Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-09-12

a street car company? II the street cal
company has a franchise for certain
streets and wishes to extend Its ser
vice upon another street 1t can not az
so until it has secured an additional
right Why should these old telephone
companies have more right than the
new ones or any other public utility
1t is true we cannot deprive these
companies of what they have alread!
acquired, neither do I think any mu-
nicipality would seek to work tins
hardship upon the telephone company
but I feel if they wish to make an!
further extensions they should do the
same as the street car company, get
franchise.
ITO this end bills were introduced In
the last legislature. The senate at It's
last session passed the following bill
with only one dissenting vote, but oW-
ing to it being introduced late in the
session and the members Of the house
not being thoroughly familiar with
this measure, it failed to come to a
vote in the house. The bill that passed
the senate reads as follows:
GA Bill. For an act to amend Sec
ton Twenty-one Hundred and Fifty
eight (215S), Chapter Eight (s), Title
Ten (1O), of the Code referring to Tel
egraph and Telephone Lines.
"'Be 1t enacted by the general as
| sembly of the state of Iowa:
| "'Section THAT section twenty
one hundred and fifty-eight (215S) OF
the code be and the same Is hereby
amended by striking out the period
| G. in the fifth line and inserting a
comma" g in lieu thereof and adding
the following: but no person, firm or
corporation owning or operating tel
ephone system within the limit of any
incorporated city or town within the
state, not having franchise legally
granted by such city or town in which
it is transacting business, shall be per-
mitted to extend its lines, poles wires.
conduit or place any additional tele-
phones until such person. firm or cor
poration shall have been legally grant
| ed a franchise authorizing and per-
hitting 1t to make extension"
"'Section 2-This act, being deemed
of immediate Importance, shall take eff
feet and be in force from and after its
| publication in the Register and Lead
er, and the Des Moines Daily Capital,
newspapers published at Des Moines,
| Iowa
You will note that this bill is very
just. 1t does not in any manner take
away any of the privileges of the COM
panies affected by this bill further
| than to compel them to get a franchise
| If they wish to extend their service.
| the same as street railway, gas, water
| or electric light company would be
compelled to do"
There are probably no other public
utilities that are so important to the
| growth and welfare of municipality
as those controlled by franchises, yet
| there is no other instance In which a
| municipalities rights are so infringed
upon as by companies and corpora
tions holding franchises. When COM
pany or corporation seeks to secure q
| franchise from a municipality, or ex-
| tend one it already has, the first step
i is to convince the business men that it
would be good thing, or that it is
| needed, it then places the council In a
| compromising attitude to secure this
| good thing. In order to get 1t, they
| feel they must make some concessions.
| I'm doing this the average council
men, thru their eagerness to secure
this or that good thing, forget that the
company or corporation has the best
| legal talent 1T can secure to look after
| It's interest, and to insert clauses in the
the interest of the company or corpor-
alton seeking the franchise. Too often
when, the franchise is fully understood,
the very men that voted for it and
used their influence to secure its adop-
the municipality SO securely tied up;
| therefore, it is the duty of each mem
Der of the council to make himself ia
miliar with every clause in franchise
or contract before he casts his vote
! for it.
"In all cases the franchise is claimed
| to be of no value to the parties while
seeking to secure it, but how quick the
tune changes after it's adoption. If you
seek to purchase one from the party
| that holds it, it is worth thousands of
dollars. In many cases it represents
the controlling interest in large cor
! poration; it is then very valuable
| property; but what is it worth to the
municipality that granted it? If it
| proves so valuable to private COM
! pany, should it not be of more value
to the municipality than the mere ask
ing for it?
THE time is near at hand when mu-
inequalities must begin looking for rev.
enues for support from other sources
| than bleeding the poor tax payers for
all the burden.
| eff these franchises are of so much
value to private individuals why should
| they not be Of value to your municipal
| ity? Why should they not be compelled
to pay small per cent of their gross
earnings to help support the munici-
pality that protects them in their fran
chises? Too often close investigation
will reveal the fact that the holders Of
| the franchises have not been, or are not
| now paying their just proportion of
| the taxes.
do not understand me as being
against companies or corporations; for
am not by any means; on the con-
trary no municipality can amount to
much that has neither companies nor
corporations doing business in it. I
simply mean that they should carry
their proportion of the public burden.
TRANSFER METHODIST PASTOR.
Rev. w. II. Hall to Leave New Sharon
Passionate for Victor.