The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-08-02
PHONE PROBE
OFF TILL Law
IS MADE CLEAR
Corporation Counsel Will Deter
mine Whether City or State
Has Jurisdiction
Won SCHLEGELL AND
BARNETT SQUABBLE
Verbal Battle Due to Attempt
To Introduce Unsigned Let
ter From Operator

Further investigation of the tel So
phone service will be delayed ~ tie
council committee Oh public utiEtIsa
until Assistant Corporation Counsel
Atkinson can prepare a. opir'on 10
TO the extent of the citys authority ~
forcing the company 20 better the ser
vlce
IN the second u.eetiae Of the com
mittee. Frida" morning. Aid. Joan :.
Lodge, chairman, suegeetad that N
view OF the public Statcr. ent, MACS re-
Gently by IaWtou =. Hemars. atate
raiiwas commissioner. that onplalhts
on telephone service Shouts o. made.
not 20 city authorities, bet To the con-
mission. az provided FOR In 'nc Giles
law, the committee ought 20 hrd OUT
where IL was OF before burLaniUg IL
self win more testimoay
Assistant Corporation Council A.
klnsor, VINO a;tsrocd the meeting N
tho double capacity % Gig cHicial aud
private citizen, ca7ing 4 PERSONAL
grievance against the coInQGny, hAI-
ardad the opinion that under The LcN
constitution the city might have sm'
pie authority to control the telephone
situation but he added That tne qCGs-
ton of where the proper authority
rests, with the store or muoicip1ity'
has never been thrssbed out IN
court.
Then l. as chairman OF this com
mittee, and the only member present
in this meeting, will direct the corpo-
ration counsels office TO furnish us
with a written opinion" said Aid.
Lodge. IF the corporation counsel
finds that we are without authority.
then we will turn our findings over TO
the state commission and ask that II
take the matter up Immediately. II,
on the other hand. We learn that this
committee has the necessary authority.
no time Will beslost in pushing the
Investigation already started II
there Is doubt as 10 where the author
ity rests, the matter Will be taken into
court and a decision obtained. because
think that the Importance of this in
vestigation demands prompt action
A. Won Schlegell general manager
of the Michigan State Telephone com
pany, and other company officials. at
tended the meeting. Aid Lodge de-
layed the hearing, which was 10 have
started at $50 o'clock, until almost
10, waiting for the other members OF
the committee to appear. Aid. Keat-
ing arrived late Aid. Schemansky
was unable to be present because OF
the death OF his mother Aid. Fret.
valid and Gilman did not show up
at all.
Aid Lodge refused to allow Clerk
Joseph Lougheed TO read an unsigned
communication. presumably from a
telephone operator. giving alleged rea-
sons for the poor service. Later Aid.
Barnett, who is responsible for the an
vestigation. and who turned the letter
over to the clerk, appeared and de-
manded that the letter be read Mr..
Won Schlegell objected. and an argu-
ment ensued between the telephone
company official and Barnett, the al
derman finally agreeing to withdraw
the letter after he had informed Mr.
Won Schlegell that the service is as
rotten as ever.
Only a few telephone subscribers
were present in the meeting
Chairman Lodge explained that the
prosecuting attorney and Attorney j.
=. Munsell who were supposed TO
have some interesting information re-
gardlng certain officials and former
officials OF the company as we'll as
other evidence concerning the free
telephone service extended to some
city officials, had not been served win
subpoenas, because unofficial informa-
ton was TO the effect that they had
no testimony 10 offer.
In answer 10 a direct question by
Chairman Lodge, as 10 what plans, II