Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 79, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 March 1909 — WHY DID THEY NOT ASK IT THEN? [ARTICLE]

WHY DID THEY NOT ASK IT THEN?

In another column we present the “other side” of this telephone proposition. In our humble opinion, however, no city council should be permitted to vote away valuable franchises without the question having been submitted to a vote of the people of such city at an election held for the purpose. We have not the time to comment at length on this article, it having been handed us for publication but a short time before we go to press, but the statement that the present franchise was granted when there were but 75 phones here is an error, unless we ignore the fact that an extention of some ten years was granted under the old Tom McCoy regime of running city affairs, This extention was asked for by the present company and granted without any increase of rates then in force, and there ngist have been 500 phones in use here then.