Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-03-26
SENTIMENT is
GROWING AS TO
PHONE MATTER
Feeling is General That Union
Electric Should be
Preserved.
REASONABLE RELIEF. GIVEN
Plan for a General Ordinance to
Settle Entire Question in
Rock Island.

Sentiment condemnatory of the ac-
ton of the city council of last Monday
night in turning down the relief fran
chise of the Union Electric Telephone
company, is growing throughout the
city, and unless the council sees fit
to retrace its steps and grant the in
dependent company some relief before
it is forced to the wall, the sense of
public Indignation will find expression
in the form of mass meeting or 9th
erwise. The Rock Island Industrial
commission has in fact already adopt
ed the initiative in this direction,
which may result in some form of ac-
ton on the part of the Rock Island
Business Mems association and the
Rock Island Club.
Meanwhile it is known that some of
the aldermen have already reversed
their position and it is not unlikely
that a special meeting of the city coun-
| ell will be held as soon as Mayor
Schaffer returns from Springfield,
where he is attending the republican
state convention.
The General Plan.
The plan of Mayor Schaffer. as has
heretofore been detailed in The Argus,
is to have the council adopt a general
ordinance governing all telephone fran
| chises, and which shall provide for a
maximum rate, the union labor clause,
| the franchise tax, etc, and draw it's
! stipulations and form as closely in
harmony with the Interpretation of
the recent ruling of the supreme court
as possible, and to follow this by a re-
/ submission of the Union Electric com
pany's working ordinance with all pro-
visions covered in the general ordin-
ance stricken, but providing for an
automatic telephone service, the new
rates not TO go into effect until it is
installed. Upon the passage of this
ordinance, the Central telephone ordin.
ance. which has been so often offered
to the city, is to be submitted with
the conditions that it install the un.
foreground conduits, public telephones
etc, and bear the expense of the liti
CATION of $4,000 so far accrued, on
4
Union Electric in Reasonable.
AS far as the Union Electric is con
cerned, its representatives state that
their company is willing to accept
any ordinance with all the stipulations
set forth in the general ordinance in
Guided, and on which the Bell people
have held back, or they will accept
the plan of Mayor Schaffer, to incor
porate them in the general ordinance
to be followed by the working ordin
ance. They are anxious to take any
thing that will save them from goins
into the hands of a receiver, but the,
/, declare emphatically and with sin
certify that cannot be doubted, tina
something must be done before Apri
!, and the present week if possible, il
order that the company may gain tn
financial relief that is absolutely es
sential to its continuing longer in tn
field.
What the Bell company will do must
IL is understood, be determined by tn
f indianapolis Office, after the counci
has acted.
General Public Attitude.
Speaking for the general public, i
may be said the present interest Ger
tiers about the Union Electric, to whic
the people of Rock Island owe an ey
3 istence not only as matter of con
4 mon justice, but as means of sci
:. preservation for the telephone user
n against the unchecked encroachment
!. of a heartless monopoly.
lefty, and three grandchildren. Mrs. /
6 A. Dorman, Miss Mabel Pottiger an