The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-09-19
Commercial Club Adopts
Tart Report.
MUST AROUSE THE PUBLIC
Declares Holders Of Franchises
|, Abuse the People.
Business Men Declare Action Must BE
Taken Against Montgomery
Traction Company and
Southern BELL Tele
pohne Company.

and the Montgomery Exchange of the
Southern Bell Telephone Company were
hauled on the carpet last evening al
the regular monthly meeting of the
Not only were they "cussed and dis
cussed" as one of the members of the
| Club phrased 1t, but the Club placed
itself on record as favoring Legislation
bring about better service than that
against which they complained. I'M
| proved service by both companies was
demanded by the Club.
Both Companies were brought into
| the limefight, and the Jews OF the mem
| bers of the Club were expressed In no
gentle terms. The. meeting developed
individuals cited specific instances and
features of the service of both compan-
les which called for remedy. Condem-
was resagt andP ess c1S
emphatically made clear Its attitude by
adopting unanimously report by FREQ
s. Ball, chairman of the Committee on
use of influence to procure legislation
which would force the companies COM
planned of to deliver the goods"
which they were under promise to fur-
nish.
Cars are Condemned.
so common are the complaints
against the street car service" said
Chairman Ball in his report. that 1,
so complacently to Its impositionf
Some of the cars are but little short
of public nuisance Most of them
windows and ventiiators. rickety seats
and rafting bolts, grinding, growing
motors and humping fiat wheels, burn
ing. smoking hot boxes with an occa-
sional car afire." These were some OF
the things which Chairman Ball con
demned. and which the Club heartily
endorsed
.One large concern cut Off an entire
day without excuse; another calling in
vain for central for ten minutes; one
merchant threatening to charge the
company 800 day for failure of SER
vice; a residence phone out of order
a whole week without attention." were
some of the charges made against the
telephone company. And In regard to
the service furnished by both compa-
MES, other members of the Club rose
and bore testimony against the corpor-
atoms,
Regarding the telephone company,
Chairman Ball said:
The City Council can do but little
pany has ali the ras s It wants
Its charter gives It the right to reg
ulate the service in any and all par
ticulars. The subscribers are at the
mercy of the corporation. They are
making. They must pay, but the COM
pany reserves the right TO stop SER
vice for non-payment."
He referred to a document which, he
said, he had found in the safe Of the
City Treasurer yesterday. 1t provided
in consideration OF the passage of a
certain ordinance to give the city GER
tain service free of charge and to give
another service at so per cent. of the
regular charge"
In conclusion Chairman Ball recon-
mended that the Club exert It's infiu-
ence to secure legislation in the next
session of the Legislature which will
serve to control the telephone COM
pany.
at is in the same class of corpor-
atfons as telegraph companies" he
said. They are both common car
iriers, and they can be controlled by
the Legislature of sthe State"
Members Alive to 1t.
The report of Mr.. Ball acted like
ing camp, when it was read. Members
who had been listening quietly to other
reports Immediately sat up and began
to take notice
Gus members arose and offered sug-
gestions as to courses to be adopted
to bring about better service. J. C.
Haas suggested that damage suits be
ephone company who had complaints
OF poor service to make. He made
motion that the report be adopted.
Hartwell Douglas amended IT that the
epOIt dloO ne puDllSHeQ, ana the mo-
tion with the amendment was passed
without a dissenting voice
In his report Mr.. Ball raped certain
city officials. There were ordinances,
street car company. There were also
city officials whose duty II was to see
that these ordinances were enforced,
He mentioned particularly the ordi-
nance referring to the periodic inspec-
But what has been done?' he ask
ed. II Is true, one car was arrested a
short time ago, for being unfit to APP
pear in public"
He also referred to an ordinance
which required the street car com
pany to care for the street between its
tracks and to keep the tops of its rails
fact, he averred. in many places, rain
had washed out the earth between the
tracks down to the ties. and In other
places the rails of the company were
cross ~
AS another feature of the report
Chairman Ball presented the necessity
der the present charter of the city il
Is necessary for the Legislature to
pass general laws for municipal gov
erEmen- So vital is this question to
nghar and Mobile, that he Urged a
special committee on municipal leg
station be raised to study the prob
ems, and, after the approval of the
club. to advocate the adoption bv the
legislature of the fruits of its work
He suggested number of things which
'ould come up for consideration along
his line. 's
Cotton Exhibit ut Fair.
Other action of the Club at the meet
ng, was the authorization of the Com
nittee on Agriculture and Cotton Trade
Q prepare plans for an exhibit by the
hub in the Cotton Department of the
fate Agricultural Fair, which is TO he |
leld in Montgomery October 22 to 27 |
The plans are to be submitted to the |
3oard of Directors of the Club at an |
<ohn, announced that he would cali |
lpon the farmers of Montgomery Coun-
y to consult or enter into correspond |