The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1907-06-03
DO NOT ACT
HASTILY, Says
PRESIDENT LEE

Judge Thomss u. Lee, president of the
Home Telephone company of Rhode ISL
and stated today that the best thing the
city council could do with the re-
ports OF the majority and min
ority on the telephone question
which will be submitted this evening will
be 10 ponder those reports carefully and
then permit the Home Telephone company
10 do business here.
"The Home Telephone company" he
said. lis entitled TO the support Of the
newspapers OF the city and state. The rank
and file OF the people demand compet-
ton: only a few demand monopoly. The
editorial columns of the Journal and Bull
letn and the Tribune are in favor of mo-
nopoly on this question.
The Tribune editorial this morning. for
instance, states that we have not been
successful In convincing the unpreJudiced
and prudent OF our substantially and re-
sponsibility. The editor OF the Tribune is
the only man in Providence who Is not
convinced, so far as / am aware. and IL
he Is really I'm doubt upon this point and
open to conviction, / could convince him
I'm short order. The recommendation that
the city council could not do better than
pass the ordinance submitted by the ma
iority OF the committee and to see that
there is no delay In doing So is bad ad-
vice and on a par with that which was
given the people OF Providence by the
same men when they were In charge of
another Providence newspaper when the
odious transfer station plan was advoca-
ted By them and turned down by a city
council which acted I'm accordance with
the will OF the people. AS result we have
the present universal transfer system in
stead of herding the people In transfer
station.
WHO PAYS EXPERT KNUDSON?
What surprises me mcSt is the atti-
tude taken by Commissioners of Public
Works Slade and City Engineer Clapp.
who, II they are quoted correctly In the
ma jorfty report, are entirely too active
In the interest OF the Providence Tele-
phone company Who authorized these
gentlemen, | would like TO ask, to engage
the services OF Expert Knlldson, who pre-
pared and furnished long and far-fetch-
cd report 10 the effect that competition
was undesirable because the wires OF the
Home Telephone company might cause
electrolysis TO cable sheathlng and 10
some pipes OF the city OF Providence ?
Who s 10 pay Mr. Knudson's bill? Why
was not the Home Telephone company
notified OF this report? And who Is this
Mr.. Knudson anyway?
"Messrs. Slade and Clapp do not think
that we can put any more conduits in the
streets. Mr. j. Herbert Shedd and Mr..
SdHfufh W. bIdgs bpNu uASHly
gentlemen and former city engin-
eers, who are thoroughly conver-
cant with conditions I'm this city, gay
the situation presents no great difficulty,
whsle the engineers OF the Home Tete-
phone company show II TO be a compara-
lively easy task. realize. of course,
that II would mean moro work for the
commissioner and the city engineer. and
possibly that fact may have had some
weight in making up their minds
PONDER REPORTS CAREFULLY.
The majority and minority reports
should not be acted upon hastily by
the city council The committee has
taken more than year TO reach a
conclusion and then finds itself divided,
yet there are people who think II wise
aldermen 10 decide the whole question
in one evening.
Both reports should be thoroughly
read and digested, the ordinance the
majority has presented should be care
fully scrutinized: and II this course
Is pursued the city council will never
grant exclusive franchise privileges to
the Providence Telephone company.
but Will follow the wishes OF the peo-
pie and allow the Home Telephone
company TO come In BY doing this Il
will facilitate the expenditure OF 81
500, 900 here, the erection OF a new
building I'm the business section OF
the city, provide additional revenue
for the city and state and provide at
the same time sane remedy for the
correction OF telephone evils"