Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-09-01
THE TELEPHONE MATTER.

THE TELEPHONE MA Eh.
Following is the report Of the cit
liens committee Of seven, appointed
recently on the authority Of a public
meeting to confer with the town coun-
Gil of Yorkville with regard to the tel
ephone matter. The report has been
submitted to the council and by it to
the telephone company:
/. That the town council be re-
quested before entering into any con-
tract or agreement in regard to grant
ing a franchise to Piedmont Telephone
company, to ascertain fully the COM
mercial standing or rating Of the said
telephone company, and If It's rating
shall be found insufficient to warrant
good solvent company, then, that no
contract of any nature be made with
same, or any franchise be either given
or sold to same
g If the solvency of the Piedmont
company, shall not appear beyond the
shadow of doubt, that the Bell Tele-
phone company, the acknowledged
owner of the Piedmont company, be
required to sign any contract or agree
ment that shall be made, and that fail
ing to so sign, no contract or agree
ment with either company, shall be
entered upon, or made.
g. That the franchise asked for the
new metallic system, shall not exceed
ten years, and shall give service to all
points in York county, South Carolina.
Under no circumstances, shall the ter
ritory embraced in the present service
to subscribers in YOrkville, be reduced
Both Rock Hill and Fort Mill. shall be
embraced in the service to be rendered
under the new metallic system fran
chise. The maximum rate for an office
phone having communication all over
York county, shall not exceed $780,
and for a residence phone shall not
exceed $1.25.
4. That the long distance phone to
be furnished under the new metallic
system. must and shall have direct
metallic connections with main line,
both at GastOnia North Carolina, and
at Rock Hill, South Carolina.
5th. That when the basis Of an
agreement for a franchise shall be
reached between the town council and
the Bell and Piedmont Telephone COM
panies, the same shall be reduced to
writing. but shall rot be signed by the
mayor or by the town council, until
the question of signing or not signing
said agreement as to franchise, shall
have first been submitted to the duly
registered voters OF the town Of York
vile, S. c.. and determined by ma
jority Of the votes Of such registered
voters, as shall be cast in such elec-
ton.
9Th. In the event, that the basis Of
an agreement for a franchise cannot
be agreed upon between the mayor and
town council and the said Bell and
Piedmont Telephone companies, on the
ines suggested above, that an ordi-
nance be passed covering all Of the
above points, allowing telephone COM
panies to do business in the town OF
YOrkville. South Carolina, at the pres
ent toll rate, adopted in 1905, with all
the necessary conditions and penalties
attached. to secure faithful services by
any telephone company undertaking to
operate a system under the ordinance
In addition to the above provisions,
let the ordinance further provide that
subscribers residing in the town of
YOrkville. S. c., shall have the same
connection and privileges. allowed to
ther York county subscribers.
/ Should a basis for agreement as
70 franchise be agreed on, then let said
basis Of agreement contain an arbitra-
ton clause. in which the arbitrators
shall be required to be selected within
York county. that is from residents
within said county. and the umpire
ShaH also be selected from residents
within said county Of York.
The Chester System.
The following letter to the commit
tee, dated Chester, August 27, explains
itself fully and brings considerable val
liable information:
"At your request through Mr.. j. G.
l.. White, | would be glad to give you
the following information regarding
our local independent telephone sys-
tenn:
"Our capital stock Is two thousand
(S2,OOO) dollars, par value ten ($1O) dol
lars per share. We only issued two
hundred shares. We have about three
hundred and fifty phones connected.
One hundred and fifty phones were
connected without stock. These one
hundred and fifty pay an entrance fee
Of ten ($10) dollars, which goes to the
maintenance of keeping up the system.
"Our system is free and Independent
of all outside interference. We give
service free Of charge to our country
exchanges Of which number we have
twelve G2). Our system Is entirely
supported bv our city and radius OF
five miles in the country. We have no
exchanges nearer than five miles, ana
from the country exchanges we get no
revenue.
Our charges for residences are 1915
per quarter and business houses and
offices $500 per quarter. Our charges
prior to January. 1908 were $500 for
residences and $3.50 for business
houses. the increase was made in or
der to make some improvement on the
system. We hope to reduce the charges
as soon as possible.
I'VE are so we'll pleased with the
system. we would not trust ourselves
with outsiders.
Yours truly
r. r. Hafner, President