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VOLUME XXVII
ALLIAXCE, BOX BUTTE COUNTY, XEBKASKA, I'KIDAY, A1M5II, HO, 19-.U
NUMBER 41
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PHONE FRANCHISE
STILLUP IN AIR
Company Laying Low to So What
Council Intends to Do Im
provements Needed.
f
The Nebraska Telephone company
is pursuing a policy of "watchful
waiting" these muddy sin-inn days.
In some parts of the city they are
unable to give Individual phones to,
customers, despite the fact that par
ty lines are no longer popular. Some
of these days, when the council
passes a franchise, the company will
spend some more money In install
ing needed improvements and exten
sions, but, as Commercial Superin
tendent F. A. May told the council
at one of the earlier April meetings,
they do not intend to spend a dime
until given the legal right to do busi
ness in the city.
At the fourth council meeting of
the month, Councilman Harris in
troduced a resolution providing that
the sum of $100 a month for occu
pation tax be asked of the Nebraska
Telephone Company, and this resolu
tion was adopted unanimously. The
company has not commented on the
. resolution, although, from remarks
made by company representatives,
thin amount is considered outra
geously high. Other cities the size
of Alliance impose a tax, of from $50
to $76 a year, Mr. May told the coun
cil at one time, and there is no ques
tion that a tax of $1,200 a year wVU
meet with firm objection.
Just what, will happen if the com
pany refuses to accept a franchise
with so stiff an occupation tax and
the council refuses to concede a thin
dime? It opens up the opportunity
for a fine little racket in which the
citizens will get the worst "of it. The
council declares that it wants the
company, to do business here. In
fact, members of the council bare
repeatedly said that they don't want
any other company. But somehow,
when it comes time to talk turkey,
someone mruws a uiuuney wreucu
into the franchise machinery.
The company's attitude is pretty
-well represented by a' tale told by
Councilman Moore at the Thursday
evening session of the council, where
a quorum failed to appear. Mr.
Moore said that he had been called !
to the phone the previous evening, 1
and a woman's voice asked anxi
ously: "Can I get a phone put in?"
"How do I know?" asked the ,
councilman in turn. "I'm not in
charge of the telephon einstallations.
Why don't you take it up with the
company's manager?" I
"I did," the woman replied, "and
be told me to ask the council."
Clay Harry, the local manager,
says that the case in question is one
where it would have been necessary
for the company to set new poles and
string new wire in order to give the
customer phone service. He says
that he told the woman the circum
stances and explained that the com
pany did not, under the circum
stances, care to make any additional
investment.
Mr. Harry has made the following
statement:
"It is a source of regret to em
ployes of the telephone company that
a condition of this kind should de
velop where we are temporarily
obliged to refuse service to people of
Alliance who really need it. Ours is
a public utility company and service
to the people of this city is the only
commodity that we have to Bell.
The very nature of our work has im
bued us with a spirit of service and
loyalty equally to our patrons and
to the telephone organization, but
we realize that the company must
protect Its own Interests or its abil
ity to serve would be lost. Our
franchise, our legal right to do busi
ness, in the city of Alliance has ex
pired and we have asked for a new
one. We want the city to grant us
the use of the streets and alleys for
the operation of our lines because
our business is of such a nature tlia'
it would be impossible to operate
without them. In return for this
privilege we have built up a large
telephone plant and distributed its
lines and cables over the city and are
rendering a necessary service at the
very lowest possible cost to the peo
ple of the city. Up to the present
time our franchise has not been re
newed because the company and the
city council have not been able to
agree upon certain stipulations that
should be Included in it. It is right
that the council should go slow In
this matter. They have used every
.precaution to protect the interests of
their constituents and are to be com
mended for it, but I believe that
their teal in protecting the city has
caused them to hamper the progress
4f an Industry whose service Is ab-
solutely necessary to the people of
the city.
"We have been here a long time
and feel that we are a part of Alli
ance. There Is every indication of
a rapid growth of this city during
the next few years. We want to lay
our plans to develop and grow along
with the city and serve it as we have
in the past. The franchise In ques
tion is only our request for the lepal
right to remain here and grow with
the city. The telephone company
has had experience In franchise mat
ters in hundreds of towns and are in
a position to know what stipulations
should be included so that they may
operate and co-operate with the city
most harmoniously. The people of
Alliance I am sure will not censure
us for attempting to protect our in
terests any more than they would
the council for protecting the Inter
ests of the city. The lighter the
burden that Is Imposed upon the
company the lower the telephone,
rates will necessarily be because we
have only one source of Income from
which to pay our expenses and that
is from the Bervice we sell to our
patrons. We want our rates low so
that we can develop along with the
city, and put telephone service within
the reach of everybody. One man's
telephone is of little value to him un
less a majority of the other people
In the city also have telephones.
"We now have plans for large ex
tensions in Alliance to reach the
new houses that are to be built this
year and are waiting for the legal
right to do business before we go
ahead. The case in question is at a
new house where we would be re
quired to invest In a new pole line
to reach It. The mayor himself has
applied for telephone service under
like conditions, the situation was ex
plained to him and he has gracefully
acknowledged our position. He is
very anxious as are all of the coun
cilmen to have the matter settled and
the franchise granted, and I believe
that our differences will be adjusted
very shortly,- a workable franchise
put Into effect, and the extension of
our telephone lines continued."
CANDIDATES FILE
EXPENSE ACCOUNTS
Candidates for nominations at the
primary are beginning to file their
expense accounts. They have until
ten days after election, and today is
the last day allowed by the law. But
three men filed their accounts before
Friday, and these got under the wire
only a day sooner than they had to.
Earl D. Mallery has filed a state
ment showing that It cost him a total
of $64.17 to be elected delegate to
the republican national convention.
This included a donation of $50 to
the Wood-for-president club, and the
balance was expended for printing
and advertising.
County Judge Ira E. Tash filed a
statement showing that all the
money expended to secure his renom
Ination for county Judge was $10,
which is the amount of the filing fee.
W. C. Mounts, clerk of the district
court, got oft" with $5 loss than that,
the fling fee for that particular office
being only five Bimoleons.
SECRETARY JONES HELPS
ORGANIZE MULLEN CLUB
Secretary Hufus Jones of the Alli
ance chamber of commerce spent
Thursday in Mullen, where he was
the principal speaker at a public
meeting called to organize a chamber
of commerce. This meeting hm
been planned for some months,, but
everything from the influenza to tuo
punk weather has had a turn at in
terfering. No secretary has yet been chosen
to take Mr. Jones' place, but the
chamber of commerce directors have
several men under consideration.
Among these are men who are now
at Denver and Amarillo, Tex. Mr.
Jones has promised to stay until his
successor has been selected.
YOUTHiFINED ON CHARGE
OF DISORDERLY CONDUCT
Charles Pearl, eighteen years old.
who Is on his way to Colorado with
an older friend, a sufferer from tu
berculosis, was arrested by Chief
Reed Tuesday evening on a charge
of disorderly conduct He pleaded
guilty the following morning In po
lice court and was fined $10 and
costs by Judge Roberts. Business
has been dull in police court this
month, there being but two cases.
The other case was that of a Mexi
can who was fined $25 and costs
April 16 on a charge of carrying con
cealed weapons.
! ALLIANCE HIGH
VVINSJN DEBATE
Team Achieve Championship of
Western Nebraska DMi-Nt by
Indenting NeoUsblufT.
The Alliance high school debating
team won the championship of the
western Nebraska district by defeat
ing the team from Scottsbluff at the
high school Thursday evening. It's
an especially pleasing victory, not
only bceause it permits the team to
participate in another contest and
brings them a step nearer the state
championship, but because in this
debate they won on the negative side,
while previously they had been on
the affirmative. It seems to be one
of the rules of the association that
the side to be taken depends on the
toss of a coin, and the Scottsbluff de
baters were lucky. It takes a good
team to be able to win with either
side of an argument.
The question was: 'Resolved, That
congress should prohibit strikes on
railroads doing an interstate busi
ness." Alliance was represented by
Edward Morrow, Ruth Stanton and
William Cotant. The Scottsbluff de
baters were Bruce Magee, Clarence
Cooper and Harold Douthlg. Scotts
bluff supported the affirmative and
Alliance the negative. The judges
were Principal Robert E. Reed of
Bayard, Superintendent V. H. DuBolt
of Crawford and Superintendent E.
L. Novotny of Bridgeport. The deci
sion of the judges was unanimous in
favor of the Alliance team.
The victory glveB Alliance the
championship of the western Nebras
ka district. There are ten districts
In the Btate, and the next step is an
elimination contest between the dis
tricts. Alliance will meet either
Broken Bow or Mason City within
the next few weeks, and the winner
of that contest will go to Lincoln for
the state contest on May 15. Thero
will be five schools represented at
the finish and the debates will take
the better part of a day.
Miss Rena Keith, who has been
coach for the Alliance debaters, Is
entitled to considerable credit fpr
the success of her work. She waa In
charge of the training last year,
when Alliance won the district con
test. Alliance has won In district
debates with one exception for the
past eight years, and should have
been awarded the decision in the de
bate lost. This year the chances are
exceptionally good for winning state
honors.
SCOTTSBLUFF FEEDERS
FORM ORGANIZATION
More than twenty of the promi
nent livestock feeders of the N rth
Platte valley attended a meeting held
at Scottsbluff Monday at the call of
Floyd McCaffree, chairman of the
livestock committee of the Scotts
bluff chamber of commerce, at which
an association of feeders was ef
fected which will have for its pur
pose the protection of stockmen
against the objectionable methods
employed by the packing companies.
Two weeks ago the stockmen of
this section were urged to ship their
stock immediately upon advice of
packers and commission men if they
would take advantage of a good mar
ket, says the Omaha Bee.
The resultant consignments were
quite heavy, but. according to the
stockmen, when the markets were
reached there was no immediate de
mand for their stock and the ship
ments were necessarily held au en
tire day. The following morning,
without showing Just cause and
without explanation,' It is alleged,
the price dropped $1.50 a hundred
below what it had been at the time
of the receipt of the shipments, caus
ing the stock owners a loss of from
?16 to $20 per bead.
Comparing notes, the feeders
found there had been no discrimina
tion, but that all had been sub
jected to the same decrease in price.
The forming of the association is the
result, a statement Bays. "Those
interested, while aware of the fact
that they are going against powerful
interests,-will do all possible to
cause the packers to desist from
such practices."
A committee to place the matter
before the congressional legislative
committee was appointed. A perma
nent organization will be formed and
all stock feeders will be asked to
Join that the protection desired mnv
be obtained through the strength of
me association.
Lynn Snow and Miss loan n. pW
both of Marsland, were married by
County Judge Tash Thursday after
noon.
COUNCIL MEETING
WAS CALLED Off
After n Walt of An Hour mid n
Ouniiini Failed to 'ui In
nn Appearance.
The city council was scheduled to
meet Thursday evening in order to
clean up the month's business, but
only half of the eight councllmen
put in an appearance, although May
or Rodgers, City Attorney Melz
City Clerk Kennedy and Councllmen
Moore, Hacker, Hills and Sturgeon
waited patiently for over nn hour.
More than that, they used the tele
phone in a fruitless appeal to the ab
sent ones. Two of these had left
home without telling their wives
where to locate them, a third was at
a church meeting and the fourth wt.s
out of the city.
This has been a hard month for
the councllmen, anyway. The
Thursday evening meeting was the
fifth during April. This is the
month the new councllmen took
their seats. Incidentally, there Is a
lot of routine business to be trans
acted the first month of the fiscal
yean. Council committees have to
be appointed, licenses renewed and
other little details worked out that
take time and try the patience. The
council stood four meetings nobly,
but five was too much. Yet all of
them voted for an adjournment at
the last meeting and promised faith
fully to be on hand.
The business scheduled for the
evening included the approval of
five , pool hall and three plumbers'
licenses. These were all on file, and
accompanied by the proper bonds.
There was also a raft of other un
finished business, all of which will
now have to go over until next
month's meeting, which Isn't as far
away as It sounds, unless . Mayor
Rodgers decides to call them togeth
er for a short session today or to
morrow.
It was a fairly interesting session,
however, despite the lack of a quor
um. The cars of those absent broth
ers re still be burning. Not that
anything particularly harsh was said
three women were present but
the expression in the eyes of those
who turned out was of a sort that
was unmistakable.
Promptly at 8 o'clock the 'mayor
counted noses. He found four men
seated where they should have been
six, to make everything strictly le
gal. Everyone settled back In lhe!r
chairs, resigned to wait for a few
minutes. A quarter of an hour later,
City Clerk Kennedy went to the
phone. She called up every council
man at least once. One of them
was traced to a church meeting. An
other was followed to the Elks, and
there the trail was lost. Once she
got a promise that somebody would
tell somebody to notify another
councilman to show up and register,
but nothing came of it.
A half-hour dragged by. In the
meantime one of the visitors, who
had come with a delegation which
presented a petition for water exten
sion, had an inspiration. He believed
he could locate one of the missing
men. Nobody encouraged him ev
eryone present was beyond hope
but undaunted he dashed forth. If
lie returned, it Is not bo recorded In
the minutes.
At 9 p. in., exactly one hour after
he session waa supposed to begin,
the telephone rang. The faces of
everyone, with the possible exception
of reporters and City Attorney Meta,
brightened. The mayor answered
the phone and braced himself to lis
ten to an excuse. What he heard
was a question: "is this King's
Corner?" With a fine exhibition of
patient hopelessness, Mr. Rodgers in
formed the anxious inquirer that it
was not.
At 9:15, fully fifteen minutes after
hope had iled, or died, the mayor ad
journed the meeting, that is, if a
meeting which has never been
opened can be adjourned. This is a
due legal point which the city attor
ney may be able to answer. It was
suggested that a meeting of the
council be called for this afternoon,
but Mayor Rodgers was not partlcu
lany enthusiastic. Neither was
Councilman Moore.
"What time do you suggest for
this daylight meeting?" Mr. Moore
asked.
"Noon," was the reply. "All of us
can take dinner down town."
"Nothing doing," was Mr. Moore's
comment. "It would take a month's
salary to buy a noon luncheon."
"Aren't there any police meal
tickets left?" asked City Attorney
Mets. There waa a rather heated
discussion, a month or so ago, about
a goodslzed bill for meal tickets used
Till: WF.ATIIF.lt
ror Alliance and vlnclnlty: ITn
se'tled weather with rain Saturday,
and west portion tonight. Warmer
west portion tonight.
by the police In feeding prisoners.
There was a ticket left, but nobody
wanted the privilege of Using It.
petition was presented by a
lumber of north sido citizens, asking
for water extension, nud this will bo
referred to the proper committee the
next session, provided the committee
s on nana.
COUNTING BOARD TO
FINISH WORK TODAY
The county board, whose duty It Is
to check and certify returns of the
April 20 primary election, will finish
Us labors today. All they will have
to do will be to check the votes on
the mall ballots, of which there are
exactly seven. Then the return sheets
will be filled out, certified and Bent
to the secretary of state.
There will be no material change
in the totals when the mall ballots
are added, either as regards county
or state offices.
The board uncovered a few errors
In going over the precinct returns,
the chief ones being in connection
with the vote accorded County Judge
Tash. The final returns will give
him a total considerably larger than
the first report credited him with.
Some of the errors were due to the
carelessness of precinct election
clerks In putting his vote in the
wrong column. The board consists
of C. W. Brennan, E. O. Lalng and
w. C. Mounts.
RED CROSS LOOKING
FOR BERT MAURICE
An aced lady In Brockton, Mass.,
Is very much Interested .in the
whereabouts of Bert Maurice, ex-
soldier, who has disappeared. She
describes him as a ranchman, weight
190 pounds, with dark brown hair
ind blue eyes. He 1s thirty years of
age. lie was drafted Into the army
and was overseas for a year, she
says, being' discharged about Juu
12. 1919. .
Maurice, is supposed to be out in
this part of the country, the Inquirer
lays. He had promised to help her
get land out here, and she does not
say whether Bhe gave him any money
to Invest. Neither does she hint that
anything is wrong. Evidently she
suspects foul play of some kind.
If any Herald reader knows thl9
soldier, please communicate with
Josephine Ganson, secretary, home
service bureau. Red Cross, by mall
or at her office In the court house.
ARMY LIGHTWEIGHT
SEEKING A MATCH
Bob White, known to member! of
the Third and Fourteenth .divisions
and a good share of the rest of the
A. E. F. as "Kid" Whlt is In Alli
ance, and has expressed a desire for
a match. He is just a trifle ion
heavy for the lightweight division,
but will not weigh !n at over 1.10
pounds. He Is anxious to meet anj
one his weight, and promise! an '.n-
teresting match. Alli.viro promot
ers who are grooming boxers can get
into communication with Kid White
by dropping a letter to him In care
of general delivery.
White is working, at present, on
the Ant loch road, but as soon as he
accumulates a stake that will carry
him on the cushions to St. LouJs, he
is going to the Missouri town, where
he believes he can find a manager
who will make the game worth
while.
ALLIANCE ELKS PLAN
INITIATION AT GORDON
Wednesday, May 26, Alliance No.
961 will hold a session at Gordon for
the purpose of Initiating candidates,
and the Gordon Elks say there will
be a class of fully one hundred to
ride the goat on that memorable oc
casion. Something over fifty appli
cations are now in, many more are
on the way, and without a doubt the
class will outnumber tho record
breaking class of seventy-three Ini
tiated at Alliance on the other Gor
don day, last September. The Gor
don boosters are making elaborate
plans for the celebration, and among
the other entertainment features is
a banquet, to be beld Just before the
lodge session. A number of Alliance
Elks will go to Gordon to attend the
meeting.
MUCH INTEREST
IN OIIPIPE LINE
lhMi-t of the Opinion That Finn I
Feasible Oiiiahu Chamber of
Commerce Investigating.
The plan for a pipe line from tea
Lanco creek oil field, north of Lusk
and northwest of Alliance, to Omaha
to carry gas or oil or both, Is receiv
ing much attention from the press of
eastern Nebraska and from those
who would benefit primarily from it.
Lloyd Thomas of Alliance, who waa
In Omaha recently, reports that the
Omaha chamber t)f commerce baa
taken bold of the proposition and
has appointed a special committee,
headed by John L. McCague, to get
behind the matter.
Tho severe cold spell of last No-'
veniber, coupled with the coal short
age, caused many Nebraska people to
wonder if there was not some way of
securing fuel for private and indus
trial consumption from the vast
Wyoming fields which are being rap-
Idly opened to production. Inasmuch
as the present production of cruda
oil in Wyoming Is cared for by tha
refineries of that state, attention la
turned to the Immense quantities of
natural gas which are held In capped
wells and for which at the present .
time there is no use and from whlcb
no benefit is being derived.
Mr. Thomas says that there are at
the present time six gas wells in tha
western end of the Lance Creek field,
which Is located twenty-six mile
north of Lusk, with a combined ca
pacity of not less than 173 million
cubic feet of gas every twenty-four
hours. This Is sufficient natural gaa
to care for the needs of several
states. These wells have an enor
mous pressure ti.d the small amount
of gas which escapes from them aad
which cannot be confinod can ba
heard "slzzlng" for a distant.- of on
or two miles away. ,t Is tho prea
sure from this gas that causes the oil
wells in the Lance Crev.t fit Id to
flow as gush ?rs.
This natural gas Is knovn a
wet" gas and contains a larga
amount of gasoline whlcb can b ? as-"
Ily extracted by paints budr. frr Cn
purpose li: or near the fljld, after
which the gas would be piped away
for commercial use. At the presaut
time an "absorption" plant Is being
built In the Lance creek field for tha
purpose of extracting the gasoline,
from the gas. The onj other use
for this natural gas In Wyoming,
outside of the small amount piped
over the oil field and used for heal,
light and fuel, Is the making of car
bon black. In another part of V'y
mlng there are several carbon black
plants. These plants Ud, however,
only a few million cubic feet of gaa
per day. Their methods are so
wasteful of gas tba tie """vonijnK
legislature passed a law recently for
bidding them to use the gas for thla
purpose. However, this law was de
clared 'unconstitutional by the su
preme court and the cr rbon black
plants are stili in oporat.on.
Experts are of the opinion that the
plan is a feasible one and that a pipe
line, capable of handling the gas un
der high pressure, could b3 laid from
the 1-ance creek field to Omaha. The
pipe lines which run from OH.iboma
and Texas go to Chicago and other
eastern points and some of thei are
over a thousand miles In length.
Mr. Thomas says that a gas or oil
or a combination gas and oil pipe
line direct from the I.ano ' creek
field to Omaha, in a stra'ght line,
would have to be approximately 448
miles in length. However, It would
touch only a few centers of .popula
tion and would not be of benefit to
many outside of the terminal. On
the other hand, a pipe line going
from the gas and oil field to the
North Platte valley and then east to
Omaha would have to be only ap
proximately 528 miles In length and
it would traverse a densely popu
lated territory and serve hundreds of
thousands of people with light, fuel
and heat, besides furnishing thou
sands of industries which require
fuel with gas for that purpose.
A pipe line following the North
Platte valley would go first to the
city of Lusk from the field. The oil
from the field Is now piped to Lusk
and loaded there In tank cars and
shipped to the refinery. .The line
would then go south to Torrfngton,
Wyo., on the North Platte river and
then follow the water grade east
ward. This line could furnish gas to
the cities of Mitchell, Scottsbluff,
Gerlng, Bayard. Bridgeport, Osh
kosh, North Platte, Gothenburg,
Kearney, Grand Island, Central City,
Columbus, Schuyler, Fremont, Oaaa
ha and Council BlufXa, as well as
many smalled Intermediate towns.
(Continued on page 4.)
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