The Lakeland evening telegram., 1914-08-18
CITY ATTY DISCUSSES
TELEPHONE FRANCHISE


nit giving it space in the Lakeland
Evening Telegram, the writer as
sures you of his appreciation.
Recently this petition was circu-
lated among the prominent men Of
our city:
"To the Honorable Board of City
Commissioners:
We, the undersigned patrons Of
the Peninsular Telephone Company.
at Lakeland, knowing there is urg-
ent need for the extension and i'm
rrovement of the Telephone system
in Lakeland requiring the eXpendi-
turp of large sums of money. and
ralizing that money cannot be OBJ
tanned for such expenditure without
fair return on the investment,
hereby express to your honorable
body, our approval of the granting
of extension of the franchise of the
company, for the period of thirty
900 years as authorized by law.
And when the company shall have
installed an underground cable sys
TEN, removed the poles and overhead
wires from the principal streets of
the city; provided facilities so that
all patrons who desire it may have
private line service; and shall. have
installed a common battery system
by which central is signalled by TAX
ing the receiver off of the hook
without the trouble of ringing, we
are willing to pay an increase of
(50) cents for private line telephone
service, upon the further condition
that the company shall continue to
render selective party line service at
the present rate. "
This petition purports to be rec
ommendation on the part of the ma
jorty of the telephone users of the
city of Lakeland tnat the commits
sioners give the Peninsular Telep-
hone Co. a franchise for thirty years
to conduct a telephone system in the
city of Lakeland Suppose, however,
that we analyze the paragraphs of
the petition that we may know what
is essentially stated therein.
The essense of the first paragraph
appears to be this: Patrons of the
Peninsular Telephone Co., because
the present service is poor and
money is needed to extend ard per-
feet the system, suggest to the board
of commissioners that franchise be
given for thirty years to this cor
poration.
Upon examination, however, it
does not appear that the present in
efficient service has any connection
with the length of the Franchise and
has no connection with the giving
of new franchise.
And the second paragraph upon
analysis says merely, it is believed,
our present system is inadequate,
and that IF a certain telephone sys-
TEN is installed the telephone com
pany will charge half a dollar more
to users of the EFFICIENT system
and promises not to charge more to
those who prefer the present INEF-
FlClENT service.
This petition should show by its
wording reason for the extension
of the franchise as heretofore men
toned. The old stock reason that
money can not be Interested for
short period is not even used.
1t is believed that most of the
sisners of mentioned petition will
agree with the writer that tho true
import of the petition is protest
against the continuance of the pres
ent inefficient and out of date tele-
phone system which we have in our |
city, yet the telephone company did |
not hesitate in saying to the body
which has the power to grant a
Just look at the names
Of telephone users who want to give
is short thirty-year franchise
This is believed to be the tele-
phone situation. By ordinance No.
81, in 1901 Messrs. w. G. Brorein
and Guy Huffman were granted a
to operate telephone
system in Lakeland for the period
of twenty years Some manner Of
of these PRIVILEGES oc-
,urred to the corporation known as
he Peninsular Telephone Co. The
present public service corporation
hold a franchise which will expire
ly limitation in 1921. This corpora
ion is about to ask for an extension
If this franchise for the period of
hirty years. For this extension !
he city is eiven nothing, aiuelt the I
Telephone Co suggests that 1T MAY
,ut in a common battery service and
'harge fifty cents more for the SER
ice to those who care to avail them
elves of it.
Can we give sensibly any corpora
ion 4 franchise to do business for