| OCR Text |
Show FRAMISE GnAQfED' The Mount Pleasant City Council, at a special meeting held j early this week, took action in the matter of granting a franchise to a company composed exclusively of local people giving permission to construct and operate a telephone system in I his city which virtually insures the organization or-ganization of such a company here, the installation of an independent telephone system and the elimination of the Bell system from the local field. The ftiatter has been before the council for many months. It has been under consideration by the members during that time in connection connec-tion with an .. application from the Bell Telephone people for a renewal of the franchise which they now operate op-erate under and which expires next Fehruarv. The council has been un til now hopelessly divided on the question. The Bell system, an independent inde-pendent system and a municipal system sys-tem were all favored by members and as a result it has been almost a deadlock. dead-lock. The Bell people have made strong effort to retain its present standing here. Representatives have made repeated re-peated visits here and every possible inducement considered justifiable has been offered for a renewal of its franchise. fran-chise. . The point which, it is understood, finally caused the Bell people to withdraw was that of rates. A franchise fran-chise was submitted to the Bell representatives rep-resentatives at the meeting this week by the council which, among other features, provided fnai. the service rates be as follows: party residences, residenc-es, $1.00 per month; independent residences, res-idences, $1.50 per month and business busi-ness service, $2.00 per month. Those rates were prohibitive so far as the present company was concerned, as that institution charges considerable more, always. As the local company had named exactly those rates in its original application for a franchise, there was but one thfng left to be done; the Bell people withdraw and the local company take up the service. ser-vice. The final statement has been left to a committee of the council which, after a conference with those who are responsible for the home company com-pany agitation, will report back, and if a few minor points still unsettled are agreed upon, the franchise will be granted. It is understood the local company will organize immediately. It has scores of influential citizens' of the town numbered as stockholders and its capitalization is absolutely certain. cer-tain. In fact, it is already oversuh, scribed. As soon as the franchise ha? been formally granted, the work of installing the plant will be commenced, commenc-ed, the intention being to have the system ready for operation immediately immedi-ately after the present franchise ex pires in the spring. The new plant is estimated to cost from $7,000 to $10,000. I It is understood rhpre is ulrearlv talk of a county exchange in ttie near future, in which all independent exchanges will be interested. In fact Mount Pleasant has been the drawback draw-back to such an institution for some time. Ephraim is now the only large town in Sanpete in which the Bell company operates an exchange. All others are independent. |
