The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-06-19

men.
Alley Agreement Laid Over.
The agreement entered into by the
Central Union Telephone Company
and the Board of Public Works, for
the placing of the Main street wires
of that company in conduits in the
first alley north of Main street, was
presented to council for ratification
but this action was not taken. Coun-
Gilman Leftwick moved that this
agreement be laid over until the next
council meeting and the motion was
carried. A committee composed of
Councilman ONeal, Leftwick and Deu
ker, was named by Mayor thinner
man to assist the city attorney in re-
vising the conduit ordinance and the
agreement entered into by the Board
of Public Works and the Central I'm
ion Telephone Company was referred
to this committee and the city attor
ney. In case the conduit ordinance
passes at the special council meeting
this evening, the agreement will be
dead letter.
What Home Company Wants.
1t was stated to the Palladium last
night on authority that the Bell Tele
phone interests which own the Central
Union Company, have already made
direct offers to purchase the Home
Company's plant. 1t was also made
known TO the Palladium that the
Home Company, unless it receives
from council a new franchise, which
will make concessions equal to those
offered to the Central Union Company,
will, in all probability, sell to the Cen
trail Union. According to the state
ment made to the Palladium, the
Home company does not make this
proposition as threat and it does not
desire to be SO understood. Under
the present conditions the two cOmpa-
MES are competing for business, but,
it is asserted, the Central Union oper
ates under an open franchise while
the Home Company has a franchise
which has a maximum rate. In re-
turn for granting the Central Union
company the privilege of placing
wires underground, council has asked
that company to accept a franchise
which fixes a maximum limit for SER
vice. The Home Company, it was de-
clared, only asks for the same consid-
eration-a maximum limit precisely
the same as that offered the Central
Union Company. This, it was stated,
would mean a slight increase in rates,
but in return for this the Home COM
pany not only signifies it's willingness
to place it's wires underground if
council SO directs, but it also signi-
re 6pSirn
reconstruct it's entire plant, putting in
the most modern equipment that can
be purchased and placing the service
on the very highest standard. I'm
less this can be done, it was stated
the Home company feels that it will
not be upon an equal plane with the
Central Union in future competition
and therefore would stand ready to
transfer it's holdings to the company
now holding the open franchise.
Bell Company Will Ignore 1t.
Superintendent of Construction,
Robert Cline, of the Bell Telephone
Company stated last evening after
council that in case the ordinance in
troduced by Mr.. Leftwick was passed
at the special council meeting, the
Central Union Company would ignore
it and insist on operating under the
perpetual franchise given this com
pany many years ago. He stated if
necessary the Central Union would
take the matter to the courts. The
Central Union Telephone company
objects to the Leftwick ordinance be-
cause it contains a rate clause.
Councilman Englebert stated in
| council that the statement recently
made by the Central Union Company
that they never entered into an agree
ment or accepted franchise which
! contained a maximum rate clause did
not hold water. 81 took the trouble to
telegraph the mayor of Evansville
asking them is the franchise recently
granted that company in that ely con-
tanned a rate clause and l learned
that it did, said Mr.. Englebert.
The following are copies of the
messages sent to the mayor of Evans
vile by Mr.. Englebert and the reply
| received:
Mayor of Evansville, Ind,
Did Bell people accept limitation OF
rates on renewal of their francise re-
cently-H. H. Engelbert.
The message in reply reads:
! H. H. Englebert, Richmond, Ind.
Bells new franchise limited to So
for business, $3.50 residence straight,
| $3.50 for business, $3.50 for residence
! for party lines with 10 per cent in
crease when $500 lines. not phones
but lines.-J. w. Poehne. mayor of
Evansville.
Mr. Cline explained last evening
that the reason that his company had
accepted a franchise with a rate
clause at Evansville was because the
| franchise the company was operat-
| ing under had expired and that they
were forced, by the order of the
court to accept this franchise with