The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1905-02-28
GRANTING FRANCHISES.


industry in the city, but 1t is opposed
to granting franchises to persons that
have no financial standing, for the rea-
son that 1t savors too much of grant
ing a franchise for speculative pur-
poses. Every person applying for a
franchise who has not the means to-
carry out its provisions, ought to di-
vulge to the common council the par
ties who are backing the enterprise.
and ii should not be from their state.
ment alone. but by some respectable
bank or corporation who win voucn
for the reliability of the promoters and
that there is sufficient capital back Of
the enterprise TO insure It's compile
tion.
The city of Astoria has no franchises
to give away for speculative purposes.
II franchise Is so valuable that it
can be taken over to the sound and
hawked around for purely speculative
purposes, in order to make a profit Of
few thousand dollars, the common
council ought to appoint committee
for that purpose and let the city make
the profit instead of promoters. II
telephone, telegraph, gas and steam
franchises are so valuable that they
win command a ready sale In the
money market, let the city of Astoria
derive the benefit. The city needs the
money just as bad as do the promoters.
The franchise applied for by W. w.
Whipple does not disclose that any re-
sponsible company or banking insti-
tuition is behind the scheme. It asks
for franchise for IS years, but does
not even agree to complete the con-
ditions of the franchise within that
time. 1t does not even state that
work will be commenced within any
given time or completed within a time
certain. 1t promises absolutely Moth
ing, and looks as though 1t had been
drawn with the evident purpose Of
misleading the common council and
inducing it to grant a franchise with
out a thorough understanding of its
object, possibly with an idea that the
members Of the common council may
be dull of comprehension and not give
due consideration to its objects and
purposes. There is no one but would
be willing to grant franchise to Mr..
Whipple and Mr.. Clinton if they We're
assured that they meant business. Botn
gentlemen have friends in Astoria that
are willing and anxious that they bring
capital to Astoria and invest it in an
enterprise that win rebound to the
benefit Of the city. Personally they are
our friends, but what the public wants,
what il expects and what It is entitled
to is, to know who is back Of the pro-
ject, with guarantee from RESPONSE
bic parties that the project will eb car
ried out to its fullest capacity. 1t mat
ters not whether either Of the gentle-
men have the money themselves, as
long as 1t is known who is back Of
them. This has not been divulged.
Last week an application was made
by a prominent syndicate in Portland
whose financial standing has a rating
with Dunn and Bradstreet, and whose
names were diyulged to the common
council in an application for fran
chise, for an independent telephone
service. Not only does the applicants
name who is behind them, but they
submit letters from the company stat
ing that II the franchise Is granted
they will furnish the money to put
in the system and as an evidence Of
good faith they offer to deposit $780,
900 with the city treasurer as for
felt if they fail to carry out the pro-
visions of the franchise. This is busi-
ness and is the only way that fran
chises ought to be granted.
1t will be noticed that there is con-
spicuous absence of any statement as
to who is to supply the funds to carry
out the provisions of the Whipple fran
chise, and absolutely no provision
wherein the applicants promise to
build or complete the system or when
they will commence work.
For this reason the Astorian is of
the opinion that there is something
crooked, and that the city Of Astoria