The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1912-05-31
H0 w ELL A. DAVIS
CALLS A HALT
On Proposed Telephone Fran
Chise--Wants City
Protected.
Editor Palatka News

Editor Palatka News
There is an ordinance now pending
before the City Council, to be disposed
OF al Its next meeting, which in my
opinion concerns every citizen, there.
fore, may have sufficient space in your
paper TO voice my sentiment as private
citizen.
The ordinance in question is one
granting a 80 year franchise TO the
Southern Bell Telephone s Telegraph
Company for the use Of our streets and
highways, to maintain and operate a
telephone system in our city.
Now the question ! wish to call atten,
tion 10 is this. Should the City Coun.
Gil give TO this great and powerful cor
poration franchise to use our streets
for 80 years, absolutely free OF charge,
with no protection 10 its citizens as to
service or rates?
Franchises are becoming more and
more recognized as having enormous
values. SHALL WE GIVE OURS
AWAY?
Having served as Alderman for nine
years and Mayor for three years, have
given this subject conSiderab thought
and am thoroughly convinced that all
public utility companies, such as tele-
phone, electric light, street railroads,
gas and wafer works, should pay to the
city franchise tax of | or per cent
upon their gross income; furthermore,
the franchise should stipulate the maxi.
mum rates such utility company shall
charge, or else provide that the rates
shall be regu ated by the city
The only consideration in the ordi-
nance now pending before the Council
is that the Company shall, upon de.
mand, provide one cross arm on each
pole, on which the City of Palatka,
may desire TO attach either fire alarm
telegraph or police telegraph wires :"
1t does not even provide that such cross
arm shall be kept in repair.
II is true that the telephone company
has submitted an agreement that it is
willing 10 enter into with the City of
Palatka and which specifics the rates it
will charge, and upon first reading one
is liable to be impressed with the lber-
ality the company is willing to have i'm
posed upon il in the way of an AGREE
MENT? in order 10 get the franchise il
is seeking, but if one will carefully
study this agreement, they can easily
find great many loop holes the COM
pany could get out of, leaving the bag
for the city 10 hold.
grant that the present telephone SER
vice is not what the citizens of Palatka
are entitled to, and | can readily under
stand the desire of some of the Alder.
men 10 try and better the service; but no
ordinance, granting a franchise, should
be passed upon separate agreements or
verbal promises of the representatives of
the telephone company. Every thing TO
safeguard the interests of all parties con
cerned, should be specified in the ordi-
nance granting the franchise.
The ordinance now pending before
the City Council does not provide any
thing, BUT THE ABSOLUTE FREE
USE OF OUR STREETS FOR A TERN
OF THIRTY YEARS.
The ordinance should provide that
the latest and most up TO date system
shall be installed within specified time
aud be maintained as such, a franchise
tax, maximum rates to be charged, and
other safeguards, both to the company
and city.
In conclusion let me urge that the
citizens and property owners take Suf-
ficent time to study this proposition,
discuss it and endeavor 10 influence
their alderman to safeguard the interests
of the city. Our streets and highways
have money value and we should not
permit any corporation TO use them
without some revenue therefore for the
city in return; any more than a property
owner would furnish fine office build
ing without revenue The time is past
for the giving away of valuable franchi-
SeS. Respectfully,
HOWELL a. DAVIS.