The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1906-04-04
SEEMED FAVORABLE
TO GIVING FRANCHISE
Public Hearing on Application Of Union
Telephone Company to Enter the
City Of Barre--Acton
Deferred.

A sentiment favorable to the grant
ing Of franchise to The Enion Tele-
phone company to enter the city of
Barre seemed to be prevalent NY pub
| lic hearing given by The city council
last evening. Ihe only opposition was
BY The New England Telephone com
pany, which was represented by G. W.
scariT Of Burlington. The matter was
finally referred to the street committee
and the supply committee was authorized
make report. There was so large an
attendance of citizens fhat the hearing
was transferred from the council cham
ber to the city court room.
The Union Telephone company has
about so miles of wire. It's central
office II in Cabot. Ii has connection with
several other systems, which cover the
northeastern part IA the state. 1t has
the double wire, metallic circuit, and
according To the statement of MIR. Scarf
sof the New England company is doing
la splendid work III the country dis
tricts.
The company was represented at the
hearing last evening BY Warren n. Bliss,
E0. Il Barrett and X. ". Peck. They
asked To be allowed To enter the city
by Merchant street fIhcy are now
to the M. A W.. n. X. r. tracks, and
TO the store OF e. A. Drown, where they
propose to have central Office; the
franchise to run rs years; to bury wires
when other companies do; permission to
enter city il not assignable without CON
sent of city council 81 for each tsle-
phone In the city limits and an addi-
tional x2 for each phone connected with
their lines, which Is installed in cen-
tral office: city can use company's poles;
franchise TO be void il not accepted with
In sixty days. The proposed franchise
is almost identical with that granted the
Orange County system in 1908 and not
accepted.
A.petition for the franchise to be-
granted, bearing names Of $50 business
men, was presented, and then several
citizens spoke fayorably. Nh. Scarf was
asked a number OF questions. One ques-
tion, asked by Fred Bruce. was: why
does Il New England phone cost more
in Barre than in Bradford or Brattle-
f'St tit 0unnEi WAS VI tHt tffCNb
that competition made the difference.
Arguing from that several thought a
competing line would be good for Barre.
Mr.. Scarf stated that it was not Gus
tomary for the New England to cut
rates until other companies were actu-
ally in working order; they didn't pay
any attention to sysscms built on pa
per.
y. u, Allen related one of his toll
line experiences with the New England
company. and then told that this mo-
nopoiy was taking from $4,000 to S20,-
00v out Of the city each year. with
very little expenditure Mr. Scarf stat
cd that the New England was getting
five per cent on its Investment. When
asked if It was five per cent in Barre
be said that was the general ratio OF
returns. n. y. Phelps questioned wheth-
er the New England company cannot be
charged per phone III the future Just
az ii is proposed TO charge the new com
pany, basing his question on the ground
that 50 far as be knew the New Eng
land people were not operating under
q franchise from the city. but that the
Vermont company which they purchased
simply was allowed to come in and set
It's poles under sniferance
When asked what the price of phones
would be, the Union company directors
stated that ii would not exceed SIS
each, and that there would be no toll
rates over their own line, or any Of
the several connecting lines. i'lle COM
pany asked for speedy answer to
their petition for a franchise, and that
was the purpose of the council when
il referred the matter ia the street com
mittee and city engineer for investiga-
tion.