Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-02-12
PUBLIC SENTIMENT is OEF|ED;
TELEPHONE FRANCHISE PASSES

kHWUhlOE PHOOEO
With - telephones for the general use
If city officers and such others as may
re desired for like purposes at half
'atcs and to furnish and install
, private exchange switchboard 0f
- telephones for the use of the pu-
ice department.; and agrees TO assume
al Of the expense growing out of the
litigation between the city and the
company over its franchise ordinance
which the one passed last evening re-
places.
The Pending Litigation.
The passage of the franchise last
evening. should il receive the mayor :
approval. will end Il controversy Of
over years duration, thar began III
he council and was later thrown intO
The courts by bills for injunction bv
he telephone company TO restrain the
mayor and the city from Interfering
with The operation of its system in This
city This case is now pending i'll the
circuit court before the master in chan
Gerry. and in the appellate court at Or.
lava In the hearing before the appel
tate court, the city is appealing from I
decision of Judge Ramsay by which he
held the companys franchise to be 4
contract which could not be set aside
by the city unless reasonable grounds
were shown in the courts. and it was
proved that the company had failed &c
comply with the provisions of the con
tract. In the hearing which has been
in progress for some time before the
master III chancery in the circuit court
the company has been seeking 10 make
the temporary injunction granted bN
Judge Ramsay permanent restrictiO:
against the mayor and the city. The
costs Of The litigation to the city up e
the present time have amounted to be
tween $500 and $4,000.
Mayor Brings il Up Again.
After the mayor had cast the vote
that brought the telephone ordinance
question before the council last eveL
ing. and the ordinance had been read
Il discussion followed the motion b.
Alderman Eckhart to lay the matte
over another week. Alderman Ron
bins was the first to express himsel
as ready to vote in favor OF the orii
nance He held that the citizens wer'
not 10 be benefited by the litigation
ana that even should the city gain it!
points in the courts. the citizens gen
orally would accomplish nothing II,
held that the city had been wrong !
beginning the fight when Moline n
which were he same as those in Roe
| Island.
Opposes Immediate Consideration.
Alderman Eckhart opposed immeli
ate consideration. pointing to the uu
deTstood promise To the citizens. Sivei
| through the daily press. that the ord
nance would not be taken up withOu
notice. He cited the inconsistency =
the company in the rate matter. in tina
| the COmpany's representatives at frs
commended that no similar conditions ,
| those here exist anywhere in the cour
| try. as far as the telephone service
| concerned. and then asking that tn
| determination of rates be according t
similar conditions. He cited the pro
its of the Central Union TelephOn
company. or rather of the America
| Telephone < Telegraph company as Il
Eevidence that high rates are mnece.
sary and an imposition.
Alderman Dauber expressed himse
as DESTROYS of voting, and Alderma
Oberg objected. raising the point ths
Telephone service from the comtr
districts 10 the city should be mad
free. Alderman Trenkenschuh e,
pressed himself as ready to vote f
vOrably on the ordinance. desiring. 3
he said. to end the litigation in whic
the city had become entangled owe
the matter.
Unjust tn Telephone Users.
Alderman Benson protested that .
ton on the ordinance. and particular
, favorable action, was not justice to II
! telephone users and citizens general
r He declared the rate clause in the q
| hlIlbil'E ~ ~ q JJNtl. ne Sdlu III
the ordinance would permit the COZ
> pany to get back the $4,000 paid f
< expenses by charging eXorbita
rates. Alderman Eckhart said the a
ton proposed appeared to be ca
: of 'railrOading."
; \ mystery was limited at by Aide
5 man Robbins. who in again speakil
= for the ordinance. stated that the
2 would be competition in the telephol
n field here and that local capitalists a
y engaged in a plot to secure control