The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1916-03-27
VIEWS OF MIR. GROCE ON
THE COUNCIL CONFERENCE

conference between members OF the
CITY council. MFR. Earle and citizens.
in respect 20 the proposed telephone
merger is subject TO differences so
unfair 20 members OF the council
aud myself that must protest.
From your report one would nat
urally infer that ITS all over but
the shouting" whereas. while the
members OF the council heard Mr..
Earle very patiently. and sought to
learn lust what he wished, and pro-
posed. not councilman expressed
anv conclusion whatever. but each
and all studiously avoided commit
ting themselves to anything.
You say lit is believed now that
tho city council looks with favor
on Mr.. Earle's proposition and that
there will be little trouble I'm get
ting together"
In this the wish is probably the
father to the thought, for not
councilman gave expression TO any
such sentiment or idea.
You say that it was decided that
Judge Groce. Alderman Williams
and City Attorney Sullivan would
draw up resolution that would
cause the telephone company to sub
scribe to all the things promised
and have same ready TO submit to
the council at an early date when
the people at large would be asked
to come before the council and give
their views on the subject.
As a matter OF fact not a conclu-
sion OF any kind was announced by
any councilman nor was anything
to be written by anyone until all
details upon which a merger might
be permitted we're fully agreed to.
The natural inference from your
report of the smail part l took in
the conference Is we'll illustrated by
n remark of friend to me soon AZ
ter jreadlng what you said which
was, In substance. 80 you have de-
serted US. gone over to the other
side and will write the merger or
dinance."
What did transpire was that az
ter hearing Mr. Earle and it having
appeared that his verbal assurances
and tho documents offered by him
| for adoption did not harmonic IN
material respects. councilman
asked me how | thought the action
OF the council should be formulated
| if a merger was allowed. To this
| | answered, in substance, that /
| thought no amendment of the exist
ing franchise should be made, but
that any special privilege to be al
lowed should, with what was de-
manded of the telephone company,
be embodied In the ordinance CIV
| ing consent TO the merger, If there
was TO be such consent.
A councilman then suggested that
| be employed. and paid fee, for
drafting such ordinance as might be
agreed upon. but. being present not
in search of a job. but as private
citizen interested In a public ques-
ton. | declined to accept paid EN-
lployment, but volunteered to assist
the city attorney in the preparation
of any ordinance that might be fl
Inally agreed upon.
What | further said was. in sub
stance, that | was glad to have
heard Mr.. Earle's statements. and
would be glad for him to hear mine.
That in states having Public Utili-
ties commissions the matter of COM
Ipetition between public service cor
operations was not so vital as IN
Estates where no such commissions
lexist. That in Texas we have no
lsuch commission, and that our pres
lent charter furnishes no effective
iway of regulating public service
corporations, and that hence
llHpuEHt IL NttS ilhPots ohs sAfe ~
should preserve what competition
We had and that the council should
be very careful in making further
franchise grants. That we expect
ed soon TO submit to the people fol
adoption, a new charter for Waxa-
hachie under which, if adopted, the
powers of the coupcil would be
livery greatly enlarged and l thought
the matter of telephone merger
lshould await the action OF the peo'
pie on such a new charter That
while il might be true, as Mr.. Earle
contended. that there was some in
creased cost per unit in operating
| a telephone system as the patron
Iage increased, | could not see thai
: a merger OF the two local exchange:
would increase the cost of opera