The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-12-23

POINTED Illustration.
In proof Of this Mr.. Meudenball cited
the former presence Of two telephone
companies IN Salt Lake. lie further
stated that during the past five years
the Utah Light & Railway company had
expended over a million dollars each
year in the Improvement Of its prop
crty. II was deserving of the support
of the Commercial club. he said, and
the club could III afford TO invite com
petition, IIc pleaded that a careful
investigation of the entire subject be
made before decisive action.
X, T., Montrosc, member Of the spe-
cial committee. said that the Telm-
ride Power company did not want 10
como into the city to iuiure any interest
but TO benefit the community.
II. /. a. Culmcr suggested that some
specific pledges should be required in
the matter of rates and that the invcsti-
cation should 90 so far as TO ascertain
the policy of the Telluride Power com
pany in communities where it operated
as a monopoly and whore il operated
as competitor
John Dern thought that the club
should be IN possession OF more facts.
The Telluride Power company had said
1t would supply power at wholesale
rates but no figures were given as TO
what those rates were.
Question of Rates.
b, I. Rcdman. another member Of
the committee. said he knew nothing
about specific rates. but that the Tellu.
ride Power company had intmated that
1t could supply power at favorable
rates for factories on the west side.
Glen Miller thought there was no re
tlcctlon on existing systems, but he said
II was the duty of the club TO welcome
the proposition,
mentary taugle by offering n substitute
that the matter be referred back TO the
special committee and that the clnb
furnish tho committee some expert cleo
trical engineer 10 make AN investiga-
tion of the whole matter which should
be reported back 10 the club which
should have more specific information.
he thought.
Mr.. Culmcr sought to amend this mo.
ton by having the city furnish the cx-
pert.
w. F, Jensen declared that no e1-
pert was needed.
4 comparison with other cities, he
said, would show that the rates in Salt
Lake were higher than elsewhere. They
ought to be lower, he said
Ny Redman asked that the report
of his committee be at least received
and filed and the committee discharged
Joseph Cuts Knot.
Finally Harry Joseph moved. he was
not clear whether it should be a sub
stltute motion or an amendment to an
amendment, at any rate he moved that
the report be amended by striking out
the last paragraph referring TO the
matter Of franchise, This motion was
few voting in the negative.
+. c. Richmond then made a motion
that the board of governors Of the
Commercial club be instructed TO me-
morializc the city commissioners 10
grant franchise to other companies,
provided the other companies agree to
furnish light and power at price
lower than prevailing rates
This brought Mr.. MepdenhalI to the
floor again with the statement that the
matter was an important ono and ought
to be fully Investigated before taking
any action which might lay the club
open TO criticism.
Mr.. Cumer offered AN amendment
to Richmond s motion, providing that
possible competitors should he required
TO specify what their rates would be-
The veXcd question was at last solved |
by substitute motion by Ernest Gay
ford, who proposed that Il new special |
hc appointed by the board |
OF governors Of the club TO investigate |
and ascertain what rates are now i'm ex.
lstencn and what rates Will be offered !
by outside companies aud report to
the full membership at some future
meeting.