Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-10-08
COUNCIL HOLDS SPECIAL SESSION
AND EXTENDS FRANCHISE TO
MUTUAL CONCERN.
COMPANY MAKES PUBLIC
SCHEDULE OF ITS RATES
special election, to Vote on Franchise,
to Be Held in Connection With Gen.
eraI Election on Nov. s-Franchise
Runs For Twenty Five Years-Lttle
Opposition Develops.

Following a caucus in the afternoon
the city council held a special meeting
Friday night and voted a twenty five
year franchis 10 the Merchants Me-
chanics' and Farmers Telephone Com
pany. the new mutual telephone or
of formation The franchise granted
runs for twenty-five years and ac-
cording to the ordinance presented by
the company the system is to be un-
foreground il the fire limits as far as
possible, and in cables thru other parts
of the city as far as is practicable. All
members We're present but Mr. Gregory.
The special election to vote on the
franchise will be held on Nov. 5.
Rates Reduction Over Present.
The ra ties. as outlined in a schedule
embodied in the ordinance, install
practically the same rates that We're in
force by the Marshall Telephone Com
pany prior to the advance announced
last spring. The new company's rates
run on an average of % cents per
month cheaper than the present pub
lished rates of the Marshall Company.
and in a few instances. in party lines,
the difference is 80 cents The rates
as outlined in the ordinance are as fol-
lows: Per
Month.
Business individual desk . s275
Business individual wall .. 80
Office individual desk .......... 2.225
Office individual wall ............ 200
Residence individual desk . LIS
Residence individual wall ... l.50
Two party selective ringing desk. 1.50
Two party selective ringing wall. 1.25
Four party selective ringing wall. 100
Extension telephones ..... so
Extension bells are to be furnished
by the company without rent, subscribe
er paying the cost of bell and expense
of installation.
Free Phones Schools and Hospitals.
The company offers to maintain tele
phones free of cost in the public school
buildings and also in the hospitals, and
to grant the city half regular BUSH
ness rate The company also offers to
give the city free space on its poles
and in its conduits for It's fire and po-
lice alarm wires, the city to install and
maintain its own systems without in
terfering with the telephone wires.
The company also agrees to put up
$1,000 bond as soon as the work on
the plant is begun. to insure the city
that it will restore the pavements to
the same condition they were prior to
the digging. The plant is to be COM
pleted and in operation within one
year following the passage of the ordi-
nance. The company also agrees to
pay all expense Of the special election,
and will signify its acceptance of the
terms OF the ordinance in writing
Clark and Novotny Oppose 1t.
Both Clark and Novotny opposed the
granting of a franchise to any COM
pany on such short notice, and Nc
Carten did not just like the idea Of
taking action so hastily, without look
ing into the case further. Clark feared
that the history of the new company
would be the same as the old, and that
after it got started it would be sold,
and possibly fall into the Bell COM
pany's hands, as he considered the
Marshall company had done. Clark
favored making the term of the fran
Ichise either fifteen or ten years
Franchise Not Necessary.
Mr. n. D. Smith, of Chicago, a tel
ephone engineer who is acting as
| consulting engineer with the new COM
pany- explained the mission of the new
company at length and said that the
company need not come before the
council at all unless it so desired, for
a franchise by the council was not
nece ssary with telephone companies
The company, however, wished to rec
ognize the council, and in this way Sc
cure the councils endorsement to the
company The company was giving
something to the city, and asking moth
| ing in return aside from the endorse
ment for under the law the company
could start at once without a fran
chise and occupy the streets and all
leys for its wires.
City Solicitor Northup confirmed Mr.
Smiths statement, saying that the SUI
prene court had held that telephone
companies could use highways for their
poles, and that highways had been con-
stru ed to extend to city streets. In this
case the company had presented fran
chise, EN- bodying the rates it agreed to
maintain, and he thought the council
could hold the company to the rates
it h as agreed in the ordinance to keep
in force.
Mayor Inclined to Favor Company.
Mayor dngledue said that he had al
ways been opposed to two telephone
companies, and ordinarily he would be
opposed to another company now. but
for the fact of the uncompromisin e
spirit Of the present company This
spirit manifested so plainly made him
feel like giving the present company
opposition of any kind. His only fear