The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-02-12
ELECTRIC LIGHT BILL.
Senator Whitaker Speaks j
Favor Of His Amendment,
WHICH is FINALLY PASSED.
HO Has a Wrong Impression as to
What the Citizens of wheeling
Want.-ALIyely Debate---Rou-
tlno Of the Legislature.
Social D,po,eA to the hteIlfo@otr.

CHARLESTON, w. NA,I Eep. 41.-1l
Wheeling Electrical Company seems
have scored its point. The bill came u
ou i,s second reading at 4: 10 this aftei
noon, and although the debate on
was quite lively 1t was much briefe
than was expected.
Senator Whitaker first took the hool
He offered an amendment, to be foun
in the routine proceedings following.
He said there seemed to be wide I'm
preston that the bill was the expression
ei the sentiments Of the people 0
Wheeling. He wanted to say that tn
sxpressions Of the two rival newspaper
oIthe city should not be taken as the
sentiment OF the people. He didn'
DENY thst the bill had friends there. HI
knew few who were In iavorofit. HI
had heard Rumber express them
pelyes GO wanting 10 see the streets bet
fer lighted and he had heard exprcs
sions from a large number OF fair mind
cd men who urged him to oppose the
bill, He believed the amendment offer
ed by bimseli expressed the sentiments
Of the people OF Wheeling, and II put L
vote would be endorsed by an over
whelming majority.
SOME GAS STATEMENTS.
It was truetne city was fnrniahing gas
but II had bought the gas works at a fail
price from company operating 1t. II
was also true that although gas wRs now
furnished for sevenly.hYe cenls per
thousand, he, with other citiz4ns a
Wheeling, was helping TO pay fifteen to
eighteen thousand dollars year for 1t.
Bat outside ofthe question OF cheapness
there was another. The city bought the
gas works at their appraised value and
removed the question Of competing with
private enterprises. A few years ago an
attempt was made 10 get the city into a
similar enterprise, but scarcely a cor.
poral's guard advocated it. At last, gen.
tIsmen identified with the interests OF
Wheeling, encouraged in the belief that
the city would not interfere with their
enterprise, went before the Council, got
the privilege oi the streets and charter
and went into tho business. Now the
city proposed 10 90 into competition with
them, and he submitted that it was not
matter Of justice.
Personally he was opposed TO the
whole business; opposed to giving
Council Gny more power for the eimpie
reason that they had not shown them.
selves worthy Of that they already had.
He cited the stone bridge and the reser.
yoir as samples OF Councils manner OF
conducting things, He was not talking
for any other purpose than TO voice the
best Of his judgment, the sentiments Of
his people and not 10 express his own
private feelings.
The city had already established the
precedent oil removing itself from COM
petition with individual enterprise and
It was not equitable; not just for it to
enter the electric business and crowd
ont its citizens who had shown their en-
ergy and enterprise by entering into II
and who, to the best OF their means and
ability had given satisfaction and ebtab.
lished q plant that was q credit to them.
selves and the city.
WORDS FOR TuR CITY,
Senator ArbuCkle asked what had been
offered by The city 10 induce them TO go
into the business. He replied: "None,
but it was understood that the city did
not propose to become competitor and
the fact that exclusive use OF the streets
was given, was taken as an indication
that the city proposed TO deal fairly with
them"
Senator Gilkeson replied: The bill
commended itself to his iudgment
because he believed the people OF
Wheeling wanted it. He had no per-
sonal interest in it. He understood that
the two leading papers OF Wheeling
advocated the bill and he took 1t that
they represented the feelings Of the
people. He didn't believe 1t was right
10 take away from any man or set OF
men right guaranteed them by the
constitution, simply because somebody
else wanted TO take it from them, and he
had listened with considerable interest
to see il 1t was claimed that there was
any vested right from the city OF Wheel.
ing to this company.
MIR. Whitaker replied that he under
stood the city had given the exclusive
right Of the streets, which seemed to
him 10 indicate that the Electric Com
pany would not be disturbed by other
Tor the time named in It's charter.
Mr.. Gilkegon understood there wal
no understanding that the city woulc
not 20 into the business whenever Il
saw lit, and took It that the Councilmer
were representatives Of the people. The
company probably went into the bus
iuess 10 make money, and they didn'
want any competition, but the peorls o
Wheeling did. He was opposed to sns
tanning institutions known as monop
olieS, and didn't understand that tht
city'S going into this business woult
necessarily crowd ont private enterprise
THE CITY mas RIGHTS.
The city had right to furnish its cit
Sent with light aS cheaply as 1t could
He thought that right was understood
The company had a right to compete
with the city II 1t saw tlt, but he was op
posed to tho amendment because Il th'
city had right to furnish light to III
people, It had y right 70 do as Il saw
lit about purchasing Its plants. Privat'
individuals didn't want to be treate'
that way. The plant might not be |
desirable one. If the city wanted ] !
would probably buy II. II 1t didn't
ought motto be compelled 10.
Mr.. Wiley thought the propositions :
empower the city to furnish light and I
compel the city TO purchase any particu
lar plant ought to be separated and 70
that reason wan opposed TO the amend
mRnt. He made a few remarks adyc
eating the bill.
Mr.. Whitaker said the city alread.
had q right to furnish light or contraG
for light for It's citizena II II wanted Il
The covert aim Of the bill as offered VIC
TO strike down some Of WheeliuRa bel
people through private malice and Pc
sonal spite.
MI. Stewart said II the Amendmer
should prevail 1t would destroy the veI
vitality OF the bill. Itwas endorsed b
the City Council, the newspapers an
the people Of Wheeling; the gas COZ
pany bad been charging S2 90 to S I
per thousand for gas until the work
were purchased by the city, and now g
Is furnished at seventy.fye cents p'
thousand.
He reviewed the history Of u
Electrical Company from its inception
These very gentlemen, he said, had o.
Doss;l the movement for the city to 9
tahIiob an alartFic liOht plRnt when N