Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1911-07-01
CONDEMNS TELEPHONE TOLLS
The City Fathers Propose to Lock In
to Franchise of the Bell
Company.
From The World 81 FRIDAY !:

ETOm ne WORM Oh FTiudg
The City Council held special
meeting last night with all the mem
bers present and Mayor Caskey in the
chair. The purpose of the meeting
was to take action on the recent order
of the Chesapeake and Potomac Tele-
phone Co. imposing a toll charge Of
five cents on their subscribers for SER
vice between points in what was here
totore free terTitory-between Mar
tinsburg and Shepherdstown, for
example-amd which arbitrary actdo q
on the part of the said Telephone
Company has occasioned much dissat-
isfaction and indignation in this COM
munity.
The sentiment of Council in refer
ence to this matter of toll charges
found expression in the following res
olutions which were unanimously
adopted:
Whereas, q franchise was granted
by the Council of the Corporation OF
Martinsburg on April Sth, 1885, to the
Exchange and Telephone Company,
granting it the right TO erect poles,
string wires and do such other things
necessary to furnish telephone service
b. the residents OF the then town Of
Martinsburg, who might become sub
scribers to the same;
And whereas, such service was es-
tablished and has been furnished sad
subscribers until recently, service
which with the extension of their
lines under contracts understood and
made at the time the phone service
was being taken, enlarged and contin-
ued until recently, when without the
consent or knowledge of the subserib-
ers of the Chesapeake and Potomac
Telephone Company, said to be the
successor and now holder of the fran
chsse, has arbitrarily fixed toll
charge between the points OF what
was heretofore a free territory;
And whereas, such action upon the
part Of the telephone company works
hardship upon professional and bust
ness men as well as the general pub
lie who are subscribers to their SER
vice, compelling persons who desire to
talk to their doctor, lawyer, banker,
grocer, butcher wholesaler, minister
as we'll as their relatives, friends and
neighbors to pay a charge therefor.
Therefore, Be it resilved by the
Council of the City of Martinsburg:
We condemn the action of the Chesa-
peake and Potomac Telephone Com
pany in making such a charge and
change from the custom existing since
the establishment of their line and
request said company to Immediately
re4instate the former free radius and
give to the subscribers the service
agreed with them at the time of TAX
ing contracts for service from them.
Resolved further: That the question
o. the franchise under which the Ches-
apeake and Potomac Telephone Com
pany operates in the City of Martins
burg be referred to the ordinance
committee who, together with the city
attorney shall examine and report to
the next regular meeting of Council
whether or mot the Chesapeake and
Potomac Telephone Company has a
franchise in the City of Martinsburg;
1t not TO so report; and if so, when
such franchise was gotten, the terms
and conditions thereof and everything
pertaining thereto, together with the
present status of the law regarding
franchises, extensions and the right of
the city TO charge license taxes upon
their property and their right to do
business and the right of the city to
fix charges for their service.