The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1910-11-23
onrCTsION OF MASS MEETING
c,rTrp BY CITY COUNCIL.
,o,ittee Appointed to Raise Funds
@,r an Attorney to 60 Before the
Railroad Commission.

V @,r an Attorney to Go Before the
Railroad Commission.
- rasponse to the call issued by
mayor and council for mass
.+inp 10 discuss the telephone stu
,on and determine whether organ
a .aJ opposition should be made to
.ro+ittor of the Dawson Telephone
N fine state railroad commission
w. nprmission to raise its rates SO
Don+s and $1.OO per phone per
nonth fifty citizens assembled at
I ~ court house Wednesday night
~ Tho meeting was called to order
- Vayor Marlin, who was elected
~.rmanant chairman, and Colonel
W Howl was made secretary.
The chairman then stated the OBJ
INT Of the meeting, and the secre-
torv was requested TO read the petit
tion Of the Dawson Telephone Co.
w the Railroad Commission of Geor-
gia asking permission to raise it's
Totps TO Observation-Disclosures
nbones from $50 to 5000 and bust
noss 'phones from $3.50 to $3.50 a
month. After the petition was read
+ was stated by the chairman that
tho citv council had held a meeting
tn consider the proposed raise in
The rates. and decided that it was
not incumbent upon that body to
fgbt the petition, but that it was a
matter for the citizens and subscrib-
ers to the telephone service to con-
slider and take such action as they
might deem best.
Saws Company Makes Good Profit.
Dr.. J. G. Dean addressed the meet
ing. and after reviewing the fight
that was made against a similar pro-
4 posed increase in rates two years ago,
when he was the owner of the tele-
phone plant, and which eliminated
in the sale of his system to the
present company, stated that the
franchise which was granted to the
Dawson Telephone Co. by the city
council embodies clause expressly
providing that the existing rates
rates shall not be raised. He said
that the statement of the telephone
company in its petition shows, when
correctly figured, that it is now earn
ing between five and six per cent on
the amount it has invested, and used
figures to illustrate this statement
He concluded his remarks with a
motion that counsel be employed to
appear before the commission and
oppose any increase in the charges
for telephone service.
Others Talked.
Colonel H. A. Wilkinson made a
few remarks, saying that at the time
a franchise was granted to the Daw-
son Telephone Company he was
one of the attorneys for the COM
pany and that it was done with the
stipulation therein that subscribers
should not be charged higher rates
for phone service than now pre-
vail.
City Attorney VIII. Gurr also
discussed the matter from a legal
standpoint, and contended that the
franchise having been granted on
certain expressed conditions and ac-
9epted by the company on those
terms it stood in the nature Of con-
tract between Dawson Telephone Co.
and the City of Dawson, and that
ne did not understand how the rail
road commission could be called
upon to interpret, construe or
change the expressed terms of a con-
tract.
Motion to Employ Lawyer Adopted.
The motion that an attorney be
employed to oppose before the COM
mlsion the petition for increased
rates was then adopted, and tele0
phone subscribers requested to pay
all expenses connected herewith.
Inc mayor and council were request
ed to allow the fight to be made in
me name of the City of Dawson in
us corporate capacity.
Mr., Carver COrreCts Statement.
Mr., A. J. Carver, one of the stock
holders Of the telephone company,
VINO was present as a spectator,
arose and said that the company did
NoJ ask for a franchise from the
cIIy 2ased on fixed rates to subscrib-
els mat the rates to be charged
were not incorporated in the appli-
vaIlon submitted to the mayor and
council at the time the franchise was
s'ahled, and that the stockholders
III the company were much surprised
"DeR they learned that rates had /