Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-11-26
COUNCIL UPHELD
-, sUVl7 BODY OF CITIZENS IN TIE
usCrRN LIGHT MLrTIR
-, Tss. Tho Oily Ought to 60 Ahead With
J - r,.,Ddsscsni Light Rath'r Than Give
away Another FrareSis'.

IA iuCOFp VA @sN-
D' -. company, number Of their asso'
D,. and friends, and a few men OF
cav less means whose sympathies
p''' .,rslIv with incorporated COM
~ and who are "agin' the govern
a. - when local patriotism is weighed
=, dollars and cents, the people OF
a,1..llpc. and particularly the gas con-
" are uualterably opposed TO
- .roposed franchise in the interests
,.to Edison Company. 1t was stated
Zines and often well stated, that
no - CITY to hand over the electric
..s,i,g franchise, in her present situa-
,,,opld be an act of business lunacy,
"a s,;ont II done by a private citizen,
'-I instifv his friends in sending him TO
y. y - .on and arguments innumerable
~ s5dpced to show that the stand
~ VIZ, Nv Council was in the Interests OF
~ rov,munity rs a whole, as against
u. ,.terests OF few, and that the
.l '., ,S ssrs Of the body who voted for the
-.,ction of the ordinance deserved we'll
,ftbeir constituents.
" ~ condition of the city was we'll
- nv Mr.. II. II. Dunleyy, President
'i ~ B5srd Of Gas Trustees, in an in
!, with a REGISTER reporter. He
2.i:
q, ioily for the city TO give away this
i.,rcbi,e. IL is a most inOpportune
--rert 10 tamper with the fiscal affairs
- The gas plant. We have, in Obedi-
..,e m the desires OF = large majority
y the voters, issued bonds to the
mount of $50, 600 for the construction
II In electric light plant TO light the
lets Of the city, and in addition COun-
IN has appropriated S2O,0 in cash
,.,r the funds Of the Trustees. The
s,,3, interest as well as prin-
.7sI are made charge upon
,Is gas works, and in addition the
g]rks must operate the electric plant.
That IN a nutshell, is the situation.
Now. suppose the city should grant this
'spcbise. The Edison company would
hvhat? 1t would lay down It's first
.7riuitS In the business portion OF the
Inv. along the streets filed with retail
stores. who are large gas consumers.
r thew DO What they say they can do,
frDish better light than the city gas
,F9rds-and I have no reason TO doubt
,sa, proDositlon-the city would loose
some OF her best customers, who would
u-D out the gas and put in ineandescent
ghts. That would pull down the reve-
mes OF the gas works. The interest and
,duclUal of the electric bonds must be
re,, and the city would be put TO the al
pua,iye Of either making the bonds and
ne running OF the electric light plant a
charge upon the general city treasury,
or the price Of gas must be put back to
0 dollar or a dollar and quarter.
Where would that burden fall? Upon
The gas consumer in moderate circum-
Stances, who can't afford electricity in
is home, or perhaps couldn't get il II he
unted il. Well, the higher gas goes,
DE more Of the better class OF custom
rs take il out and put in electricity,
ri the more electricity goes 10, the
.gher gas must gO-or else the works
-qst be run ut loss. The legitimate
CncuSiOn of that would be the ruina-
Ton Of the gas works, and the spectacle
would be presented Of a city COun-
ell having a gas plant which it
boasts is worth half u million dollars,
.s.ioerately putting weapon in the
bands Of a corporation wherewith TO
Destroy that plant, when, By the expen-
l,e OF a few thousand dOlars-posSi-
By not exceeding $4,000 in all-the
ay could so into incandescent light
Ing herself, and give the people who
must have electric lights as good q
lht as auv private company could pos
soly iurl 50, aud at far less cost.
Which is the better policy?
1T has been stated that the city
would have u spend $500 GOO or $500, =
tO to put an incandeScent light plant
operation. That is all stuff The
city has good power house in course
o. erection, with lots Of power to spare,
lt lots Of boiler capacity. She even
-ls spare bit OF shaitlDg, and a pully
% 10, and all she would require, after
-s existing plant had been pur-
lased, Onder the law our oppO-
-'nts fastened on US, last winter,
You'd be TO purchase a 1900
sat incandescent machine, belt it on
the engines, string the wires on our
ascIrlc light poles, and sell lights to
hyone wanting them. Then, If we
oo'e on gas we'll make IL up on cleo
lcity, and the city will De preserved
'loe. IL would be the same thing with
power generator. We've got the
-'e'eus, and we've got the necessary
minority TO 90 ahead. In the light Of
-s experience OF our citizens With the
-ll'elpal management Of the gas plant,
-g-a u not be the part Of wisdom to
''anold the franchise which has been
s1eu Tor, and go on furnishing such
t,cessitles as water and light, and per-
LAYS power and heat as well, to our peo-
~ a, the lowest possible notch? There
.-'ll.t be any fat dividends about il,
private consumption, but there
.o'l Dc a good deal OF satisfaction in
~ tae average citizen"
another citizen, who knows a good
lug 10 the corporation line when he
- IL and who also knows about as
~. --.I Of the practical workings OF cleo
va plants as the next one, said to a
.sor'er that IL the city OF Wheeling
~. -S going to dispose OF franchise like
IA, sSSed by the Edison people, be
,, ,.,'0 organize a company and would
~ ,.s' 70 pay the city annually, for all
, ~, I'VE per cent Of the net receipts as
i i,,. oeraIlon. He thought that beat
's GIN out Of sight.
a S'ockholder Of the Edison company
10 ~. quoted as saying that he thought
N. 10y would be eminently foolish to
sway the franchise, but il it was
m gwen away, he wanted to be in il.
er.o o,'e was good deal OF inquiry OF a
}, ,SlS nature, and also a good deal Of
mi ABOUT the assertion that s city
ny, 1--WE had offered TO put the ordi
.,i.s. through for twenty thousand
.gs.v,H and everybody was asking
q a. L