The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1912-08-09
Modern Political Methods Adopted t
Prevent Action By City Council
In Hubble Telephone
Matter.

AZ IiiC iCkuloi HiOhlhiy HCCIihS VI
the City Council on last Monday night
means usually adopted as last resort
in the u. S. Senate, and savoring very
much of the muchly talked of ''steam
roller" tactics, were resorted to to pre-
vent the Hubble Telephone Co., from
gaining entrance into the city. In be-
half of the Hubble Telephone Co a reg
ularly organized corporation with a
capital stock of $780,. one half of
which is paid up. Mr.. G. B. Swine
broad asked the City Council to grant
this corporation the right to enter the
city and establish three pay stations,
guaranteeing in behalf of the Hubble
people that they would furnish to the
people of Lancaster first class me-
tallic circuit telephone service at the
fixed rate of 81. per month, and fur
Their granting the City Council the
right to remove them at any time that
they might sell a franchise, or that
they might see just cause for their re-
moval. They asked for only three pay
stations within the City. Councilman
Gregory moved that their request be
granted and was seconded by Council
man Zanone. Councilman William
Herndon promptly put up strenuous
objection to their entrance and plea
for the Basin Telephone Co., and made
the point that the Council had no right
to allow the Hubble people to enter.
City Attorney, R. H. Tomlinson was
appealed to for a legal opinion and he
ruled that the City had not the right to
allow the Hubble people to enter with
three phones as they had no franchise,
the question was then asked if the Bas-
tin people had franchise and his re-
ply was that they did not have, he was
then asked how it was that the Basin
people were allowed to maintain tele-
phone service in the city of Lancaster
without franchise and that the peo-
pie of Hubble were not allowed the
same privilege, this question Mr. Tom
1inson has not yet answered. Seeing
that vote upon the question was in
evitable Councilman Herndon fearing
it would be in favor of the Hubble peo-
pie, and plainly favoring the Basin
Telephone Co., to the exclusion of all
other telephone companies or promo
tiers, deliberately left the Council cham
Der, thereby breaking the quorum and
rendering any action in the matter i'm
possible.
County Attorney, Joe E. Robinson
was present, not in his capacity as an
attorney nor as the employe of any one
but to assist in the conservation of the
peoples rights, and made strong plea
that the Hubble people might be allow
ed the same privileges that are vouch-
safed the Basin Co.
Mr. Robinson called the attention to
one fact which is perhaps yet vivid in
the recollection of the citizens of Lam
caster, namely, that the present City
Council was elected upon a platform
pledging them to conservation of the
peoples rights in the telephone matter,
and pledging themselves to give the
people 81. telephone service. Just how
well this pledge is being carried out
may be readily seen.
The Record, would earnestly advise
the citizens of Lancaster, and of the
county as well, that they attend the
future meetings of the City Council,
see who is carrying out prediction
pledges, see who is standing for the
rights of the people as against a grasp
ing corporation, small one we will ad-
NIT, but nevertheless grasping one,
and we believe that their very pres
ence will have a moral influence that
will peroaps strengthen up the back
bone of the "City dads" If it does
not, you will surely go home wishing
that the recall" was in force in this
municipality.
In next weeks Record we propose to
give copy of the platform upon which
the present City Council was elected,
together with a few pertinent COM
ments.