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100 yards of cable laid, and to be subject to certain other conditions
laid down by the Vestry. It was, however, determined to adhere to
the previous resolution, and at the end of the year no further action
had been taken by the Company with reference to the matter.
In September, 1898, a letter was received from the Wandsworth
Board of Works, expressing the opiuiou that the Telephone Service
should be exclusively undertaken by the Government, and that it was
not desirable that the Service should be undertaken by the London
County Council, or by other Local Authorities, and that the Post
Office should not undertake the Service in competition with the
National Telephone Company.
After considering the matter, the Vestry adopted the following
resolution:—
" That in the opinion of this Vestry the Telephone Service should be undertaken
by Government, in competition with the National Telephone
Company."
In the 1899 Session of Parliament, the National Telephone Company
introduced three Bills—
(a) Bill No. 1 for the re-constitution of the Company, and for granting them
further powers.
(b) Bill No. 2 containing simply the provisions for conferring further powers
on the Company; and
(c) Bill No. 3, an amendment of the Telegraph Act, 1892.
The first two Bills failed to comply with the Standing Orders, and
the latter—which contained a clause enabling the Company to appeal
to the Railway and Canal Commissioners in the event of a Local
Authority withholding its consent or attaching any terms and conditions,
to which the Company objected, to the placing of wires within
its district, either by means of poles along the public roads or underneath
any public street—was subsequently withdrawn.
The opposition to the measures was organised by means of a
conference convened by the Corporation of London, to which the
Vestry appointed Delegates. The Vestry also presented petitions
against the three Bills.
It is understood that the Government intend to introduce a
measure dealing with the whole question of telephones in the present
Session of Parliament.