The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1889-03-07

ne plant, he said he did not have it. ci
asked him for an estimate of the cost, 81
nd he said he could not give 1t. In Il
hort. we received no information from @
lis committee whatever, only that b
hey thought it best for the town to Ii
'nrchase both Electric Light and Gas +
,lants. Councilman Thompson said Il
o them that we had no authority to Il
ak gas plant that we wished the v
igures on the electric light plant, as G
We would probably elect to take the 1
olant, under the contract, in thesprlng' !
At that time drew diagram OF the
electric light plant, with the grounds,
aud asked their committee to meet us l
gain with detailed statement of the I
price of the plant. which they said {
hey would do. The time was arraDg
ed for a second meeting, and councli I
met, but no gas com mlttee
met with u.s. We adjourned and met
again, and still no gas committee met
with us l think the next night Mr.
Seymour called at my office and hand
ed me proposition to sell the village
both plants for $4,000. He said that
was the only proposition they had TO
make, and the next morning he called
and withdrew that. He further said
that we could not buy the electric light
plant singly. | said to Mr.. seymour
that all we asked of him was to stand
up to the contract, which gave US the
privilege to purchase the plant duri ng
the existence of that contract. he,
nor any other member of the gas com
pany, up 10 that time. ever ihtimateu
TO me Otherwise than that uuder the
contract. the village had the right to
purchase the plant during the three
years The only defense was that the
contract was void in every partlcu-
lar" aud we could not enforce 1t. Since
that time, however, it has daWneu
upon Mr, Seymour and he now heids
that the contract may be construed III
this manner: The village cannot
Duy the plant until the expiration of
the three years." and that he is now
anxious. under that construction, as
he always has been that both parties
stand by the contract, aud that II ne
| had not SO understood the contract ne
never would have taken the assign
ment of it, apparently forgetting that
he went to Mr.. Stafford and declared
the same contract I" void In every par.
ticular," and that Mr.. Stafford would
lose every dollar he invested in The
plant.
Mr.. Editor, upon the business trans
| u
commenting, and only wish to say l
regard the r. e. L. & G. Go, as bust
aess concern organized to make money
the same as any partnership or corpo
ration in Ravenna, and not as public
benefactor. Further than that, it has
received the utmost consideration at
the hands of the Village council, and
never once has the council, under Its
statutory rights, attemted to regulate
or put down the price OF gas, AS has
been done in other places There Is
nothing (and / believe every lawyer
in RavennaN will agree with mel that
can prevent the council from saying
TO the gas company, through the pro.
per ordinance, you must sell gas at
81 per 1000 feet," and enforce that or
dinauce. But the council has never
interfered with their business but have
permitted them to sell gas at their own
figure, and have yet TO hear the first
person. outside of their company, com
ment upon the chespness of gas.
Among the opinions given to the
public | observe one coming from a
worthy business man to the effect that
he dols not favor fret zing out the
gas company" My reply is that the
| towu, by operating It's electric light
at all, but on the contrary. would In
crease its sale over the quantity con.
sumed before we introduced electricity.
My authority for this statement Is Mr..
Seymour himself, as well as the history
OF every town in Ohio where electric
lights have been adopted upon the
streets. Strange as this may seem, 1t
is nevertheless au established fact, and
is accounted for on the grounds that
people become accustomed to su1h a
bright light upon the sire Is that whru
they enter their houses thsir wants are
not satisfied with the dim light of the
past, and the result is increased con
sumption. Mr.. Sey mour, before the
eptiie council, made a statement cor
roborating this fact. and loudly declar
ed that the gas company, since the in
PRODUCTION of electricity, would and
did sell more gas per annum than ever
before. 1 can hardly understand how
this would be " freezing out the gas
company" Another opinion comes
from an individual under the nom de
plume of "Man about Town" He
SAYS 1.-The town has entered into q
contract with some of our good citizens
to rent the light for three years, and
the town ought to hopOrably stand by
it's agreement 1t strikes me that the
good citizens forced themselves know
iugly aud willfuily into being the as
siguee of contract "void in every
particular" and yet under that same
contract " it is further agreed that said
second party may have the privilege
to purchase said plant 1889, at the cost
price of said plant."' l would suggest
Man about Town"that you deliver
a lecture to the gas company, and take
for your subject 81 Hon0rabIy stand by
| your agreements.n Another opinion
/ comes from an honorable and highl,
respected citizen, aud ia, in subStanc
that the water works and the elsctric
! light plant are not parallel cases, and
. that the same business principles tn al
actuated the town In erecting Its watt
plant do not apply in the case of light
Ou the grounds that our water works
is public necessity aud light i not
l differ decidedly from this opinion
have given the matter much study
and honestly believe that every bust
ness principle involved In the erection
of the water plant apply equally as
strong to the electric light plant, and
|, ask the gentleman to furnish auy
! logic that will substantiate wherein
they do not. In the first place, oul
I water works Ia not public necessltv
for we have had it but three years and
: the town existed for over 50 years be
S fore that. The plant is a luxury, but
we have become SO attached to it thai
we regard 1t now a necessity, aud we
would not go back to the old sysi en-
for anything, sny more than We WOULD
go back to street lighting with gas
Another opinion comes from an es
, tesmed citizen. to the effect that there
; is DO baste; that possibly within two
or three years some invention may be-
made that will cheaper the production
of electric light. Mr.. Editor almost
refrain from answering this objection
it appears to me SO ridiculous. WHY
does business man ever adopt modern
inventions, but why does he not wal
and adhere to theold machine, because
something pew may be Invented jusl
after he adep,s the latest? Why die
not this reason apply in the case OF the
Water works? But as l refresh my
recollection, l believe, in the case ol
this esteemed citizen il did, probably
for the same reason.