the Jamaica Telephone Company II
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1892 continues
Problems with poles!
Daily Gleaner
February 3 1892 We understand, that Mr. Vendryes, on the strength of the permission granted by the City Council to erect his Telephone Exchange, has ordered, through Mr. Halley, Harbour Street, the necessary poles, insulators, and phones. The wire and other accessaries will be purchased here, in Kingston. February 10 1892 Seventy Telephone Shares and ten in the Jamaica "Post" will be offered for sale this morning at 11.30 in front of Jno. McDonald's by Mr. T. N. Aguilar Auctioneer. The Telephone shares will be put up in lots at ten for the convenience of purchasers. We learn that a bill will be introduced into the Legislative Council dealing with the subject of telephone poles in the streets of the city. February 24 1892 Protest from the City Council. At a special meeting of the Mayor and Council held on Monday to receive a letter from the Col. Secretary covering the Law on electric lighting the following resolution was proposed and carried;-- 1. That this Council, charged with the duty of looking after the Parochial affairs of the City and Parish of Kingston view with surprise and apprehension the introduction of a Bill in the Legislative Council of the island by the Hon. Director of Public Works entitled "The Electric Lighting Law, 1890 Amendment Law 1892." 2. That the said Bill in the first section thereof, seeks to deprive the Mayor and Council of Kingston and all other Boards of the Island of all authority or power over the erection of poles on the streets and thoroughfares, for lighting them by electricity, and for communication by telephone, in the various districts. 3. That the Electric Light, and the telephone so far as they have been established have proved great boons to the citizens, and people. Many thousands of pounds have been invested by the Electric Power Co. (formed by merchants and others in Kingston) in the purchase of valuable property and machinery etc., and an equally large investment has doubtless been made by the Telephone Co. 4. That it is the province and duty of the Mayor and Council of Kingston to care the streets and thoroughfares of the City and Parish, and to exercise lawful control over them, by preventing encroachments, obstructions, and dangerous experiments on them, all which they have done to the best of their ability to the present moment. The Mayor and Council are unaware of any cause or reason which can be advanced for depriving them of local authority over electric and telephone poles and construction in Kingston. Resolved therefore that His Excellency the Governor, and President of the Honorable Legislative Council be requested to delay Legislaticn in the matter, to have a committee of the Honorable Council appointed to take the evidence of all persons interested in the whole matter. March 30 1892 Taxing the Electric Light Poles. To the Editor of the Gleaner. Sir : — Is it not very strange that the Mayor and others in the City Council should go out of their way to deliberately hamper the Electric Light and Power Company by imposing a tax on their poles, when the telephone and telegraph poles are exempt and their management allowed every facility? The Electric Light Company is a local company with local money invested in it, and every encouragement should be given to it. What is the meaning of the action of the Mayor and Mr. Burton. Those who oppose the tax — Mr. Nathan, &c. — should receive the help and thanks of the community, whose interest they are serving and not the Mayor. Let justice be done though the heavens fall. — I am, &c., R. A. A. |
So - how did the Jamaica Telephone Company come into existence?
I am not doing too well in understanding the events of 1892 - as far as I can tell a syndicate purchased the assets of the existing telephone company, and then came to a somewhat acrimonious agreement with the group setting up a new telephone company, to form the single entity - the Jamaica Telephone Company, with C. Lambdin as manager.
On August 27 the Gleaner included a brief item indicative of the current confusion on the matter: 'We learn that for want of one Telephone Company, a third is about to be started. This will certainty mean a considerable reduction in the telephone[s?] of the city.' Daily Gleaner
August 3, 1892 There will be a meeting of the proposed Kingston Telephone Exchange to day at 3.30 p m at the store of Mr Adolph Levy, 142 Harbour Street, to which shareholders and subscribers are invited. August 5, 1892 The New Telephone Company. A meeting of gentleman interested in starting the new Telephone Exchange was held at Mr. A. Levy's office on Tuesday last, amongst those present being Messrs. H. Stern, P. C. Vendryes, W. Bird, E.C. Dazevedo, E. X. Leon, I. Cox, J. T. Milholland, E.dePass, C. J. dePass, J. R. deCordova, H. Corinaldi, A. Levy, T. Magnus, H. E. H. Davis, S.T. Williamson, J. Verley, Geo. Wales, S. Taylor, J. deCordova, S. M. DaCosta, C. L. Campbell, B. Stines, A. French, J. McCarthy, J. Halley, W. B. Hannan and Geo. A Douglas. On the motion of Mr. E. X. Leon, seconded by Mr H. Corinaldi, Mr. H. Stern was elected chairman, and Mr. J. deCordova asked to act as secretary. Mr. Stern having mentioned the aims and objects of the new Exchange. Mr. Milholland said that Capt. Forwood had lately called on him and opened negotiations for the transfer of the company represented by him to the present company. He would therefore move "that the meeting be adjourned for eight days." Mr. A. Levy seconded. Mr. E. X. Leon moved as an amendment "that this meeting resolve itself into a company to be called 'The Jamaican Telephone Company'. Mr. S. M. DaC'osta seconded the resolution. Mr. Vendryes said a TeIephone Exchange with 250 subscribers could be started in the City at a cost of £1,500, and read a letter from the Western Electrical Manufacturing Company. An estimate was laid on the table for two classes of instruments. A £1696 8 2 B £1808 11 11 The estimate of receipts was £1?0 monthly as compared with an expenditure of £50 4s. The original resolution was withdrawn and the amendment carried. A provisional directorate was nominated as followed — Messrs H. Stern, I. Verley, J. T. Milholland, E. X. Leon, J. deCordova, S. Soutar, H. Corinaldi, G. H. Wales, H. Duval, S. T. Williamson, G. E. Burke. E. C. Dazevedo, A. D. Berry and S. M. DaCosta On the motion of Mr. H. Corinaldi a vote of thanks was accorded to the chairman and secretary, and the meeting adjourned. 1892 August 26 p2 A meeting of the Shareholders of the "Jamaica Telephone Company" will be held at the office of Mr. B. Stines auctioneer No. 49, Port Royal Street, to day at 3 p.m. 1892 August 26 p6 A MEETING of the Shareholders of the "Jamaica Telephone Company" (not the Syndicate who are negotiating for the purchase of the present Service) will be held at the Office of B. Stines, Auct., No. 49 Port Royal Street, to-day at 3 p. m. However, as the Jamaica Telephone Company was created, there was in the background that 'Syndicate' of other business men who had apparently bought out the previous West India and Colombia Telephone Co., and Carvosso Lambdin was still in place as manager, presumably because he was the only person around who knew how to run a telephone company!
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. . . and on August 30 both 'companies' had their advertisements in the Gleaner
1893
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