Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-09-29
Card From Mayor Hart.
Editor Yorkville Enquirer

Editor Yorkville Enquirer:
In your issue of the 25th instant, you
make the following statements: THAT
the mayor is for granting a franchise
to the Piedmont company Is well un-
derstood," and If there was no tele-
phone system in Yorkville and there
was no local enterprise or capital
ready to supply one, we can readily
understand why inducements should be
offered to outsiders In the way Of fran
chise, and even exemption from taxa
tion If necessary" Still further on you
say: Just how the balance Of the
council stands, we have made no ef-
fort to ascertain"
The first Of these statements Is par
TALLY correct and partially incorrect.
The mayor stands for a telephone sys-
tenn for the town of Yorkville, but
whether the telephone company be the
Piedmont or some other company Of
fering equal service in all particulars,
Is a matter Of indifference to him, and
the mayor thinks that he can make,
with perfect safety, the same state
ment as being the views of the ma
jority Of the council.
In reference to the second statement
Ito drop the third person), 1 have re-
peatedly stated to the citizens in meet
ngs and to the citizens committee that
II a local company was organized for
installing a telephone system here and
the service offered was equal in all
respects to, and with the same connec-
tions as that offered by the Piedmont
company, I would vote for 1t. / have
stated further to the citizens commit
tee and in the citizens meetings that
If any foreign telephone company wish
ed to come into Yorkville and estab-
lish a phone service here and would
offer any inducements superior to those
offered by the Piedmont company, l
would cast my vote for this foreign
company If there is any local capital
or enterprise ready, or waiting, to es-
tablish a telephone system In Yorkville,
l have not been made acquainted with
the facts either personally, or as mayor.
The editor Of The Enquirer could
readily have ascertained how the bal
ance Of the council stood on the fran
chise matter. for in the first citizens
meeting held, 1 read the minutes OF
the council, showing that Aldermen
Strauss. Johnson, White. Thomson and
Youngblood voted for the franchise on
the question of a twenty-five year
franchise, $3.50 rate for business phones
and $3.50 for residence phones up to
three hundred and fifty phones, and of
nv own knowledge, the editor Of The
Enquirer was present at this meeting.
NY position may be summed up in
the statement: that I am for a tele-
phone system for Yorkville and will
vote that a franchise be granted the
company offering the greatest induce
ments, whether that company be the
Piedmont or some other company, and
all things being equal, I would GER
tainly cast my vote for local company,
II such Is to be organized. have stated
this as being nv position at two meet
ings Of the citizens committee and at
two citizens meetings. and 1t seems to
me that bv this time 1t should be clear
lv understood. and I am repeating 1t
here only that the record NAV be kept
straight. Respectfully,
Jno. r. Hart.
Yorkville, S. c., Sept 26th, 1908.
Mayor Hart seems to have missed
the point Of The Enquirers remarks.
It has not appeared that there Is any
crisis in this matter; that II the frsn
chise Is withheld the telephone COM
pany will take down its poles and
wires and leave us without a system.
It is hardly worth while to argue that
this privilege that the town Is being
asked to surrender, has value, for II 1t
had no value there would not be so
much noise about It, It would be diff
ficult to show where the telephone
company has a right to demand this
privilege as a free gift. The town
owes the telephone company nothing
except the monthly rental as the same
falls due. There is no injustice In
Withholding the franchise that Is being
sought It would be foolish to give
the franchise for consideration unless
the matter can be so arranged that the
people cannot be made to pay the
price in addition to reasonable rentals.
It Is true that. no exclusive franchise Is
being asked for; but 1t Is also true
that the franchise under consideration
would. IL granted, be exclusive In Its
practical effect AS we see 1t, Yorkville
is in a better position in regard to
the telephone situation than any town
in the state, not excepting Chester,
and without the slightest shadow Of
imposition on or injustice to anybody.
To voluntarily surrender such an ad-
vantage would, in our opinion, be very
rnwise. AS long as the present status
Is maintained the telephone company
will continue to be as good as 1t knows
how to be. 1t is good enough now.
But when the ten or twenty-five year
franchise is granted. conditions will
be reversed. The telephone company
will have the whip handle and the
town will have to dance.-ED. ENQUI-
RER.