The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-01-23
TIE ELRcrR1c MOTORS.
A Hitch in the Council Committee which Is
Regarded a. Strange,


There seems 10 be a hitch In the pro.
posed use Of electricity IS motive power
on one Of the city railroad lines-the OFT
izsn's railway. Contrary to public expee
tation, that line Ia now desirous Of usinl
the same system adopted by the new COM
pany1 9he Vanderpoel, which is the mos
prominent system In vogue In the country
thus far. II seems slso that the Wheeling
Electrical Company, or more properly the
Electric Light Company, has the exclusive
right 10 use that system In this city, and
that 1t has agreed to furnish the use ot the
system and the power for both companies
on payment Of go much per car per day
To this both companies have sgreed, and
to this extent have buried the Ratchet
which was certainly wise agreement OF
their part, Rs they have nothing to gain by
fighting each other,
The hitch now seems to DO on tho pari
oil the Committee on Streets and Alleys
to whose supervision the systems to be
adopted by the two companies were
properly referred, as il usual in all such
cases. That committee, ss 1t seems, has
permitted the adoption Of the Vanderpoel
System on the new line, but hesitates Ia
permit the adoption Of the same system
on the old line; for what reason does moi
appear.
II the Citiz sns' Company should adopt
either the Daft or the Sprsgue system II
would sill require the came overhead
wires, and inasnuch as Council has given
1t permission TO use some System OF cleo
tricity to propel lie cars the streets must
be in some way made uss Of, and II
amounts to the zane thing, so far as the
use Of the wires and poles are concerned
whether 1t adopts any one Of the three
prominent systems OF overhead conduc'
ton. They all require the same poles and
wires.
Now, II poles and wires are good for the
the new company and not public nuts.
Rnce in the estimation Of the Streets and
Alleys Committee, as is indicated by the
permit which they have given the new
company to erect them, II lie difficult to
see how they can arrive at different deci
sionin the case OF the old company. Iielec
tricity and rapid transit are desirable OF
Main street, and sill along the PROPOSED
new route, they are iuat as much desirable
for the people along Market and otheI
streets covered by the old line, and the
people along these streets would certainly
have Just cause Of complaint, saying
nothing at all Of the street car company
II the use Of the new power is delayed OF
prevented on their route by the attitude
Of the committee.
Council, OF course, intended to treat
both companies precisely alike as regards
the right to use the new motive power
and only recognized the usual formality
In such cases when II referred the par.
ticulsr sygtem OF electricity to be adopted
to the supervision OF the committee, II
did not intend that sanction to use q Ger
tain system should be given by said com.
mittee to one company and denied TO the
other company.
This Is not matter that concerns the
two companies alone, nor chiefly affects
them for that matter, but the public along
the two linea. The whole object Of street
car franchise, so far as the city is concern
ed, is to serve the public, and now that ii
Is supersediDg horse power and giving the
public superior service for thegame money,
1t lie, Of courae, a matter Of equity to the
people on the respective routes that they
enjoy as near "a may be equally good
facilities for rapid and comfortable
transit. It concerns not only the con-
venience Of individual citizens along the
routes, but also the important business
interests located on their lines, such as
stores, shops and factories, and therefore
Is Of general public concern.