Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-07-30
TRSTAT|'E[' MAY
Sell PROPERTY
TON ". COMPANY
Council at Special Meeting
Annuls Franchise For ~.
That Purpose.
GAS IS
AGAIN DISCUSSED
Club. Wants
More Publicity Concern
ing Rules Of the Road.

At a special meeting Of the city
council last night it was decided, with
IL votes against 1. to grant the petit
ton, Of the Tri-State Telegraph &
Telephone Co.. praying for the annul-
ment OF the franchise of 1908, for the
purpose of enabling the company, to
transfer its local property, to the
Northwestern Telephone Exchange
Co. =
The council also delegated the mat
ter Of the railroad board hearing con-
corning gas and electricity surcharges
levied upon its customers by the Red
River Power Co, to the special sur
charge committee and the city attor-
ney, with the understanding that the
expenditures incurred in the investi-
cation cannot exceed $1,000 without
further action by a meeting Of the
council.
Resolutions to the effect hat the
council authorizes the city auditor to
serve notice upon the Red River Pow
er Co. that it is desired to renew the
contractors for city lighting and for
pumping water to the city filter. were
adopted. Lengthy discussion accom-
panied the various steps taken by the
aldermen.
Committee Presents Report.
The copaHittee on. telephones pre-
scented a report and a resolution rec
commencing the annulment of the Tri-
State franchise for the purpose Of
facilitating the u%nification Of the local
telephone systems. Practically all the
aldermen took part in the discussion
following the reading Of the commit
tees documents, and a number Of de-
tails were gone over very thoroughly
in an effort to ascertain exactly what
the city would gain and might lose by
adopting the recommendation.
During . the discussion it was
brought out that there are at the pres
ent time 562 duplicate telephones in
Grand Forks, and that their elimina-
ton would mea an actual gain to the
city as well as improved and. far more
complete service to the subscribers. II
al also limited that If no definite
action were taken at this time. the
government. in taking over the tele-
phone and telegraph lines of the
country tomorrow night, may compe
the u~nification of the local systems
without allowing the city the advan'
taees which would result from an ar.
rangement being made now.
One of the interesting facts empha.
sized during the evening was hat 2:
chief items in the field Of telephone
material had advanced in cost from
SO to 800 per cent since 1914, ant
that the average advance was abou'
125 per cent. This statement was pre-,
sented in an attempt to'show that thu
Tri-State company, operating at a dis
tinct loss. could not afford to pay, al
1t had been suggested an amount o.
approximately $4,000, correspondent,
to this 2 per cent gross revenue ta1
due the city from the company TO,
every remaining year Of the franchise
period which would expire in thu
year 1923.
When the motion to adopt the re
finally brought to a vote. IL alder
men were in favor of it, and on,
(Ald. Veitch) against it.
Hearing May Cost Much.
At the beginning Of the meeting las
night. City Attorney Geo. A. Bangs in
formed the council that he had re
ceived a letter from Attorney Genera
William LANCER, transmitting a com
munication from the firm of Hagenal
& Erickson, accountants in Chicago
who estimated the cost of the &C
counting work to be done on the Re.
River Power Co.'S books in connection
with the impending surcharge hearin,
before the board Of railroad commits
sioners at SIS per day, to be paid I,
the firms senior accountant; more ex
penses in connection with the me
chanical part of the work would b
necessary, but it was not thought tn
total expenAe in Fargo's case woul,
exceed $500, and the inference wa
drawn that in t4e case Of Gran,
Forks the expense might no
reach even this amount. r
The expenditure for accounting is
however, as it was pointed out at tn
meeting. only a part of the total cos
OF the hearing. as there would be ais,
expert engineering work to pay TO
in connection with the. valuation o
the local plant MI. Bangs estimate,
the probable cost Of the bearing to tn
city at between $3.50 and $3.50, and
while he thought it really was incum
bent upon the state to defray this ex
pense, he made it clear that the cit,
may as we'll make up its mind t
stand the expense under existing con
ditions, there being no laws on tn
statute books compelling the state t
shoulder the ost Of such hearings.
A discussion of the matter resulte'