Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1905-10-25
COUNCIL
HAS WARM
MEETING
Automatic Telephone Fran
chiSe the Subject of Some
Lively Discussion


pot to boil, to seethe and bubble over,
at the special meeting held last night.
From the moment. the ordinance COM
rIittee recommended that the franchise
ordinance be passed as amended until
the meeting was suddenly adjourned,
there was something doing, and doing
a.! the time. Charges and counter
charges, graft and rumors Of graft,
filed the air, until it was so thick that
the windows had to be thrown wide
open.
The majority Of the council was in
favor of granting the franchise, but
the factious minority Of Eve, resorted
to all kinds Of tactics to prevent the
passage of the ordinance, and they
finally succeeded.
The vote to read the bill for the
third time was lost by tie vote, and
Totion to allow the matter TO go over
for 20 days was carried. When this
was done, A. King Wilson, who repre-
sented the Automatic Telephone Com
pany stated that the council could not
Use his company to club the Pacific
States Company into giving good SER
vice, and then turn his company Off
without giving them anything in re-
turn. He said that he would not ap-
pear before the council to again ask
for a franchise, but would wait until
after the new members had taken their
seats in January. Thus declaring his
intention to make the matter Of fran
chise or no franchise an issue in the
approaching campaign.
When the question first came up last
night, r. L. Downing, as a member Of
the ordinance committee, replied TO
some accusations which had been made.
He said that the committee has not
tried to railroad this ordinance through,
but has given 1t plenty of time and
consideration. In speaking Of tho res
olution presented by the Business
Mems League, he stated that the bust
ness men were divided upon this ques-
tion, the same as other people. He
stated that he had talked with many
people in regard to this matter, and
that three-fourths Of those TO whom he
had talked were strongly in favor Of
granting the franchise.
J. L. Stockton then spoke as a rep
resentative business man, and pleaded
with the council not to grant the fran
chise at present. He said that he had
been informed by business men in Los
Angeles that the double franchise sys-
tenn was a nuisance. He stated that the
double system would mean a double
tax, which would have to be borne by
the business men directly, and Indirect
ly by the people themselves. He did
not think that the people who were in
favor of granting the franchise had
stopped to consider the cost, and he
urged that the present company be
given 80 days in which to perfect their
system. "Then," he said, elf the pres.
ent company is not giving good service,
every business man in this city will be
in favor Of granting the franchise to
the new company
Alderman Gesner also spoke in favor
OF granting the request of the Business
Mems League, which was to postpone
action 80 days, while Alderman Ache
son was in favor Of taking immediate
action and granting the franchise.
The motion to grant the request Of
the League was lost by a vote of to
o. Those voting aye were Baker, Ges-
ner, Hughes, steusloff and Wallace;
nay, Aeheson, Bayue, Churchill, Cros.
san Downing, Frazier, Goodale, Jacobs
and skaife
Alderman Gesner, as leader Of the
minority, which was obieoting to the
granting Of the franchise, Immediately
adopted ddliatOry tactics, and moved to
adjourn. This motion being lost by the
vote Of 8 TO 5, he moved to adjourn
until next Monday evening. This mo-
tion was also lost, by the same vote.
he then moved TO refer the ordinance
TO plumbing committee but that mo-
'ion was also lost. An aye and nay
vote was demanded upon each motion,
and each resulted o to 8.
Failing 10 adjourn the meeting or re-
Ter the ordinance, he presented list
OF amendments, which were finally re-
ferred to the ordinance committe, TAX
ing the original ordinance with IL. In
an effort to get II out Of the hands Of
the committee the council became badly
entangled in number of motions and
it was only Strengthened out when the
chairman ruled ali tine motions out of
Order-