Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-09-13

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 it, they
feel they must make some concessions.
"In doing this, the average council
men, through their eagerness to secure
this or that good thing, forget that the
company or corporation has the best
legal talent it can secure to look after
its interest, ana to insert clauses in the
franchise or contract that are solely to
the interest of the company or corpor-
when the franchise is fully understood
the very men that voted for it and
used their influence to secure its adop-
ton are themselves surprised to find
the municipality so securely tied up;
therefore, it is the duty of each men,
Der of the council to make himself ia
miliar with every clause in franchise
or contract before he casts his vote
for it.
Of No Value?
"In all cases the franchise is claimed
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 a large cor.
poration; it is then very valuable
property; but what is it worth to the
municipality that granted it? If 1t
proves SO valuable to a 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 munich.
pality that protects them in their fran
chises? Too often close investigation
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 Goa
trary no municipality can amount tt
much that has neither companies mol
corporations doing business in it.
simply mean that they should carr!
their proportion of the public burden
Secure an Advantage.
o,,oc{;o, &c ;,,c+;oo e., tI,o NV,
sideration of every municipality il
Iowa, is that Of the telephone fran
chises. The Iowa Telephone (bettel
known as the Bell Telephone com
pany) and probably few other tele
phone companies that were doing
business prior to March, 1882, saw thu
great advantage it would be to them tt
be classed with, and have the sam,
rights as the telegraph companies
The telegraph is public utility of tn
state, as it cannot exist upon the SUP
port Of any one municipality, and doe
not obstruct our streets and alleys es
cept to run through the city, and pei
chance local Office in the city, Will
the telephone companies cannot eXis
without the municipalities. They mus
use many of our streets and alleys be
fore they become self-sustaining, there
fore, are municipal more than a stat
utility. The telephone companies Sc
cured the adoption by the 10Th genera
assembly of the following amendment
4 can act to amend section 1924, char
ter 6, title 10, of the code of 1873.
4 "'Be it enacted by the general al
sembiy of the state of Iowa; Sectio
THAT section 1924 of the code {
1873 reuating to telegraphs be, an
the same is hereby amended by inser