The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-04-15
PETITION PROTESTING
 AGAINST INCREASE Citizens Opposing Raise in Peoples Telephone Rates VERY STRONG OPPOSITION Grocers' Associations and Board of Trade Take Action-Chalifoux
 TaIks-Matter Comes Up
 Next Wednesday.
VERY STRONG OPPOSITION

On yesterday the Retail Grocers' as soelation and the Wholesale Grocers association each met and passed reso- lutions protesting against the pe- tition of the Peoples Home Tele- phone company to the Mayor and Alder iGen to be allowed to increase the charges for telephones. Committees were appoint ed by both associations to cooperate with similar committee from the Board of Trade, which appeared before the committee of the City Council at it's last meeting. In opposition to the raise in rates. At that meeting no action was taken, but the whole matter was post poned until Wednesday, April IS. 3:30 p. m. at the, Mayors office. The Board of Trade and Wholesale Grocers association and tie Retail Grocers' association have instructed their committees to go before the con,nittee of the Mayor and Alder men next Wednesday.
 MT. Oliver Chalifoux. chairman of the committee Of the Board of Trade, ap- pointed to resist the efforts to have the City Council raise the rates of the Peo- pies Telephone company, stated to a reporter. "the sentiment of the members of the Board of Trade and of the peo- ple generally of this city is practically unanimous against any raise of the tele phone rates. The main reason urged at The time that the franchise was granted to the Peoples Telephone company was that a lower rate would be given to the people who were being charged too much. Now the only argument urged is that the company is said to be losing money. It has run for number of years without any such suggestion being made Is that any good reason? It ;s also suggested that the same sate ought to be allowed as the other company charges, but I submit that. 1T II is the desire to get the two rates together. the rate of the other company be lowered. An appeal is also made that this Is a home com pany, yet a . majority of the stock is held by people away from here, but this should make no difference. This company has very valuable franchise. obt9ined under assurance of a lower rate and the City Council has no right to give away this lower price which the people have secured to them LOW by q contract
 The city has it's contracts that are not favorable to the people. There is no effort made to get these contracts changed so as to get lower rate and 1t would be useless if the effort were made, and such being the case why should the city give up the peoples rights by cancellng the contract of the telephone company and making one less advantageous to the people? And the
 
 who are practically unanimous against this raise in rates which is asked. To al- low increased rate would force the peo- pie to have two telephones at full rate for each This will but add to the many. burdens now borne by the people espec- ially tDe merchants and business men of this city.
 MT. CbalifouX further stated that pe- titon is being circulated. which he will present to the Mayor and Aldermen The petition is follows:
 Birmingham, Ala. April 9 1906 To the Board of Mayor and Aldermen of the City of Birmingham:
 We. the undersigned citizens of Bir- mingham, and subscribers to the tele- phone service of the Peoples Home Tele- phone company understanding that an application of that company is pending before your honorable body seeking to authorize the telephone company to raise the present rates of service. in violation of the present contract between that com pany and the city, most respectfully pre- sent our protest against such proposed in crease:
 Nelson Morris X Co.,, N J. McCart c. F. Bell & Co.,. Tennessee Milling com pany. Robertson Grocery company. Ca- heen Bros. Ferd Marx Dry Goods com psny. r-Northington Drug company, Adams Drug cohpany. The Cable com pany, F. B. Norton, Steele-Smith Dry Goods company, Cox Shoe company, Bir- mingham Arms and Cycle company, Dew berry & Montgomery Stationery company. Gotten, Odom & Bowers. Hirsch Nili- nery company. Feeder & Berk, Goldstein Bros. Louis Saks. J. Blach & Sons, Col man Blach. Max Blach. F. E. Forbes, Ben M. Jacobs & Bros. Robert Jacobs, Ben M- Jacobs. Simpson-Johnson com pany, S. Spiro J. l.. Daniel w. P. Gideon, John Hough. c. NJ. McMahen l.. IT. Gull