Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-07-25
AN ELECTRIC IDEA
Which Was Probably Conceived by
Two Men at the Same Time
BRINGS ABOUT ANOTHER SUI
An Electric Consolidation of Westinghouse
and Edison
PREDICTED BY AN EXPERT LAWYER

Judge Taylor, Of Fort Wayne. Ind, is
now in this city taking testimony in an in
reference case, pending in the Patent
Office at Washington, D. c., between the
Westinghouse Electric Company and the
Fort Wayne and Jenney Company, of Fort
Wayne. The suit in question refers to a
multiple arc system of converters, involving
certain conditions of construction for the
purpose of securing good regulation.
This patent has been applied for by Mr..
Slattery, of the Fort Wayne and Jenney
Company, but Mr.. Stanley, of the Westing-
house Company, claims a priority of the
patent by several months. Messrs. Bailey
and Terry, the counsel for the Westinghouse
Company, are taking rebuttal testimony.
Yesterday Messrs. F. L. Pope and l.. B.
Stillwell, both experts of the Westinghouse
Company, we're examined.
BOTH GENIUsEs AT ONCE.
Judge R. S. Taylor, the legal representa-
tive of the Fort Wayne and Jenney Com
pany, was seen last night at the Hotel An
derson, and when he was asked as to what
he thought of the possible verdict in the
case, he replied that he could not make a
statement on that subject, because the mat
ter rested entirely with the Patent Office.
THE case presents very fair contest,
he continued, ''and believe that both the
inventors were working on the invention at
the same time, but who deserves the
recognition of priority cannot decide"
What is your opinion of the great
electric suit between Edison and Westing-
house, which was tried here some time
ago?"
"Well, that is very hard to tell, and if
you want to know what the decision will be
in the case, am positive that nobody is
able to say anything about it to-day. 1
have studied that case thoroughly and 1
must acknowledge that both parties seem to
have some very strong points in their favor,
but as far as am able to judge think that
Edison will be the victor in that contest
The chances are slightly against Westing-
house."
"As q disinterested party, Judge. would
you like to express an opinion as to the con-
solidation of the Edison and Westinghouse
companies?" s-..
81 believe that consolidation will be
brought about, although do not think that
there are any immediate prospects. These
men have to fight each other very thor
oughly at first, and when they get tired of
that, then
WILL SHANE
and work in harmony. But it will have to
come, and my belle! is that the entire elec-
trio interests of this country will eventually
form a combination. They have to do it,
and here is good reason: The amount of
money which is spent annually by these
companies in litigation is an enormous item
of expense. and the mere saving of that
would make a consolidation advisable. On
the other hand. the wrangling and fighting
which now exists between all these concerns
is disastrous to all of them, and the compe-
tition decreases profit very considerably"
"But would such a consolidation not be
disadvantageous to the public?"
''No, not in this case. The elements of
the electric business are common property,
and a combination of all the electric COM
panies in the world would not be able to
monopolize them. Then, again, the con-
struction of electric machines is now known
by almost every ordinary machinist. For
these reasons wisdom would prompt the
large concerns to keep the price of their
low in order to prevent a
number of little fellows from getting into
the market"