Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1908-02-26
TELEPHONE
CONTROVERSY
City Council Adopts Committees
Report TO Gust the North
western Telephone Co.

western Telephone Co.
A decisive action was taken in |
the city council last Monday night
in regard to the telephone situa-
tion. The special committee ap-
pointed to investigate the matter |
and take such action as might be
necessary, made a report which |
was unanimously adopted. The
different points brought out in their
report are the following:
l. That your committee has
agreed that there is a Telephone
Question before the people of the
City Of Willmar.
2. That, after consulting with
competent legal advisers, we deter
mined that the question was of a
great Importance to the citizens of
Willmar and that immediate pro-
cedure to determine the rights OF
the City of Willmar in the matter
was advisable.
3. That after an interview with
the executive officers of The North
western Telephone Exchange Com
pany, we concluded that the said
Telephone Company based it's rights
to operate telephone exchange in
this city by virtue of a certain Or
dinance, No. 60, passed by the VIII
lage Council of the Village of Will
mar in favor of 1.-The Minnesota
Central Telephone Co.
4. That we know of no other or
dinance, permit or agreement that
could be operative and under which
the said Telephone Company can
base a claim of such rights.
5. That we know of no probable
procedure that might result in a
reasonable compromise or SETTLE
ment of the question.
6. That we are advised that the
rights claimed by the Northwestern
Telephone Exchange Company to
operate an Exchange within the
limits Of the city of Willmar by
virtue Of that certain Ordinance
No. 60 are a question of law and
] that such rights cannot be main
tanned if proper procedure is insti-
n tuted to determine the City's rights
in the matter.
: z. That the whole question is of
d sufficient Importance to the people
e of Willmar that we recommend i'm
d mediate procedure by this City
t Council to effect a removal from the
e streets, public grounds, ways and
bridges Of said City of Willmar all
n poles, posts, supports, wires and
n fixtures, placed or maintained with.
y in the City of Willmar by 1.-THE
st Northwestern Telephone Exchange
t. Company, ""The Minnesota Central
l. Telephone Company, and 1.-The
t. Willmar Telephone Exchange Com.
n pany" for local telephone exchange
purposes.
al 8. That immediate action be ia
d ken by this City Council to deter
a mine the City's rights in this mat
IF ter; that Special Counsel be hiret
70 and retained to assist the City At
n torpey and they be instructed t.
n taken such steps as they deem ad
10 visable.
ce The report was signed by tn
members of the committee, Russel
r. Spicer, w. F. Gratz and H. S. Pc
en- terson. The resolutions were ais
~ ~ adopted, as appears in the cit
on council proceedings, directing tn
el- city attorney to serve notice on tn
rs telephone company to vacate tn
:, a. streets of the city by April q
:, This is the preliminary action i
m the legal proceedings to oust tn
telephone company. The actio
ge taken by the city councll is the on
at alternative left to it without aban'
~; oning all the city s rights in regal
~ ~. to the telephone franchise.
Dse In his oral report the charm;
The Of the committee. Mr.. Russell Sp
,de Ger. stated that the officials of Il
i've Northwestern Telephone Exchan,
lu- Co., with whom they conferred, e
for pressed surprise that the rates
It's. Willmar had not been raised fro
the one to two dollars for residen
phones and from $500 to $3.50 +