The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1912-05-10
City Council Holds Regular Monthly
Meeting.

WCCtiuSs
The City Council held their regular
monthly meeting Monday evening and
after auditing the current bills, order
ing vouchers and attending to routine
business f, were presented with sur
prise in the shape of general and Wig
orous protest on a well worn subject,
the local telephone. Mr. E. Robin
son started the ball rolling by announce
ing to the City Council that he had
been approached by many country pat
rons of the Basin Telephone Co. re-
Gently, seeking some kind of legal re-
dress against the arrogant attitude as
sumed by that corporation. Mr.. Robin
son was followed by Mr.. G. B. Swine
broad, who spoke along the same line
as Mr.. Robinson, and these gentlemen
were followed by gentlemen of high
standing in town and county, all of
whom voiced vigorous complaints
against the Basin Co. and insisted up
on the Council, if it be within their
power, to afford them some relief. 1t
is charged against the Basin Telephone
Co. by the people making these COM
plants that they are ignoring their con
tracts to furnish telephone service at a
certain price, are endeavoring to raise
the prices on their patrons, and when
the patrons refuse to stand for the
raise, they remove their phones. These
complaints are not confined to one To-
cality but are scattered broadcast over
the county, and the Company seems to
be endeavoring to render their service
obnoxious to their patrons. There
seems to be question as to just what
kind, if any contract or franchise the
Basin people have with the City of
Lancaster, or if they are merely here
on sufferance: if the latter be the case,
in the face of the many and vigorous
complaints made by our citizens of the
county, it is the right, and it seems to
US to be their imperative duty to at
once take some drastic measures to
remedy the evil complained of.
This telephone subject has long been
an aggravating one, and the longer the
matter is neglected, the more vigorous
become the complaints, and the evils
seem to multiply, for heretofore the
rates seemed to be the only bone of
contention, while now there seems to
be other and equally as reprehensible
acts complained of.
The Council heard with patience the
many complaints registered, and also
listened to few remarks from H. v.
Basin, the gist of whose remarks
seemed to be an argument looking to
the selling of franchise.
After everyone present had aired
their views on the subject, Councilman
H. G. Hamilton moved the board that a
committee be appointed with anthori-
ty to employ counsel if necessary. to
frame and submit to the City Council a
franchise which would meet with the
approval of the masses of the people, F"
This motion prevailed and Messrs Ham
ilton, Gregory, Zanone and Walters
were named on the committee.
There is scarcely doubt but that
the present Council will look we'll to
and conserve the rights of the people
in the matter of telephone franchise,
for this they pledged themselves be-
fore their election, and we are not of
the opinion that any one of them would
go back upon promise made to the
people before the election, especially
upon such vital question. The pee.
pie of the county are the mainstay of
the town, or as Uncle John Marsee put
it in his speech to the Council:- ''If
the country people go down, the town
goes down with them." Most assured
ly it is sacred duty which the town
owes to the citizens of the county to
protect their rights in every possible
way, even to standing between them
and the grasping hand of a corporation,
and we sincerely believe that if it is
within the power of the City Council of
the City of Lancaster. that they will
extend to them the protection which
they come to US seeking, and that in
the very near future they will settle
this telephone matter in a manner
which will meet with their approval.