The Anderson daily intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1915, 1914-11-20

l
opinion of City Attorney Sullivan.
and the subsequent action OF CITY
council, the matter of the franchise
granted the Southern Public Utilities
| Company which has been causing so
much comment in the city recently,
the following statement by Pres. u.
V. Taylor. will be Of interest. Mr..
Taylor impassionatcIy discusses the
franchise matter, and asks some per-
tinent questions. His communica-
cation is addressed to 1.-THE People of
| Anderson"
Charlotte, y. c.. Nov 16, 1914.
TO THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF
ANDERSON:
On the 11th day Of November, A..
d., 1914. 1 received through the
United States mail from our local
manager, Mr.. II. A. Orr. in the city
of Anderson. South Carolina, a copy
OF the following resolution purported
to have been passed by the board of
aldermen of your city:
Resolved, That the mayor and city
clerk and treasurer be and they are
hereby instructed to make no further
payments to the Southern Public IT'LL
tiles Company on the alleged fran
chise-contract' and white way con-
tract dated respectively February 10,
1914 and March /, 1914"
1 am addressing this to the people
OF Anderson who desire nothing more
than fair play.
Did the Southern Public Utilities
Compeny render the service called
Tor in this contract and IL so, does
not fair play dictate that 1t should
be paid therefor?
Do the people Of Anderson want
the Southern Public Utilities Com
pany to light their streets and fur
nish water for fire protection free of
charge?
If the franchise and contract are
invalid would 1t not be the proper
thing to pay the company for the
service it rendered and bring an ac-
tion in the courts to declare the con-
tract of no force and effect rather
than accept the service rendered in
good faith and then refuse to pay for
It?
We are perfectly willing that the
courts shall pass upon the validity of
this contract and this franchise and
have urged time and again that this
be done before we spent the last
thirty thousand dollars in the i'm
provement OF your water works sys-
tenn and your street lighting system.
This was not done and in all prob
ability we must suffer by reason Of
its failure to be done. Let 1t be done
now, but fair dealing demands that
the company that is furnishing you
service in the meantime be paid for
ii.
In this connection desire to ad-
wise the people OF Anderson that I
have asked the following questions of
your city council:
do you expect us to light your
streets and furnish water for your
hydrnnts. free of charge until such
time as you can make other arrange
ments or Is It your desire that we
discontinue the service?"
1 wish further to say to the people
OF Anderson that we intend to con-
time this service and to rely upon the
integrity of the courts of cur country
for more just treatment than has been
accorded us by the city council of
the city OF Anderson. In the event
VIZ lose In this controversy we will
take our losses like men, but your
services will be continued until such
time as your city council shall direct
VS. TO discontinue II. notwithstanding
the fact that we run the risk of SER
ious loss. AS we view 1t. we do not
regard the citizens OF Anderson as a
party to this controversy and in so
far as we can prevent it they shall
not be made to suffer on account OF
Il.
My attention has been further CALI
ed to an article appearing in The
Daily Intelligencer under date OF
November 10. written by G. Cullen
Sullivan, Esquire. city attorney. in
which he says that he frankly ad-
mits that he was "duped," This is
G very serious charge made by Mr..
Sullivan. not only against the writer
of this article. but against himself as
we'll, for II not only implies lack of.
moral courage and mental inferiority
on his part. but cunning chicnnery
and Interior purposes on my part.
So faf as the implied charge against
me is concerned l deny it emphatf-
cally.
During the time l csme in contact
with Mr.. Sullivan I acted with all
frankness and while / could not
agree with him as to his economic
Views / nevertheless accorded him
the honesty of his convictions Ind
admired the zeal With which he sup
ported them. He can not and will not
bring to your attention single prom
tse ever made TO the city council or
to the people OF Anderson that / have
not fulfilled. did tell his council,
while not making 1t as a promise. 4
hoped within 12 months to reduce the
rate for electricity In the city of An
derson to ten cents per K. w. II.
We did this within six months. We