The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1911-09-24
TIE PEOPLE INTERESTED

THE PEOPLE INTERESTED
The information Desired May Bt
Given by the Commissioner OF
Public UtiIities-The Cumberland
Telephone and Telegraph Com
pany.
The Caucasian stands for pro-
lgresslveness in all things that will
stimulate substantial activity and
development, Notwithstanding it is
criticised ungenerously as being "a
| kicker and "a crank" by some of
those in the community engaged in
public and in private functions, who
lido not agree with its advocacy Of
issues and measures, is and always
has been for the public good.
AS "a kicker and as "a crank" the
Caucasian's record is fruitful with
splendid civic results. 1t takes "a
kicker" to a kick into discontinue
schemes an dthings Objectionable, or
at least that are not for the welfare
of the people land it takes "a crank"
to turn out results that are practi-
cal, useful and of general benefit to
the community.
When the term kicker" or
crank" is applied to the Caucasian,
it is accepted as a compliment, even
if ii be from some of those engaged
in the public or the private fune-
tions of life.
1t is assumed that this article will
provoke some resentment from the
critics of the kicker" and ''crank." !"
SO be it.
What the Caucasian wants is in
formation for the good of all the
people,
j 1t has been heralded in print, al
most in box car letters that the
Cumberland Telephone and Tele-
graph Company propose to spend
100000 in placing their wires un-
derground.
Such an Improvement is COM
mendable, but what is the incentive9
Il is admitted that poles and wires
oeerground are unsightly and that
all wires, including the electric,
should be underground, but this
proposed lavish expenditure by this
suggests some inquiry.
The Cumberland Telephone and
Telegraph Company is the successor.
of the Citizens Cooperative Tele-
phone Company of Shreveport. The
transfer was for $4,000.
In April 1895 the City Council en-
acted an ordh1anee granting the
right of way through the streets and
alleys of the city to the Citizens Co
operative Telephone Company for a.
term of twenty five-years, but this
as it appears in the re-
cords of the city page 234) is not
signed by the mayor, and therefore
is of no effect; at least, if it be sub
ject to the Interpretation of all such
ordinance as was applied
by Judge Bell in a recent trial of the
case Of MeCune, State VS.. City where
the parties held for infraetion of
law were all released as a result of
this defect in the said ordinance.
To be valid and effective all ordi-
nances must be signed by the mayor,
There is an ordinance of the City
Council adopted October IA, 1886,
granting to the Great Southern Tel
ephone and Telegraph Company the
right of way through the streets and
public thoroughfares of the city (al-
leys not mentioned) for term of
twenty-five years.
This company was chartered Oc-
tober 4, 1886, for twenty-five years,
and therefore the term of its legal
existence will reach its end on the
4th day of October, next month.
Following these details the infor-
nation desired in brief is
First: Has the Cumberland Tele-
phone and Telegraph Company been
or is it operating under this char
ter of the Great Southern Telephone
whose existence is of a.
few days, and if it is, under what
could the streets and
thoroughfares be torn up to have
placed underground the wires of the
Cumberland Telephone and Tele-
graph Company?
Second: II the ordinance of April
1895, not signed by the mayor, and
this ordinance is as that in the case
cited, where is the legal authority of