Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-01-27
IS STANDING PAT
Position Assumed by the Central
Union Telephone Com.
pdny.
HOLDS RIGHTS ON CONTRACT
Aldermen Disclam Responsibility and
Proceeding Finally Goes Over
Week.

The Central Union Telephone COM
pany is standing pat, the city has quit
bluffing, and while it has made very
bold move, ii is not so sure OF its
cards, but stands ready to show them.
The aldermen prefer new deal. but
if that can not be secured they will
play out the old one This is what
might have been observed at the spe-
cial meeting of the council held yes
terday afternoon for the purpose of
hearing the representatives of the tele
phone company relative to the trouble
precipitated by the cutting of the poles.
The armistice continues until next Fri
day evening. when the matter will be
taken up again at an adjourned special
meeting.
Position of Aldermen.
Several of the aldermen expressed
themselves as not favorable to the re-
cent proceeding of cutting down the
poles and destroying the property of
the company. but they stand almost as
a unit in demanding either that the
corporation treat with them willingly
or that action be taken which will
bring TO settlement the status of the
city and the company.
Aid Eckhart expressed what seemed
to be the sentiment when he said that
had this company long ago come be-
fore the council as its representatives
come now, the matter would have been
settled long before this" In other words
if General Attorney Mann had made
the same speech before the council at
the time when that body was solicit
10 80,
tives of the company, the council
would feel more favorably disposed
than now. when they have been com
PEELED to come.
COmpany's Contention.
According TO the general attorney,
| the company differs in opinion with
the city, in that it holds that it has
rights here and it has been proceeding
upon such rights Ii has carried a
similar case, one from Pontiac, to the
supreme court and 4 decision was rem
dered in its favor, Mr. Mann says.
| I'VE probably owe you a partial
apology" he said, for not securing
permission to plant each and every
pole and planting them under the di-
rection of the street and alley com
mittee." He explained the position of
| the company in assuming that the
original ordinance was a contract and
not a franchise. and that it could no:
be terminated by repeal of the ordin-
ance. Most of the time, however. he
devoted to the discussion of the ques-
ton of the location of the poles. mat
ter which the council considers as of
only minor Importance
Pat on Ordinance.
In short, Mr.. Mann'S contention was
that the company is here upon con
tract. which it claims is in full force
and effect, and which the city calls a
franchise, with the claim that it is re
voked; that the company is not in
clined to go through the legal course
of proving the validity of this contract
unless compelled to do so by the city.
The position of the aldermen is that |
the company's rights here terminated |
with the repeal of the so-called fran
chise ordinance; that repeated at |
tempts have been made with former |
managers of the Central Union Tele. |
phone company to have the enactments |
of the city obeyed with reference to |
the setting of poles; that they have |
been informed that the company did |
not have to get any consent from the |
city; that other attempts have been |
made to get into conference with the /
officers of the company, the effect be-
ing only a promise; that they prefer
red that the matter should have been |
brought to a focus upon the enforce
ment of the ordinance by the filming of |
the violators thereof rather than by |
the cutting of the poles.
DiscIaim Responsibility.
The question of proprieties came up |
once or twice. one of the objections |
of the city to the company being that |
it had not even been courteous How
ever, the aldermen realized that, |
Notwithstanding the defiant and |
Indifferent attitude of the com
pany toward the city, the |
spectacle of the mayor with his coat
off, out cutting down telephone poles
and waving his hat in the air between
strokes, was not in keeping with the
dignified position the council had held
and several of them lost no time in
disclaiming all responsibility for such
proceedings.