St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1906-08-10
The COUNCIL.
Interesting Meeting With All Kinds
of Business.

each spoke their little piece with
out mncing matters. To the council
there has been a nigger in the wood
pile 81 at least the drift of the talk at
the meeting Tuesday night would
lead one to think that way-and it
seemed as though the patient, plod-
ding city fathers were ready to take
the bits in their teeth and make a
run for themselves.
The first display of pyrotechnics
appeared when the franchise asked
for by the Pacific States Telegraph
and Telephone Co. came up for
final action. From the moment the
the franchise was mentioned it was
evident there was something going
to happen. The cause of the irri-
tation was explained when Aid.
Norton pulled a Portland paper
from his pocket and asked the Re-
corder to read an article headed
"On a Silver Platterw The article
referred to stated that the city coun-
Gil would present a franchise to
the telephone company OH a silver
platter, etc. The aforesaid article
caused the aldermanic blood to boil,
and il had the same effect as the
waving at a red flag in front of a
bull.
Mr.. Moore, representative of
the telephone company, addressed
the council, but his,talk was a repe-
tition of what he had said at pre-.
vious meetings, and instead OF help
ing, only aggravated the case. The
council were eager TO hear some
thing new from the gentleman, but
It did not come.
A petition containing $50 names
was read by the recorder. 1t had
no effect whatever.
Aid Norton again addressed the
council He knew what petition
meant and the effort required to oh.
tain names. lie had consulted many
who had signed the petition and
they did not know what they were
signing. The purpose OF the doc
ument had been represented to
them aud many names had been Oh.
tanned by Misrepresentation. The
men who circulated the petition
were men hired 10y the telephone
company, They were bright fell
lows and probably we'll paid for
their work-and they had done
good job. Personally he had moth
ing against them, but he was ire
vocably opposed TO giving some.
thing Tor nothing. The franchise
had been offered to the telephone
company for song, but they were
going 10 come in on their own
terms, aud they would have them
presented on silver platter, too.
He believed 10 grant the company a
franchise was inimical TO the inter
esis of ST. johns, and he for one
would oppose the measure. The
council had discussed the telephone
proposition, referred il 10 the COM
mercial club, and finally submitted
the terms on which franchise
would be granted. The company
had sent the council It's ultimatum.
In turn the council repeated It's
offer, only TO be followed by the |
company by another offer and peti- |
tion. II was boys play, and he
was tired of il. The company was
telling the council just how and on
what terms it would accept the
franchise aud at the same time il
was fighting for it. To end the
Aid. Norton made motion
that the proposition OF the telephone
be rejected. The motion
was seconded by Aid. King and
was unanimously carried,
There was a death-like stiffness,
when ADD Norton again arose. No
)ne knew what was coming and
lot one in the room imagined there
vas anything due the telephone
Seemingly, to try ont
he matter, the now thoroughly :
'roused councilman, To let all
Know just where and howl
he council stood OH the telephone
moved that the city attor-
ley be ordered to draw up an ordi- !
lance levying a tax OF $50 a month
'ayable in advance, on all poles, /
wires, etc, owned by the telephone
ompany now on the streets of the
lty, This motion was seconded by
I'D, Hewitt, and was unanimously
arried.
II looked for a time as though
would happen that was
OF on the order of business, but
hair was brushed the
ght way and everything ended
anQuil and serene.
Miss Cole was present and told
le council of the damage sustained
Y the grading of her property
4 Salem street. According to the
rst survey, a cut of six feet had
zen made, but later running OF
nes by the surveyors had changed
e line of the property. Miss Cole
as instructed to have the damage
paired and present the bill, if any, n
the council. I
The survey on Salem and several
her streets caused Aid. King to
AXE some very DOinted remarks -