The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1910-08-18
CLAIMS WISCONSIN, owns IT
Summons and Complaint in Suit For
Enjoining Company From Collecting
Rents Filed This Morning on Attor-
neys For Citys

The suit OF the City OF henOSna VS..
the Kenosha Home Telephone company
got formally into the courts this morn
ing when the petition of the city for an
examination into the relations between
the company and the city by the Cir
cult court was served upon the officials
of the company by City Attorney Calvin
Stewart. The petition is a long docu-
ment entering at length into the history
of the formation of the Kenosha Home
Telephone Company and dealing in full
with the action of the Common Council
in the passage of the franchise ordi-
nance to the Citizen S Telephone Com
pany. 1t charges that the present com
pany was organized with a view of
misleading the people of the city of
Kenosha and that it is now and always
has been owned and controlled by the
same interests which control the Wis
consin Telephone Company. The petit
ton declares that to "allay suspicion
and to deceive the people Of Kenosha
into a belief that it was local con-
Germ, in it's campaign for blotting out
telephone competition, and raising the
price of telephone service, secured the
names of a number of eminently re-
spectacle local citizens and made them
officers and directors Of said defendant
company and printed their names in
large letters on the front page of its
directory and permitted them to sub
scribe for one share Of stock, which in
truth and in fact they never owned. y
The petition then cites the fact that
for time the company carried out the
provisions of the contract with the
city made by the Citizens Company by
furnishing free phone service to the
city and service to the people of the
city at the rate set down in the fran
chise ordinance. 1t then goes on to
declare that the company changed rates
and refused to furnish free service for
the city offices. The demand for judg-
ment is hard slap at the Kenosha
Home Telephone and demands the re-
adjustment of many rates now charg.
ed with the alternative of having the
company enjoined from making collec-
tons. The demand for Judgment in
the action is as follows:
tThat the defendant and all per-
sons claiming or acting under it be
perpetually enjoined and restrained
from charging, collecting or receiving
from the City Of Kenosha or from any
person, firm, association Incorporation
residing in said City of Kenosha, any
sum of money for telephone service or
telephone rental in excess of the
amounts stated in ordinance No. 259
of the ordinance of the City of Ke-
nosha, Wisconsin to-wit:
Not more than Thirty (3O) dollars
per year for each business telephone.
"Not more than eighteen (1S) dollars
per year for each single residence tele-
phone
Not more than twelve (12) dollars
per year for party line residence tele-
phone.
That the defendant and all persons
claiming or acting under it be per-
petually enjoined and restrained from
charging, collecting or receiving any
sum of money whatsoever, for tele-
phone service or telephone rental from
the following departments of the City
Government of the City of Kenosha to-
wit:
For one telephone and telephone
service in the Mayor s. office.
For one telephone and telephone
service in the City Clerk s office.
For one telephone and telephone
service in the office of the Chief of
Police.
For one telephone in each engine
house,of the fire del artment of the CITY
of Kenosha now or hereafter to be
erected.
That the defendant and all persons
claiming or acting under it be perpetu-
ally enJoined and restrained from re-
moving the telephones from any of the
said departments of the Kenosha CITY
Government and from in any manner
shutting off the current of electricity to
said telephones or in any manner cut
ting out the service to said telephones
or in any manner interfering with the
full use, benefit or enjoyment Of the
same.
And for such other and further
Judgment, order or relief as under the
circumstances may be just and eouit-
able
The man with the garden must be
about ready to give up hope when the
circus fails to bring shower.