Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-09-20
CITY COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS
Three New Telephone Ordinances Started
on Way Through Council.
NEBRASKA COMPANY OFFERS CONCESSION
Reduction I'm Tolls. Free service "a
South OmRha, or Royalty on
Gross Income Proposed to
settle Controversy.

Three telephone ordinances were intro
duced at Tuesday nights council meeting.
read the first and second times and re-
ferred to. the telegraph and telephone COM
mittee In the usual manner. One ordinance
was offered for the Gate City Telephone
company, another for the Omaha Home
Telephone company and the third for ]. ].
Helm. I. f.. Parmele and T. II. Pollock.
The ordinances are practically the same
as those introduced by the same parties
few months ago, and which took up much
of the councils time at a series of special
meetings. The Helm Parmele- Pollock and
Home ordinances have been changed to
stipulate a twenty-hve-year franchise The
Helm company agrees, II granted fran
chise. to assign the franchise to a company
to be known as the Independent Telephone
company Of Omaha, a majority of the
board OF directors TO be residents Of Omaha.
The Home company changed its old ordi-
nance to include the stipulation that its
principal Office shall be located in Omaha
and that a majority of the board of d.
rectors shall be bona fide residents OF this
city. Two weeks ago. on recommendation
OF the telephone committee, the council
voted to file the Gate City and Home ordl-
nances then UP for consideration. The
Helm Parmele-Pollock interests, which for
a while were Identified with the Home
company. severed relations and are now
seeking franchise on their own account.
Representatives Of the three companies
affirm they are separately interested in
securing franchise from the voters ut
the fall election.
Debate on the Ordinances.
In connection with the three ordinances
introduced last evening something of a
skirmish was INDUCED in by several of the
councilmen over the question of advertising
the ordina noes. Several thought the better
way would be to make sure the ordinances
| were satisfactory to the council before
advertising. Finally a motion offered by
Councilman zimman was carried instruct
| ing the city clerk to advertise the three
ordinances forthwith in the newspa pers
as required by law, providing the franchise
| applicants guaranteed the cost of adver-
| tisements. Mr.. Bedfords amendment that
the matter be put over a week. that written
guarantees might be secured. was lost
| The discussion on advertising brought
| forth statement from Councilman Nc
Govern. who said he wanted to investigate
why two of the companies seeking fran
chises had consolidated within twenty-four
hours and then dissolved inside of forty
eight hours. Mr. McGovern thought there
was collision somewhere.
Mr. Zimman replied with considerable
force, declaring that the activity of the
franchise applicants had already brought
concessions from the Nebraska Telephone
| company. Mr.. zimman contended II was
the duty of the city council to place
before the voters this fall at least
one OF the ordinances now before the
council, and 1t would be bride for the
council to accept certain concessions from
the Nebraska company In lieu Of any
further consideration from the companies
now knocking for Ambulance. A
! Nebraska Offers Reductions.
The concessions OF the Nebraska Teie-
phone company referred to by Mr.. Zim-
man were rendered the council last evening
in the form OF a communication from II.
Vance Lane. general manager of the Ne
braska Telephone company, which will
grant either of the following concessions
upon condition that another telephone
company Is not admitted to the city:
RQf To