The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-07-15
WILL INSIST UPON
BETTER PHONES
IF NOT FORTHCOMING, BUSI-
NESS AND PROFESSIONAL
MEN WILL ASK FOR REvOCA-
TIoN OF THE FRANCHISE.

That the business and professional
men in the Astoria Chamber OF Com
merce intend to carry on the tight
against the Pacific States Telephone
Company may be taken as an assured
fact, judging from the temper and at
titude displayed by many OF them who
are constant users Of the phones. 1t
is planned to carry on the matter un-
ill the franchise Of the company IS
revoked, or until it has bettered its
service to such degree that il will
give at least fair satisfaction to the
majority of its users.
Mr.. Whyte, manager OF the Cham
Der of Commerce, acting in accord.
ance with the instructions given by
the meeting OF the Chamber the prev
ious evening, yesterday prepared let
tiers to the local manager OF the tele-
phone company, to the common coun-
Gil, and to the various independent
telephone companies now doing busi-
ness about the country.
The communication to the city
council vii tentatively ask in the name
of the Chamber of Commerce that the
franchise of the telephone company in
Astoria be revoked forthwith.
The communications to the inde-
pendent telephone companies include
an invitation to establish an independ-
ent company here.
On all sides are heard complaints OF
the "miserably poor service" In the
Office of the Chamber of Commerce
is a list of copies OF letters on fle,
which contain repeated assurances on
the part of the company of an imme-
diate betterment in the service, but
as far as can be ascertained the con-
Germ has not made the slightest real
effort to accomplish anything. The
last letter addressed to the local
manager of the company by the
Chamber of Commerce did not even
elicit reply.
That it will be readily possible to
revoke the franchise seems to be the
prevailing opinion, yet an examlna-
lion Of the franchise granted to the
company in 1901 tends to show that a
revocation may not be as easy a thing
TO accomplish as it is to wish for 1t.
The franchise does include a phrase
to the effect that it shall stand re-
yoked ipso facto by the failure to live
up TO the terms of the instrument;
hut by strange oversight, it con-
tains. apparently nothing which calls
for proper and decent service. 1t does
demand on the part OF the city that
the rates shall not be higher than IN
other cities OF the same size in Ore
gon having equivalent service; and
Yesterday it was said that even under
this clause the company should be
held amenable, as its service is said
to be ontoriously poorer than in other
cities of equal size where the same
rates are charged. At all events, 1t IS
planned to appeal to the council to
revoke the franchise and let the COM
Danv. if it can, show that legally the
council exceeded its powers in so do
ing.
But if the plan Of revoking the
franchise fails, then it is said that the
business and professional men can
simply get together and by gen
tiemanly understanding" agree to pa
tronize new company
Unless there is a striking change OF
attitude on the part Of those now In
teresting themselves in the matter, it
would appear as if the present aglta-
ton is not a mere "kick" which will
be permitted to die away and be for
gotten in month or so.
Tie Pacific States Telephone &
Telegraph Company has wires and
Offices from Canada on the North to
Mexico on the south. 1t is commonly
looked Jpn as the "telephne trust"
Probably the cities that have had
trouble with the company in the last
decade could be counted by the hun
dreds. In scores of cities and towns
independent companies have been
created, and, as far as is known, the