HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrd. 1-10-1896 - Southwestern Bell phone rates
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ALBERT OUTHWAITE BLACKWELL
LA PORTE ,TEXAS
5-27-1g.
TO the Mayor and Oity Council of the City of La Porte,
LaP 0 r t e, T e x a s.
Gentlemen:
I have not had an opportunity of examining the
Ordinance boot containing the Ordinanoe granted to
the TelerJlone Company. I am, therefore, not prepared to answer
fully and completely the questions in referenoe to the
regulation of rates. I am inclinej to think, however, t~at
_, .. tr.e__!ran&h1i_~,;does."not ,l:ro.Y.1de. for the...,.r.agula.tion..o.f rates..
an~ if that is the case we will bave to be governed by the
statute. Article 1C1g, Chapter 12, Cities Act, Vernons
Sayles Texas Civil Statutes, provides:that oities of Dore
than 2000 inhabitants may reB~late oertain of the pUblic
utility corporations as to rates &ld com2ensation by
ordinanoe of the city oouncil. This stat~te, how~ver, does
not seem to include the Telephone COQPp~1es, although under
it there are some references to telephone companies in the
Court decisions. This, hO'.vevelo, seems to be in the oity of
Dallas case, where they were op~rating un~er a referendum
~rcvisicn. I am quite olear that this statute, therefore,
does not apply tc us and that w: cannot take adv~ltage of 1t.
Chapter 13, ho~ever, provides:
".All extortionate ar.Ld unreasona.ble rates charged
by public utility corporations, as herein~fter definec,
are hereby deolared to be unlawful; an~ the district
oourts of this state are hereby vested with jurisdiction
and full power an~ authority to regulate, prevent and
abolish the same; and, to this end, said oourts are
given the power and authority, whenever the public tn-
.. ' --. . - tel'est---mey -r-equi--re-,'-'w--f-1x. and--eetab!:1sh rat"es for the
servioe and ~roducts of all publio utility cor~orat1cns,
and., whenever the pUblio interest t:18.Y require and
to ol1-1"1'Y out the provis ions herein conferred, said.
courts are bereby expressly authorized to issue
injunctions, quo warranto, and all other write for
the purpose of carrying out an~ making effeotive the
purposes of this chapter, and said ~rita shall be
govsrnedby the rules and regulations now presoribed by
law; prov.1ded, that nc prooeeding shall be begun ill a dis-
trict,court having for its purpose ~he fixing cf ratsa of
public utiJ i'ty carr-orations, until and unless the city
council 0: the city or to~~ des1rind tc invoke the pc~er
herein ccnferred. upon the .:.:..istrict ....courts shall cOkIl.t.;ly
;ori thtt.e pl'ov-1s ions of Article 1020 of this chapter. II
Article 1026 alluded to is as follo~s:
"If the city oouncil of any oity or to~m. ll1corpo-
rated under the general laws of this state, sh~ll desire
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to invoke the power of the ~1striot oourt granted in
article 1025 of this chapter, suoh oouncil shall, by
a two-thirdS vote of all the ~;C1'ClberB elected to said
oounoil>> pass,a resolution setting forth the matters
oomplained of, nam1na: t1;le oorpora.tion a.gainst whioh the oom-
plaint is made, and in a. general way the reasons for suoh
com~laint, and shall cause a copy of the same to be
delivered to the president, \tice president or seoretary of
said oorporation, Orcau$e to be left a. copy of said resolution
__~~'-~ the_f.!~noipa1 ~ffioe of such oorpora.tion. n
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It Wou14, therefore, seem that if the council should
decide it was wise to do so. that the proper notioe should be
prepared and served on the Telephone Com;any. Then after
twenty d.a~'s if no attention has been paid of if they have
failed to right the rLiatter. action t~Jay be begun in the District
Court.
I nO,te that the oity of Beaumont is oonsidering
these questions a.nd I assume from what I lsarn that the
0iroular sent out was general to most if not all of the towns
in the south part of the State.
As to the propriety cf" the rates, I would gay that ct
pr~sent the city Of Houston'rates for residenoea are but t2.00 per
month and that th~ proposed increase at Beaumon't is only $2.5C.
The proposed inorea,sEl in Houston is also I believe but ~'3. CO
and oonsidering the size of these oities and the service
furnished, i tseerrs to Yale tha.t the ra.te propos ed at La Porte
of ~2.25 for resi4enoes is entirely too high. This, of course,
1s a quest10n ir the oounoi1 to oonsider, however. I will be
glad to disoue,s this ~estion withYQu ora1~y at your meeting
,~~_~~_ _.. when we \"1111 have the ordinance before us.
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AOB.S
Youts veJY truly,
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From this it will be seen that to take in the
inha"Jitated territory desired, some sort of expression of
approval is neoe$sary. The deoisions under this statute,
however, are that nO for~a1 el~otion is required. The
voters interested may express their preferenoe on the subjeot
by any method of voting satisfaotory to theoselves and to the
oity oounoil; and when it is shown DY a proper affidavit that
a majority favored annexation, the oity oouncil is authorized
to reoei~e the territory of their residenoes into the,city
limits. See Gr~wm v. City of Greenvi1la, 67 Texas, 02.
-~._.,___~oha.bly the--be-t-t-&r-W&y.:...:un~%- thltl--Ar-tlo1e would. be for the
"., prop1e of the terti tc:ry;:des1rous of' 'being" ahliexed should
the~selves oall an infcrca1 e1eotion and certify the
r~eult under oath to the Mayor and Town Ccunc11, after whioh
the Ccunoil would. be au~hor1zed to pass an ordinat~oe receiving
tbe inheb1tad terr1toryae a part of the city.
If you should deo ide to take a'5van ta.ge of either of
these Artioles of the Stetute, ! will be glad to prepare the
neoesea~r papers.
AOE.S
Yours ve~r truly,
~ tf Nk~~.~'
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RESOLUTION
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~A8, i~ would be of great. benetit to the
people o:t La Po:r~e 1t the Telephone Exchange of the South-
we.tern Bell 'l'elephon~ Coapany _. moved to a lIore central
looation 1n the bueine.. cUatrict, and
~AS, the growthot fa Porte ha., b..n BUob
that 1a~Be additions to the telephone plant in Tarloua parte
ot the City .n i1ec~e.ar1' that the "people ., obtain tele-
phone .ex-.ice whel-"e and. when they need it. and
'waRlAS~ the SOLlth......t.rn Bell telephone Com-
pany represent. to the, City Co....10n that 'sald. mov. wlth
8a1d ex'ttnelon. -ill JIl$aIi an increa8ed 1nveetDlen t ot s.veral
thousand' 401~r., . and.
wHEREAS.-, the 8011thw..tem Jell Telephone Com-
panT tur~er repre..nta ~at it..pre..~t :rate. in the City of
La Porte _1'" Dot ~uoh .'. to 71e1.,. & tair return on the tall'
'Yalue loft ita preltnt plant llled and llaetul in render!. ..r-
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T10e to It,e patron. in the City of la' Por1i'e, and
WltE~$.,tbe :QQJ.&1l:a.weste1'!.l ,-~elJ. '1'elephoD' Com-
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pan, has . lawful ~1Sbt to ebar._ luch rate. tor it, .erTiee
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... rill J1.lald.t.be. :_1~ COIIp&rq & tall' retu,m on the fa1r
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value ot i \8pf1ant'ulle4 and. \UI.~.l 1n rerut.nns "2'''101 in
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the City or La Por~~.&ft4
..lfHIilDAS. ~h'80"t:a......,.= lell f.lepPft. 0011.-
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pany repr..eQ'. that ,it i. read1 to contraot tor a n.. loo~
tlon and DlOV. it. otfloe to the bU811i... d1s't:rl.ot and _ke
the n.c:.....nr extenslonaat a coat ot upward. of ten thousand
':~~.
A!T.lESTs
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C1ty Secreta1'1.
ot the C~ ty
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T1ce tumlehed in ~.. 01 ty ot La Port.e, Texas, attd :that sucb
lawful right. are'.peclfloall1 re.,rv.ed:b;y' the,Cltt 'co.ueslon.
The abaTe -..olutlon was paeeed at a meeting
CO_ieBion at lA Porte. 1':exa$. on the .. I.(J;/;:_da7
~. 1927.
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Pl'Ovlded thai nothing' ,1n thle "solution 18
intended to _alT' the City Commde.lon'B ~.tUl right. to at
an,- tl_ lnqw.re lnto and regulate rate8 tot" '1'el~phon. aer-
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· . '4.50 Per Jronth
. . 3.50. ·
.. 1.00 tt It
. . 2.75" ·
~. 2.25 H ..
.. 1.75 d n
.. .50:tI tt
BUIlneBe Telephone. . . . . . .
BUe1n... ~0.Part7 Telephone. .
BUBlne.. ~tenB1oD Telephone, .
a.aidenee Telephone. .... ~ .
R.8J.den~e fwo--Part:r -relephont.
Residence 'oqr.Party Telephones
R.aldeno. Ixtenllon Tele>>hone.
Porte. Texas:
,/ Ci ty of ..La' Porte 'w111 not oJ>poee the' putting 'into' .itec',
the roUo.lng 'rat.. fOl"Telephone Se~1ce in t,he ~ltY' ot La
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reJld.erlng telephone sC!rY1ce in the at,or'.a1d' city. .
BOW t 'mERl;1J'OBI, be it ,resolved: That the
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401lar8 jiitdeelrea befo~e inoreastn; 1~'.:1n...e.tment in La
por~e.'i: h~V. .,the a.stlr.ce' ot the city: C~~8"1.n, of the
Cl1i~f La Porte tba,t ~,re w1~i be rio O-P~~8'~t.10n ~D the part
I the aalll C1V.CO~a.al01l . to the. 8,ald' c~ eeiablhhillg
/8UCh rates tor 8er~lo. a8 ~111 71814 .,not ~~ excess: ot & tall'
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I return on the fall' Talue ot 1t8 plan, used, and ueetal in
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COPY
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LA' 'JiORT~ ~rJttAS
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January 10, 1896
&~ OBDlmANC~ that the right 1s hereby granted to tho
Southwestern Telegraph and Telephone Company, Its
suocessors a.nd ass1gniE), to erect and maintain Upon the
most di:reot route through the sa.id city of La Porte.
Texas, pOles, fixtures and wires neoessary and conveniont
for the purpose of supplying to the oitizens of said c1ty
and the pUblic, commun1cat1on by telephone over tho long
distanc$ and metallic circuit lines oonnecti~g the establ-
ished system of the Southwestern Telegraph and Tele 'hono
Company, and its connecting 11nes.
, - ",_ ,-~- __TJl~_...loca~lQn, Qf _the PQ~~g.!l<l_ l_1.~cs, and
any ohange therGln or extension thereof, shall be done
under the direction of the ci~y council of said city of
La Porte. Texas.
Said poles and wires shall be placed and
mainta1ned so aanot to interfere with travel on said
highways; and said l3'OliiIpany shall hold sa 1d c1 ty frOG and
harnless trom all damages arisin3 by reason ot any abuso
and negligenee in 'said oooupa~cy, Said poles shall be so
placed as not to interfere with the flow of water in any
sewer, 88sgra,de. or OnS,1.l3El ot ~ade, of the street or
streets oocu~1ed by said company. said poles shall bV said
con~any be reset so as to conform thereto. And this grant
1s ~ade and 1s to be enjoyed, Gubjeot to all such reasonable
regulations and ordinances of a pOlice nature as aaiu city
council ~y be authorized, or see proper, at any ttme, to
adopt, not destructlve~ or the rights herein granted.
The r1sht of use here given shall not be
exclusive, and the Council ~eserves the power to grant like
right of use to others for s10llar uses; the same, however.
not to interiere ~ith the proper exercise of the privileges
- here1n-.gr..anto.d.. - "' " .. _ _ . _ ' ,
Approved Jan. 10, 1896
(Signed) W. All Irvine. Mayor
Attest:
B. Westen, See.y.