Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-04-01
ALL PHASES OF
PHONE PLAN
NOW PROPOSED
The Ordinances Under Con-
sideration by the
Council
INCLUDE BOTH COMPANIES
Opportunity Is Afforded to Study the
Entire Course of Pro-
cedure.


This is the order OF business pend
ing before the council involving tine
disposition of the entire telephone con
troversy, and scheduled opass bN unani
nous vote. 1t is the program outlined
by Mayor Schaffer and with the ad
vice of City Attorney Witter, SO fal
as the legal phases are concerned, ant
provides:
First for general ordinance fixing
the maximum rates of all telephone
companies in accordance of the inter
probation of the recent supreme cour
decision
The passage in tnrn of the independ
ent, or Union Electric and the Contra
Union or Bell working ordinances
which must, be approved by the re
spective companies in accepting tn,
conditions of the general police ordi
nance
The three ordinances are summar
lied as follows: ~
THE GENERAL ORDINANCE.
The general police control ordi-
nance provides: ''That is shall
be unlawful for any telephone com
pany using the public streets, ave-
nues, alleys, and public grounds
of the city of Rock Island, Illinois,
to charge higher rate than the
sum of $50 per year for the tele-
phenes used for business pur-
poses, and the sum of $50 per
year for telephones used in resi-
dences; provided, however, tele-
phone companies having a less
number of subscribers than 1000
shall not charge a greater rate
than the sum of $50 per year for
telephones used for business pur-
poses, and the sum of $27 per
year for residences telephones.
The above. named rates shall in
clude interchangeable telephone
service with the city of Moline, IL
linois. and with the city of Dav-
export, Iowa. ~ 1H as
Section 2. Every violation of
section one hereof that they be
punished by fine of not more
than 500 and not less than $50.
UNION ELECTRIC's ORDINANCE.
The Union Electric Telephone
& Telegraph company franchise
ordinance is, according to the ii
tie, IAN ordinance giving permits
sion to the Union Electric Tele-
phone & Telegraph company (suc-
cessor to the Illinois Independent
Telephone company its success
ors or assigns, to construct tele-
phone lines in the city of Rock
Island, H., and for that purpose
to build conduits, erect poles, and
string wires and maintain the
same over and under the public
highways of the said city" The
ordinance provides for under
ground conduits within the fire
limits, and that one duct in the
underground conduit shall be for
the exclusive use of the city for
it's fire alarm and police patrol
system. The company agrees to
furnish all wires, labor and stor-
age batteries for the installation
of three police patrol circuits free
of cost to the city. The company
is to furnish free of charge .25
sets of long distance telephone in
struments for the use of city Off
GERS and employees and so sets of
instruments, for the, use of the fire
alarm and patrol system. The or
dinance contains the same rate
provisions as contained i'm the gen.
eral police ordinance. The COM
pany agrees to provide free in
Interchangeable service with all
country lines according the same
privilege.
The company is to pay the same
annual tax imposed on telephone
companies by the state and NUM-
cipal taxing authorities. Union
labor and an S-hour day are pro-
vided for The franchise is to run
for term of 25 years.
CENTRAI. UNIONS ORDINANCE.
The Central Union company's
ordinance has the same title as
that of the Union Electric ordin-
ance, with the name of the Cen
trail Union Telephone company
substituted The general provis-
ions are the same, the company
being required to place its wires
underground within the fire linn
its. The company agrees to con-
meet for free use of the city, ca
bles or wires through the ducts,
and on the poles, for the fire alarm
and police patrol system, the city
furnishing the material, and re-
pairing and maintaining it's sys-
TEN. The company is to furnish
% sets of telephones for city Off
GERS and employees, and any addi-
uonal phones at half the regular
tri-city business rates.
The question of the right of the
CITY to fix the company's rates is