Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-09-18
WITHIN THE TOWN.

Mr.. ]. NJ Stroup's handsome new
residence on East Liberty street Is
making a good show.
- There is quite a quantity of cotton
moving to and from the gin of the Vic
tor Cotton Oil company.
AT several points on East Liberty
street the sewerage ditch was more than
twenty feet Traffic has been practical
ly suspended on the street for several
DAYS, East Madison street being used
instead.
THAT the local business people
have plenty Of confidence in the situa-
ton is evidenced by the fact that they
are laying in fine stocks Of new goods
There will be as many goods Of all
kinds in Yorkville this fall, as ever
before, and very probably more.
Pursuant to the call published in
The Enquirer of last Tuesday, about
fifty or sixty citizens assembled in the
court house last night to hear the re-
port of the citizens committee on the
telephone matter. In the absence Of
Mr.. McCaw. chairman of the commit
tee, who is now still sick, the meeting
was called to order by Mr.. ]. S. Brice,
and Mr. NJ. B. Jennings was chosen as
chairman. The object Of the meeting
was explained in the reading Of re-
ports already printed, and regardless of
the admOnitiOns of the chair in behalf
of regular proceedings, there followed
free for-all discussion with nothing
before the house. At times two or
three were talking at once, and varie-
ty of views were expressed. Those in
favor of granting the franchise held
that a franchise was nothing more than
a permit to do business, and that 1t
was unreasonable to expect a corpora
ton to invest money in Improvements
in the absence of any guarantee as to
how long those improvements were to
Immediately following the granting Of
the franchise the telephone people
would put in a first-claSS system. On
the other hand it was argued that the
telephone people had made promises of
improvements before, and no one could
see that the system has been made any
better. Questions that Mr.. Brice di-
re cted at Mayor Hart, developed that
at least half of the present system is
constructed on private property, and
being there by sufferance of the prop
erty holders, the telephone people nee
essarily have to be good, whereas, If
the lines were constructed along the
public streets, the telephone company
would be in a much more independent
position. In reply to a question, May
or Hart said he had never hearl Of
case in which a town had tried to con-
nscate the property of telephone sys-
ten. After a lengthy discussion, Mr..
Brice offered a resolution to the effect
that it was the sense of the meeting
that the town council be requested not
to take any further steps in the matter
of franchise without the advice and
consent of the committee. Mayor Hart
stated that he desired the matter
settled. and while he was not able to
speak for his council, speaking for nim-
self, he was not willing to leave the
question open more than thirty days
longer. Mr.. Louis Roth moved on
an amendemnt to Mr.. Brice'S motion,
rutting the meeting on record as being
opposed to the granting of franchise.
ITDOn a viva vOce vote. Mr.. Roth's
amendment was lost, and the original
motion was carried unanimously, after
which the meeting adjourned.