Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 134, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 December 1909 — NO MALACE IN REFUSAL TO GRANT A FRANCHISE. [ARTICLE]

NO MALACE IN REFUSAL TO GRANT A FRANCHISE.

Democrat’s Effort to Create Strife Between Councilmen and Country People Is Baby Play. The Republican does not believe in raking over the bones of a closed incident and, having expressed itself so fully about the telephone franchise and commented on the action of the council in refusing to grant the franchise, we should let the incident pass without further notice except for the loqg bluster about the matter by the Democrat.

The people well know, farmers and town people alike, ‘ subscribers for stock and directors in the Home Telephone Co. as well as others, that there was no malice whatever in the action of the council, and that there was nothing to denote that the action was not the free will of each individual member of that body. The sole reason that the vote against it was unanimous was because Secretary Babcock of the company, had made application to have the increase of rates section inserted. Mr. Irwin, at whose action the Democrat takes special umbrage, is known to have favored the granting of the franchise.at the $1 and $2 rates, and Mr. Meyers, who has always been opposed to the granting of an increased rate ordinance, also favored it. Mr. Gerber was the special emissary of the company, and Dr. Brown would probably have voted for it. These things were known to the directors of the company and to their secretary and when the ordinance was in a way to be passed the offensive change in rates was introduced and all turned against it. Mr. Gerber was appealed to by many good citizens to vote against the measure solely on the grounds of the increase that it provided arid he deserves credit for his action. During the evening Mr. Gerber turned to Secretary Babcock and asked if the directors would not be willing to have the ordinance changed so that $1 and $2 would be the maximum rates, and Mr. Babcock did not answer, although Marion Adams said that he would be willing provided the magneto system could be installed at that price. And the magneto system, be it understood, is the same that the Jasper County Co. has, and there would be no competition and simply the necessity on the part of every one in business to put in two phones and pay two prices. We fail to see how expense would be kept down if a person has to maintain two telephones instead of one. Several things of this sort created a suspicion of the motive of the company and its secretary and it was these things that caused its defeat.

Dr. A. R. Kresler probably stated the feeling of the citizens of Rensselaer better than any one, when he said that, he opposed the granting of a franchise that would compel persons situated as he was to instal additional phones, because of the additional cost and the confusion. He stated that he favored allowing the operating company to continue during the life of its franchise and near its expiration to have the city attorney draw up an ordinance providing for the kind of a franchise the city would be willing to grant and let competing concerns make offers for it.

The people are opposed to two telephone companies. They are opposed tq an increase of rates. They are in favor of having all subscribers connected with a central switchboard and of having an ordinance that will require the company operating to supply good service within a reasonable bound of expectation. The Democrat seeks to stir up strife between the people of the country and the city: This is baby play. This council would have refused to have granted this franchise with 'ess discussion if every stockholder had lived right in Rensselaer. At least three members.of this council have been farmers themselves and all are doing business with the farmers and have their confidence more than has tile sly secretary x>f the defeated company, who was ready at any time to give the stockholders in his concern a "big dumping” if he saw an opportunity to pull off a deal whereby he would reap the profit. The telephone of the Republican office was kept busy Tuesday and Wed-

nesday answering calls from the country, inquiring the fate of the franchise and all seemed pleased at the result. One of those who called stated that he had subscribed for a share of stock in the Home Telephone Co. but was glad the franchise had been defeated. It may be remembered that when the Democrat was having a fit about the electric railroad franchise it spoke of the fact that C. G. Spitler, a member of the council, had drjnvn up the franchise, considering this a very grave abuse of his office. At the same time this same critic, as secretary of the Home Telephone; Co., employed the Rensselaer city attorney, whose duty it is to represent the city, to draw up the franchise for the telephone company. Consistency seems to form a small part in the make-up of this self-styled "friend” of the people. The clause attached to the ordinance that provided that it could not be disposed of to another company was written by Attorney Williams, who was protecting the city, and it was this clause that seems to have injured the scheming secretary's sensitive honor. He rants about it terrlflpally. It was inserted to prevent the bartering of the franchise, and therefore the offense. While most of the men who associated themselves with Babcock in the telephone promotion enterprise are above reproach, the impression prevails that Bab himself was not acting in good faith even with them and this was another sufficient excuse for the refusal of the franchise. Bab's bubble busted, his hope of a "big deal” vanished, and his ranting is the natural consequence and excusable on these grounds. In the meantime the telephone businesscrests easily and the people, city and country, are not suffering. Let it rest. The public as well as the principals need a rest.