The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1910-01-13
BUILD new PLANT.
Northwestern Telephone Com
paDy To Get Busy
SOON AS SPRING OPENS
Mayor vetOeS Ordinance Giving New
Franchise and Council Passes
II Over Veto

It Over Veto
The city council, at a special meet
ng held Tuesday, evening, passed tn
new telephone franchise over tn
mayors veto by a vote of to
Alderman Borgmann, who was al
'ent when the ordinance granting tn
company new franchise was passe
~ a vote of 3 to 2, was present, an
7oted in the negative. Alderma
Miller stuck to the negative as on til
original vote. Aldermen Irish, Ricl
lrds and Pangburn voted in the a
as they did on the origin;
7ote. Alderman Boutell, who at tn
,rior meeting voted in the negative
changed his vote to the affirmative
This gave the necessary two third
Iote to pass the ordinance over tn
'eUo, which reads as follows:
To the Common Council of the
City of Sank Centre, Gentlemen:
On Friday, the seventh day of
January, 1910, there was presented
to me for my approval an Ordin-
ance granting the Northwestern
Telephone Exchange Company a
franchise to operate a telephone
system in the city Of Sank Centre
for twenty-five years and to in
crease the charges for residence
phones from one dollar to one dol
lar and fifty cents per month, and
to increase the charges of bust
ness phones from two dollars to
two dollars and fifty cents per
month.
: After careful study of the pro-
posed ordinance / am not. able to
approve the same for the follow
ing reasons, to-wit:
There is in existence an ordin-
aslce under Which said Northwest
sekA Telephone Exchange Company
{. is now acting which provides for
the present rate of charges.
The Northwestern Telephone
Exchange Company bought out
the charter rights of the old
company knowing all of the con-
ditions and Immediately sold to
Mr.. Ward all of the wire and other
property of the company for the
sum of $4,000, so I am informed.
I am. informed that the price
paid for the property was SO, 10000.
1t would seem that the company
then valued the charter rights as
worth about 100000.
Can this city, then, give to the
company valuable right of this
kind for twenty-five years (The
old charter was for fifteen years.
without any compensation what
ever?
The Northwestern Telephone
Exchange Company promised at
the time they bought out the old
company to put in Immediately a
first class system and in contem-
plation of that agreement sold
their wires and other property for
$4,000. They have not carried
out their agreement. Will they
do it under this charter?
/ think that any charter of this
kind proposed should fully cover
and protect the rights of rural
telephone lines running or propos-
ing to run from this city.
This charter does not do so.
We must not permit anything to
be done to antagonize the interest
: of the country tributary to our
city. I am sure that the Com
mon Council of the City of Sank
Centre would not willingly do SO.
There have been complaints made
against the treatment that rural
telephone lines have received from
the Northwestern Telephone Ex-
change Company.
/ do not know with what JUS
tice such complaints have been
made. They can be very easily
investigated and such investiga-
tion should be made. y
1t does not seem necessary, to
me, that this matter should be
rushedithrough with such haste.
If the citizens of Sank Centre can
stand the poor telephone service
surely; the Northwestern 'Tele-
phone Exchange Company can
wait long enough to let the citi-
zens fISauk Centre fully know
what is being done in this matter.
If it is rights.that this ordinance
should be passed no harm can
come by letting the people know
all about it. ::.% - >. -