Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 74, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 December 1909 — KILL FRANCHISE TO TELEPHONE CO. [ARTICLE]

KILL FRANCHISE TO TELEPHONE CO.

City nnimnil Dhflvc Dniud of vttj uUUIIuII UUOJo Duttuat vl Old Company. THE GOUNTBY PEOPLE BE-D As Usual, Is Policy Pursued.—Also IDII Movement for Lady Member of School Board By Electing Dictator Thompson To Fill C. W. Coen’s Place—Old Council Retires With An Unenviable Record. At the meeting of the Common Council Monday night all members were present as were also In person or by proxy each of the four or five local stockholders of the Jasper County Telephone Co.—about half of this stock Is owned by two nonresidents of Indiana.Mayor Ellis presented the resignation of C. W. Coen as a member of the Rensselaer school board, which was accepted, and the council proceeded to elect a member in his stead. While It was a well konwn fact that a woman’s movement had been under way for the past month to have a wd|nan appointed in Mr. Coen’s place, and that the matter was to be presented at the first meeting of the incoming council, the old council bosses decided otherwise and balloted for a member to succeed Mr. Coen, thus heading off any “new woman” movement/ Councilman Gerber, democrat, voted all the way through tor J. A. McFarland, democrat, after three ballots Delos Thompson, president of the Jasper County/Telephone Co., and who could not In a regular election get 25 per cent, of the votes of the citizens of Rensselaer to any office, was elected. \ In the' first and, second ballots' Thompson got two votes, G. A. Williams one—Mose Leopold Is slated to succeed Mr. Williams as city attorney—two. and J. A. McFarland one. In the third ballot Thompson got three, Williams one and McFarland one. Thompson was declared elected and the woman movement, while It was favored by a majority of the people, was given a knock-out blow.

The deed to the city from the surviving members, of the Rensselaer Drainage Association for lands alleged to be owned by such association in the bed of the Iroquois river was presented and accepted. The franchise to the Home Telephone Co., was next taken up for Anal passage. Not satisfied with tacking on all the objectionable riders that the active mind of the president of the old company could suggest, this time one more restriction —which, by the way, although something never required from outsiders, to whom the glad hand is ever extended by the council in preference to honest home interests—a rider was attached providing that the new company could never sell out or transfer its property to any other company without the consent by re-' solution of the council —How in contrast with the council’s action in the 75-year franchise recently granted with a whoop to the Chicago bucket-shop promotor of the “Northwestern Indiana Traction Company.” President R. J. Yeoman, VicePresident Frank Welsh and Directors Marlon Adams, Harvey Davisson and F. E. Babcock were in attendance at the meeting and Messrs. Yeoman and Adams clearly stated the position of the new company and rebuked some of the numerous aspersions cast upon it by the Thompson emisaries.

After discussing the matter to some extent the council, by a unanimous vote, killed the franchise. The following claims were allowed: CORPORATION FUND. W S Parks, marshal $30.00 E. M. Thomas, nightwatch. . . 25.00 Chas. Morlan, clerk 25.00 J H S Ellis, mayor 20^83 H L Brown, councilman.... 6.66 J F Irwin, same 6.66 Eli Gerber, same., 6.66 C G Spltler, same e!66 Geo F Meyers, same 6.66 Fire Dept, salary 4th qr. .. . 84.26 Same, disability fund...... 326 Maines ft H, coal c ha 11.... 9.25 J A La rah, mdse fire dept... 11.14 ROAD FtTND. Bert Campbell, labor with tm 25.00 Andrew Wheeler, haul coal 21.00 A 1 Fletcher, cleaning walks. 7.60 Jake Gilmore, same...,. 7.60 Jean Smith, work on sfrftil. 4.00 John M. Knapp, use of \<t#ae 11.00 Firman Rutherford, cement walk, College ave 5.20 LIGHT FUND. C S Chamberlain, salary.... 60.0 g "Mel Abbott, same 20.00

Dave Haste, same. J 30.00 Western Electric Co, supplies 52.68 Electric Appliance Co, same 21.72 F Bissell Co, same 31.10 Ed Randle, work on furnace l.bu C W Platt, same 3.00 Tull Malone, work on line. . 8.50 Standard Oil Co, oil 28.42 Shirley Hill Coal Co, coal.. 144.03 J A Larsh, merchandise.... 28.80 Mose Leopold, pay on b0nd.500.00 Same, freight 92.78 WATER FUND. Ed Hopkins, salary. 30.00 Globe Oil Co, packing 7.18 Mose Leopold, in on bonds. .288.72