Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1910-12-05
WORK IS SUSPENDED
ACTION OF CITY COUNCIL STOPS
WESTPORT TELEPHONE line
CITY FATHERS REVOKE RESOLU.
TION. AND FiNCH'S CONTRACT
THAT CALLED FOR THE LINE
IN OPERATION TO WESTPORT
IN 80 DAYS IN CANCELLED.


Work was stopped Saturday on the
telephone line to Westport by Ed c.
Finch, who had let contract to f.
NJ. Way that called for the compile
ton of the line in thirty days. The
reason for the suspension of the work
was notice from City Clerk Clark
to Mr.. Finch that the city council
had, at a special meeting, decided to
revoke an agreement with Mr.. Finch
in which, if he had telephone line
to Westport in operation in 80 days
he was to have refunded to him $500
that had been forfeited to the city
three years ago by reason of the
failure of Mr. Finch to carry our the
terms of telephone franchise he
had obtained. q
Much dissatisfaction is expressed
at this action of the council in, busi-
ness circles. The nerchantile' and
commercial interests of Aberdeen de-
mand better communication with
Westport, and the Finch proposition
was hailed with delight No public
objection was raised to the agreement
to refund the $500 to Mr.. Finch, in
fact as the money had never been de-
clared forfeited but has lain idle in
the treasury for several years, the
agreement to refund conditioned on
building the WestpOrt line was gen.
orally considered q good bargain for
the city. There is talk of having the
matter taken up by the Chamber of
Commerce, and petition signed by
the businessmen and shippers of the
city asking the council not to inter
rupt the building of this needed line
of communication. ~-
This $500 was put up as forfeit by
Mr.. Finch in 1906 to guarantee the
building of a competing telephone
line into Aberdeen. 1t was procured
by Mr.. Finch for the Home Telephone
company, of Portland, which was very
desirous at that time of entering this
field. The company began the pre-
liminary work as sOOnS as the fran
chise was granted, and but for, thel
lssssr Of 1907, wewld have cofhr1fcd7
with the provisions OF the franchise,
and built the line. This fact was rec
ognized by the city council, and re-
suited in no action to declare theI
money forfeited. 1t has been pointed
out that rigorous enforcement OIL
contracts at the time would have
filled the country with financial dis
aster. a calamity that was only avert
ed by everybody agreeing to wait on
his debtor. Bank certificates were
universally accepted by deposftors,
and creditors generally extended all
the leniency in their power.
In this strenuous time, the Home
Telephone company found its funds in
"a busted Portland bank, and itself
on the verge of bankruptcy in con.
sequence, SO that the building of ex.
tensions was beyond its power This
Is briefly the condition that led to
the forfeiture of the $500, put up In
good faith and forfeited, technically,
by circumstances which nobody could
have fOrseen or prevented. Few pri.
vate concerns would have cared to
accept the Onus of exacting the
terms of the bond" under these cir
cumstances, hence for more than 3
years no claim to the money has been
made by the city. '..:,.t
Indeed, the failure of Mr. Finch and
his associates to comply with that
franchise is generally considered the
best thing that could have happened
for Aberdeen. In fact it was granted
against the judgment of a majority
Of telephone users in the city as be-
ing calculated to add to their ex.
pense by necessitating two telephones
instead of one. The Herald opposed
the granting of this franchise and still
thinks it was lily conceived. 1t be-
lieves the city is better off than
Sc, 900 in having but one system, and
this belief Is shared by all who have
observed results in cities where the
double system is maintained.
The shipping interest of the city
have been seriously incOnvenienced
since the wireless station at West
port was abandoned for lack of COM
munication with the HarbOr entrance,
and welcomed the proposition of al
telephone line-Of doubtful profits for
years-without bonus being asked.
upon the refunding of $500 that laid
idle and unclaimed in the city treas
ury. the ethical title to which was in
doubt even II the legal right to It'll
was not. Merchantile houses. too,
realized the importance of this line,
in view of the wagon road now be-
ing constructed between South Aber-
deem and WestpOrt that promises the
rapid development of the south side
Of Grays Harbor. These interests are
not backward in denunciation of the
action Of the council in the matter.
and 1t is more than likely that vigor-
Gus protest will be made at the next
regular meeting of the council.
1t is doubtful If the protest will re-
suit in the resumption of work on the
line. The Herald was informed Sat
urday by Mr.. Way that Mr.. Finch
had settled with him, paying him to
release his contract--which called
for the operation of the line in 80
days-and the latter left today for
Oakland, CAL, to spend the holiday
season with his family. considering
the matter closed as far as he was
concerned.