The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-11-21
EDISON ELECrnlcA1 COMPANY


SiR:-Tho Edison Light, Heat and
Power Company, of Wheeling, com.
posed entirely OF citizens OF Wheeling,
have applied to the City Council for
the right to como in and do business.
This right was refused them by the.
committee and MS yet no reasons what.
ever have been given for their refusal.
Tho writer Is reminded oil the fact that
in 1870 L. W. Oslcbny, Il. r. Deyrics,
G. X. Tracy, II. NJ. Russell and others,
all citizens OF Wheeling, organized the
Wheeling Central Telephone Company
and applied to Council for franchise
to construct and operate telephone
line The ordinance was SO loaded down
with amendments rs TO practically kill
II. A few months later tho present
gigantic company, which is foreign
corporation, not one dollar of stock Of
which is owned by n citizen OF this city
or county, applied for the same priv.
lego, and the franchise was readily
granted, thus giving tho telephone
company q perpetual monopoly Of the
telephone business. Docs tho Council
propose repeating this mist1kc, or will
1t profit by experience and give
its own people an opportun-
ity to. engage III legitimate
enterprise. The Edison company ask
nothing exclusive; arc ready and will
ing to compete with all corners; are
willing to add an amendment and sell
to the city, at the expiration OF Il given
period; are willing to agree not TO at
tempt to influence the Legislature
against giving the city the privilege,
but on the contrary will tender any aid
IN Its power are also wiling TO agree to
sell to the city such apparatus and APP
planes rs they own or control, Mt cost.
They. will not be competitors against
the city in furnishing arc lights, only
ask the right TO give TO the citizens 4
better and safer light. Tho argument
that tho introduction OF incandcsccnt
lighting will injurc or decrease the con.
sumption OF gas, is not valid one; AS
the statistics OF the United States show
the reverse, and that where electric
lighting has como III competition with
the gas, It has largely increased the
consumption thereof. III the city OF
Richmond, Va, where the conditions
are similar to those OF our oHn city
that Is, the city owns the gas works, the
superintendent OF the gas plant at Rich
mond wired here that since the intro
ductlon OF electric lights, the consump-
ton OF gas has greatly increased. The
superintendent OF the gas company at
Columbus says the same, superintend-
cnts at ST. Louis ana Chicago report
! Likewise, the records OF our own gas
office show the same result; therefore
there is nothing in that statement.
The committee appointed by council
to appear before the legislature ut
Charleston, made only one argument
there, viz, that the citizens had no COM
petition against the present electrical
company, and that the citizens were not
only entitled to it, but demanded it.
The present electrical company made
the argument, that they inriied outside
competition, but objected to the city
competing against its own citizens.
Everybody knows the result at Charles
ton. The committee who went to
Charleston and the present electrical
company are now working together to
defeat the Edison company. Aren't
there some Inconsistencies here? Again
it is claimed that the Edison company is
composed OF monicd men and monopo-
lists. We desire to say that no one con-
nected with the company owns over one
share OF stock OF 500, and il it is thought
to be monopoly they will agree not to
increase their subscriptions beyond this
amount. The books OF the company
are now open at the Mutual Savings
bank for subscriptions, where the city
itself and each and every citizen is re-
spectfully invited TO subscribe for as
many shares as they desire. The Edi-
son company propose to expcnd in this
community, in work and construction,