| Show PEOPLE FAVOR m MUNICIPAL TELEPHONE A better belter attended meeting of tile the citizens of brigham city has not been held in a long time than that which was held at the opera housa tuesday evening called by the mayor tor for the purpose of finding out whether or not the people desire an ail investigation made as to the feasibility 0 of installing a municipal telephone system in brigham the house was filled to within a few rows of the front and many stood in the aisle at the back ol of the auditorium owing to the illness of 1 mayor fishburn Coun councilman climan it A madsen called the meeting to order and named sir bit J francis merrell as chairman alis norman lee was was made secret secretary arV and after the chairman had invited the representatives of the mountain states slates telephone hoile telegraph company and representatives of the bear river valley telephone company to take seats on the stage which they did the meeting was given edver to the people for the discussion ot of the matter at hand some little difficulty was experienced in in getting the question properly before tle the house in such a way that it could be talked to to and espres expressions from the city attorney W E davis da djs I 1 ands and councilman I 1 R A madsen made it plain that the theIa 1 l ayo ind and council were not prepared to aa make e 6 any ny S tate I 1 ment but awaited the desire of the I 1 people with respect to the action they should take in the matter it was as hi stat stated edtha that t ahe heom pany operating within the city was asking for a franchise and the council could not very well refuse them provided one could be dratted drafted that would be satisfactory to both parties lion hon john P holmgren nas as called upon for a speech and he related edthe the experience of the bear river allver valley farmers in getting their line started pointed out the difficulties they had to overcome and said that the dell bell telephone company came into their territory prepa prepared red to fight them to a finish but the farmers loyal and refused to accept free phones preferring to pay the tolls to their own company and in that way they won out mr stated that the loy loya allty lity of 0 the farmers was more than a match for the capital of the corporation and when it was all over and the dell people withdrew they came caine to the farmers and congratulated jhc thc m on being good sc rappers and then negotiations were entered into whereby the bell company took care of the long distance business of the farmers line the two dividing the tolls W mr holmgren cautioned the people to be deliberate and careful in tho the matter and be suie of their course before anything Is done in the way ot of putting in a municipal plant at the sometime same time assurian assuring g tho the people that it they decide to install a plant and everybody will be loyal to it there is no question but that it will be a success mr F A E U roche followed mr lir Honi homgren gren but declined to give any lacta facts and figures as lie he did not know lust just what the people wanted to know stated that he and his associates did not come down doun to brbgham to promote a municipal telephone but rather to give eive their experiences and any information they possessed bearing on the subject of installing and operating a telephone in the interests of 0 the people ile he was prepared he be stated to give facts and figures and to answer questions as they were acre called for and asked the matter was finally explained that the meeting was called to find out whether or not the people were in sympathy with the movement for a municipal telephone system enough to desire the appointment of a committee to moke make a thorough investigation of the question and to report back continued on page tire PEOPLE FAVOR MUNICIPAL TELEPHONE continued from page one t to 0 elthe the p people 9 ale at lt aass meeting to be h held at some future date mr R if jones secured the floor door and he let go go such a flood of 0 oratory that he was frequently interrupted by applause mr jones pointed out that it would be unwise for the city council to grant a franci franchise iise to the company at this time because of the fact that after a franchise has been obtained the community is at the mercy of the corporation ile he stated he was strongly in favor of a municipal telephone system and the matter of whether it would pay from the start was not a question to be considered but rather would it be a benefit to the people to serve their interests better than a private corporation could do ire he stated that the thing of most value to any corporation doing business Du siness under a franchise was the franchise itself and urged that the city do not grant tile the franchise asked tor for at this time mr jones finally made a motion that it be the sense of the meeting that the city council do not grant a franchise to the mountain afountain states telephone and telegraph company that it be the sense of this meeting that we want a municipal telephone plant and that it be the sense sens of this meeting that a committee of three be appointed to make an exhaustive investigation of the matter and report to a mass meeting to be called at a later date dale this motion was seconded and then further remarks were made mr air james knudson argued for caution and reminded the people that it costs money to install a telephone system said he was in favor of the movement it if the city can raise the money said he was in favor of the council granting the local company a franchise at once and if the city desires to install a municipal plant it can do so later attorney W J lowe read some legal points showing the powers of the city in creating a bonded indebtedness and also cited cases of law which involved the granting of long distance service P by a trunk line to a municipal corporation mr air lowe also gave a brief report of the present bonded indebtedness debt edness of tile the city and read the provisions of law with respect to raising funds for telephone purposes by direct taxation mr air norman lee favored the motion and said he did not expect that the committee would find no obstacles but it if we never make a move we will nev tr t r know tile the obstacles even i R al jeppson read a letter lie had received from the receiver of the davis county farmers telephone co which recited the costs of installing that system and the cost of maintenance in supplementing the information contained in the letter mr air jeppson stated that lie he was not in favora favor of it a municipal telephone i mr air john it t alloi diey anade an all amendment to the original motion that it grant the power to tile the city council to appoint the investigating committee in view of the fact that there will be some expense attached thereto and the city would then be authorized to defray same the motion received a second and mr air jehu jehn P christensen Chrls moved to amend the original motion once more by dividing it into three parts arts and voting on oil each part separately ara tely both amendments carried and then the motion was put each part separately and each motion carried without a dissenting vote A call was made for remarks from the al S T T co and mr air harold R smoot responded mr air smoot stated that his company including every official thereof thereat the would be at the service of the investigating committee to give them every information as to cost of 0 installation and operating a telephone system the meeting then adjourned the spirit of the meeting was an enthusiastic one and it if enthusiasm goes for anything sentiment Is overwhelmingly in favor of tile the municipal plant or at least of making a thorough investigation wt the matter to determine the exact status 0 of the case |
