Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 79, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 March 1909 — ACTION DEFERRED. [ARTICLE]

ACTION DEFERRED.

Attempt to Rush Telephone Franchise Fails.

A BIG REMONSTRANCE IS FILED

Against Granting the Proposed Raise In Rates, Signed By 140 Users of Phones, Several of Whom Have Two Phones—Matter Con tinned To Special Meeting To Be Held Thursday Evening—Not Much Done Except Argue Telephone Franchise At Monday Night's Meeting of the City Council.

At the meeting of the city council Monday night not much was done except to argue the proposed granting of a new franchise to the Jasper County Telephone Co., for a period of 20 years from April 1, 1909. A petition signed by 146 representative telephone users of Rensselaer, many of whom have two phones, one at their residences and one at their places of business, protesting against the granting of the franchise by which the present rates are to be increased from $1 and $2 per month to $1.50 and $2.50. Councliman Spitler moved to Suspend the rules and place the proposed ordinance on passage, granting the franchise asked for by Delos Thompson, president of the company. The motion was lost. Mr. Spitler then moved to place the ordinance on passage in the regular way, but no action was taken, and the council after arguing for some time, voted to adjourn until Thursday evening, when the matter will again come up. The remonstrance which was filed did not contain but 146 names but was representative of the business men and resident telephone users of the city, and it was not thoroughly circulated, either. It is likely that many more names will be filed before the Thursday night meeting. We have not the space to publish the entire ordinance asked for, but here is one section at least that ought to be modified, should the council over-ride public’ sentiment and grant the franchise: Section fc, provides that any farmars’ mutual lines that may be established in the territory served by said company, it (the J. P. T. Co.) will furnish switch board connections at 35c per month per phone, if at least eight subscribers are furnished on each line and the prompt payment of all tolls originating on said farmers’ lines. (Now here is the joker), "and provided said company’s competing lines are purchased at a .(air appraised value.” In other words, before any farmers’ line could secure switchboard connections it would have to purchase the lines of the old company. We know nothing about the rate asked for conections, after any new company had been compelled to buy up the old country lines now in use or that may be put in in the next 20 years, whether it is too high or not, but it would seem that the advantages of such connections ought to be mutual.