Omaha daily bee., 1906-06-27
CITY COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS
Three Independent Telephone Franchise
Ordinances introduced
EACH COMPANY ASKS FOR PRIVILEGE
EIsasser Demands InvestfEation OF
"Iee Trust" and Light. Companies
Decline 90 Lower Their
Present Rates.

Three applications for telephone iran
chises were received by the city council
last night in ordinance form and referred
to the committee on telegraphs and teie-
phones, with an understanding that tRe
promoters will be given a hearing Monday
afternoon. One proposition came from the
Omaha Home, Telephone company, another
from the Helm Parmelee- Pollock interests
and the third from Albert Won Hoffman Of
Milwaukee who claims to control S2,OO0,J0o,
with which to finance his enterprise.
The ordinances read very much alike,
and each provides for the legal submission
to the voters. for approval or rejection.
The Home company and the Heim-Par-
melee Pollock interests ask for fifty-year
grant, but Mr.. Won Hoffman seeks per
petual rights to the streets, with clause
giving the city the option Of purchasing
after TWENTY-FIVE years The second propo-
stion is one that has been presented to
the council and as many times described
in the newspapers. It's maximum rates are
SO for business phones and S4s for res
idence phones.
:v Return to- the city.
The Home company proposes to pay the
city royalty of l per 1vent on the gross
earnings of the first ave years and per
cent thereafter. also to offer free toll SER
offers a. royalty OF / per cent on gross
earnings for. the first three years, ? per
cent the next five years and per cent
thereafter. He agrees Ito make connec-
lions "at reasonable terms with all ''inde-
pendent" companies building copper metal
lie circuit lines TO the city limits. His
prices are $4s a year for business phones
s24 for residence phones ana l2h cents adj
ditional per month"; fer each 1000 phones
more than 10000 added to. the system
All agree to give a $4,000 cash bond to
the city. 80 guarantee building the ex-
change and system and carrying out the
terms of the franchise. AS everyone VINO
had any special Interest in the matter
knew that the ordinances were coming
and what they would offer, no particular
interest was displayed in them.
Councilman Bridges introduced the or
dinance to abolish the gas inspector and
to make the city electrician gas inspector,
ex-officio." II was referred TO a committee
without any remarks -
"Ice Trust" on the Pan.
The muck rake is to be drawn over
Omaha TO see II It has an ice trust. Pete
Elsasser sprung resolution directing the
judiciary COMMITTEES and the city attorney
to do the work and mentioning the fact
that ice cost so a. ton, but only 10 cents
per 100 pounds last. summer. = .,'.
"How is the utty sHtborney to make an
investigation ?" asked Z1mman.
Huh" exclaimed Eisasser wrathfully
| ."They found an Iceatrust in Kansas City
and some OF the members got hned 5000
and some we're sent Dyer the road, Huh
"Ali right" said Zimman 'let 'er GO
'sDo YOU belong stot an ice company"
asked Elsasser, afrflSs h-,s
, IN L. did, : responded szirhman,,ttI would
use a ton OF 1T 1rightf away to pack you
Fin." 80 E. . $50. A--ETrJ ~ r..'' ;
-. -. :. NO Cut I'M isht Rafes. 80
|, The Gas coIbpApy s. J4ahld the electric light
| company sent letters TO the lighting. COM
mittee, sssytng they dIdhtrsee how they
could possibly reduce Stheir rates, any, con-
sidering the fact that Omaha has the best
and lowest priced service lin the United
States for a town Of ITS size age and ge-
ography.r The compnlttee submitted letters
without adding anything OF its own and
the documents we're laid ohsfile. Mr. Nash
said the average rate received by the. cleo
trio light company a was eente, "a less
rate than received by any company in the
! United States similarly located as to fuel,
labor and other conditions applying TO the
| manufactu and distribution of electric
current" Also that figuring In the royalty
Of per cent Omaha got its lights at a
lower price than any city in the country.
President Hamilton of the gas company
remarked that the franchise held by the
corporation permits II to. charge S.45 per
1000 cubic feet, for ~ product, but It only
asks S1e5 having made three voluntary
reductions and having another drop OF 10
cents scheduled for October /. 1906. He
pointed out the viclsstudes of manufac-
turing and distributing gas in Omaha and
the special reasons that made 1t diffcult,
and said that the combined royalty and
taxes paid amounted to II cents per 1905
cubic feet. which is more than any other
company IA the United States and brings
the net price of gas down to less than 81
All this was brought out BY the councils
polite inquiry to the corporations asking
the latter II they would not help to carry
out the democratic platform pledges.
Message from the Mayor.
Mayor DdhimsiG nm a messAge, declared
engagements were needed for the city jai
and that the Capitol avenue market house
should be transposed from a mere monument
to ldleness into something useful He said
that from three TO ave more cells were
needed at the jail and should be provided
but he urged the council to inquire into
the project Of selling the jail and grounds
and building new and modern police sta
ton elsewhere with the proceeds. He had
been told that this was feasible. with ref
erence to the market house he said ht
understood an automobile dealer was vii
ling 10 sign a three-year lease for 5000
In this connection his honor said perhaps
Il. would be a good idea 10 make public
bath house out OF the structure; that per
haps plumbers might be induced to bear
the expense Of equipment in exchange fol
advertising privileges, and that cents
charge for bathF, would pay for towels
soap. water. caretaker, etc. The message
went to the committee on buildings and
property for consideration.
The council refused to sustain the veto
OF the mayor to the resolution proposing
to create the ONCE OF second assistant city
attorney at 5000 year. The mayor said
he thought a salary Of 1850 3 year sum
Client zimmAn And Fankhouser took ISSUE
! with him on the point. Zimman said tina
Union Pacific tax litigation involving
$4,000 is lying In the federal court because
the legal department does not have tlm'
/. TO attend to It. He asserted that more iii
cation with the water company is probabi.
in store. and with that corporation employ
, ing the best lawyers IL could. find, IA