telephone company, was the result IT the
efforts of this outside attorney, but the
city was not seeking compromise OF
expecting one, and il it had desired one
il doubtless would have instructed the
city solicitor TO negotiate for II. All the
work done to effect the compromise by
an outside attorney was without authori-
~, and il j. safe TO assume from the
manner in which the affair was conduct.
c,i, that il was not the city's interests he
had in view when he hatched out the
compromise.
II was claimed that the amount due
from the telephone company was about
5000. The city now has To give the
telephone company receipts Tor the city
hccnse on half dozen or more wagons
on it, poles, for frsnchiSe tax. for city
license. and in fact for every claim that
the city can raise against the company
except ad valorem tax must dismiss all
suits il has against IL. and put up fran
chise for sale-sll for the sum of sl.75o,
when the original claims amounted &C.
5000.
The mayor and general council were
parties TO the whole transaction, what
ever II may properly be called. They
have given away from the city funds
81 $50 for working a skin-game.
The action Of the council last night
was nothing but play into the hands Of
tlso.e who favored the graft. Monday
night il met and ordered the city treas
urer to COLLECT 5000 FROM the telephone
company. Last night Il met again aud
threw the whole thing over the fence, or
dering the treasurer To- collect only
lsl,75c.
The proceeding j. clearly illegal The
eompromi,e with the telephone company
Nill not have been consummated until
The telephone company pays TO the city
5000. and the council cannot now try to
make 81, $50 equal 5000.
Thi- morning Attorney Flournoy paid
into the treasury $3.50 and wanted a
'rcceip, in mll'' for what the telephone
company owed the city
City Treasurer Dorian declined to give
anything but a receipt for Sl,75o, and
stated that he would not give receipt
in full" IL every city official in Paducah
ordered it. lie i Of the opinion that the
telephone company owes the city ~ $50
more ON the compromise. which seems
to be- the case. tic gave receipt for
what he received sl,7jO. The telephone
company now has nothing but receipt
for sl,750. while the compromise call
for 5000.
II j. nov mp To the city to demand
rom the telephone company compli.
ince with the compromise. which calls
ior $1,000 to be paid the city. and which
aas not been paid. The 5000 il agreed
% pay to the city remains unpaid. and
sill have TO be paid before terms of the
ompromise are complied with. and the
ity's litigation against the company J.
dismissed. and claims against ii for tax.
=, licenses etc, are cancelled,