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H5S5iBSnS rights and property of the city of Chi cago by virtue of said ordinance, fraudulently and unlawfully. "A minority of committee on gas, oil and electricity have objected to the passage of ordinance proposed and filed a report containing their ob jectionthat the sum of $500,000 is wholly inadequate as a consideration for the release of said rights and property. "Mayor William Hale Thompson and certain aldermen are conspiring and threatening to pass said propos ed ordinance at the next meeting of the city council and the city of Chi cago will cancel, release and remise all of the property and rights to which the said city of Chicago is en titled, unlawfully and fraudulently, unless enjoined and restrained by the order of this court" Illinois Telephone & Telegraph Co. is owner of a great number of patents and patent rights and other property pertaining to automatic telephone system; proposed transfer to Chicago Telephone Co. "will create a monop oly and restrain competition" in vio lation of Sherman anti-trust law, prohibiting monopolies and contracts in restraint of trade. The bill closes asking ihat a writ issue, directed to the city of Chicago as defendant, its mayor, its attorneys, agents and servants, "strictly com manding and enjoining them from enacting an ordinance cancelling, re leasing and remising rights and prop erty to which the city is now entitled by virtue of ordinances dated Feb. 20, 1899, July -15, 1903, and July 20, 1903." "If a gang of spoilsmen tried to sell the City Hall building for $100, the contract of sale would be fraudulent and unlawful because of the inade quacy of the consideration," said Att'y Schwartz. "It would be a fraud ulent and unlawful act for the mayor and city council to approve such a contract. In 1899 Eugene R. Pike and county commissioners were en joined from selling county real estate for the sum of $51,000 because there was another bid of $55,000." "I can't see anything but a steal of at least $4,000,000 back of this automatic phone ordinance," said John Fitzpatrick. "While I don't like the idea of the courts interfering with a legislative body, this ordinance is too raw. They're trying to grab off too much in one chunk." "Dying hard, aren't they?" was Aid. Bergen's comment He has led the aldermen who are for the ordi nance. "Of course," said Bergen, "if the court restrains us, we can't do any thing. It will stop us from voting on it But the court won't do .that Do you think so?" "My inclinations have been against the ordinance," said Aid. Krause. "It will be interesting to see the legal points threshed out" "I won't say anything till I have read the bill," said Dan Schuyler of the firm of Ettelson & Schuyler, who wrote the briefs for the automatic phone company. Ralph M. Shaw, attorney for the bondholders, said he wants time to look over the bill before he talks. The minority aldermen of the gas oil committee, Merriam, Buck and Kearns, said they welcome a court test for the phone ordinance. Their contention has been that the city is losing at least $4,000,000 on the deal and it's so big it ought to go to a re ferendum. "I am out of the telephone matter and for obvious reasons cannot dis cuss this," said Sam Ettelson, now corporation counsel, but formerly the chief mouthpiece for the automatic phone company before gas-oil com mittee. Walter Fisher, special counsel for Mayor Thompson in the telephone deal, is in Washington. o o Washington. American flags went to uottom of Mediterranean when the British liner Persia was sunk. They 1 were enroute to consulates in orient trtim - .-- MHH