Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-05-26
Sentiments of Citizens Expressed
on thu Telephone Sit.
uation.
RESOLUTION BY COMMITTEE
Last Nights Meeting at Turner Hall
and Some of Its
Phases.

Telephone company at the meeting
called by the directors of the Rock Is
land Retail Merchants association at
| Turner hall last evening, it was voted
to endorse the action of the city coun-
Gil in it's fight
| DIR. James f. Myers, however almost
took the wind out of the progress of
the meeting. In speaking upon this
motion he went into the personnel of
the people who had been finding fault
with the telephone company. Upon
this analysis he found that most of the
complaint had come from those who
had some disagreement with the COM
pany or its employees; that one of the
| speakers was a man who was formerly
an employe of the company, but whose
connection had been severed; that an
other was a member of a company that
| is many times more eXtortionate in
its rates than the telephone company
the cemetery association. E. III. Guy
er, who had been one of the principal
speakers, arose to correct the figure
on profits of the cemetery association.
DR.. Myers replied that he did not know
| Mr.. Guyer was a member, too, evident
| ly having had reference to some one
else. The principal point made in DR..
Myers speech was that this was not
proper meeting to pass resolutions pur-
porting to come from the telephone US
ers of the city. intimating that the at
tendance was made up not of the con-
tented, but of the disconnected.
Unite In Opposition:
1 hn ind off, ha xrnr
apparently united in their opposition
to the Central Union Telephone COM
pany, but there was some division of
sentiment as to a proposed compro-
mise. Some want to fight the matter
through the courts without compro-
mise and others are willing to have
the council accept an ordinance that
will be just to the people who are to
use the telephones.
The meeting was organized by the
election of Dr.. G. G.. Craig as chairman
and w. c. Maucker as secretary. Fol
lowing the perfecting Of the orSaniZa-
ton, the restraining order issued by
Judge Ramsay was read, and later
Mayor McCaskrin read the opinion of
the court as given with reference to
this case when it was decided.
First called upon to speak on the
subject was f. H. Guyer, who express
ed the sentiment that the city has Sc
rious matter on its hands; that if the
decision of Judge Ramsay is allowed
to stand it will bind the city for all
time to come; that every energy
should be used TO carry the matter
through the court of the last resort i'll
an effort to relieve the city.
| other ExtortiOns.
H. A. Weld advised that there are
other corporations to be dealt with
aside from the telephone company. He
said that this city is paying more for
gas and electricity than other cities of
| it's size His opinion was that the
withdrawal of patronage from the
Central Union Telephone company
would come nearer to solution of
the problem.
S. r. Kenworthy, who is special
counsel for the city in the telephone
| injunction case, explained what the In
| junction means. He said 1t was quite
generally misunderstood; that 1t was
| not a decision on the merits of the case
but that the court simply took the view
that there is a serious question of law
| involved as to the rights of the Cen
trail Union Telephone company in the
city of Rock Island; that the company
had accepted the grant of the city and
| had spent large sums of money in good
| faith upon that grant, and that the
| city. should not destroy the property
until a full hearing is had in the
courts. Mr. Kenworthy endorsed what
Mr.. Weld had to say of the gas and
electricity, and added that the Rock
Island waterworks system was cited
| in the legislature a few days ago as
municipal plant that was charging
more for water than any other city in
the state.
Here to Stay.
| Alderman Anderson was called upon.
but he said he doubted the propriety
of the aldermen being heard at
meeting of that kind; that they had
simply come to gather the sentiment
on the two propositions, compromise
or fight through the courts. He was OF
the opinion that the idea of getting the
public to give up the telephone was
out of the question.
| w. c. Maucker said that Alderman
Anderson had just brought the ques-
ton to the point for which the meet
ing was called, an expression of SEN
timent to guide the council. He said
that as far as the retail merchants are
concerned they do not hope to drive
the company out of the city, that they
simply want just and equitable rate.
Other speakers who expressed them
selves in accordance with most of the
above sentiments were H. H. Unver-
forth. DIR. W. H. Ludewig, John T. Mar
ron, Henry Carse. and City Attorney
Olson. Mr.. Ruttger. superintendent of
the lines of the Central Union Tele-
phone company in Illinois. was called
upon to speak. He said that the COM
pany tisliked litigation and would con-
iff.r with a committee of citizens or with