Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-11-30
THE EDISON COMPANY VS.. THE CITY

THE EDISON COMPANY VS.. THE CITY
Speaking OF the Edison electrical ordl-
nance, which Council wisely refused to
pass, the Ifteltgcncer says:
The point that the ordinance could not De
framed TO guarantee 70 the city the rights
she now possesses is not well taken. j he
petition of the company itself made every
concession that could be desired. Grant,
however that it did not, il members OF
Council had been disposed to treat the
proposition fairly, the ordinance was oe-
fore them and could have been AMENDED IN
a manner such as would throw every sale-
guard about the city's interests. NO sucu
consideration was given.
Our neighbor forgets that the subject
is months old, to start with, and that
the whole thing was long ago thorough
ly aired in the newspapers. Seven
weeks ago, when the matter first came
before Council, il was referred TO the
Committee on Lights. There 1t was
discussed deliberately, the Committee
hearing everything the attorneys OF the
company and the incOrpOratorS, them
selves, had to say on the subject. The
Committee reported the ordinance back
to Council with the recommendation
that it be rejected.
When a question is referred to COM
mittee, that committees report is usual
Iy considered final. But in this case
Council was not yet satisfied.
II referred the ordinance once more
back 10 committee-thiS time to the
Electric Light Commission, which again
heard the company and its attorneys at
great length, and the matter was again
discussed pro and con most deliberately.
And once more the ordinance was re-
ferred back TO Council with the recon-
mendation that it be rejected.
But even this did rot end the discus
sion. The whole thing was again gone
over IN Council at its meeting last Tues
day. Then vote was taken, and the
ordinance finally rejected.
Yet the Int ligcncer is so fOrgetiul as
to charge Council with not being dis
posed to treat the proposition fairly"
and that IL # had the ordinance "could
have been amended in a manner such
as would throw every safeguard about
the city's interests" What does our
esteemed contemporary want? The
public has been familiar with the sub
iect for months and Council ha-
given it double or treble the con-
sideration it usually gives such matters.
Does the Htclligencer wish Council to
discuss the matter forever?
If our neighbor thinks that the
Edison Company's proposition could
be so shaped as to 'throw every safe
guard about the city's interests" it is
more innocent journal than we have
supposed it. 1t could not be.
The matter resolves itself simply into
a choice between the city and a private
corporation in the matter Of supplying
to private consumers. The
Electric Light Commission accompanied
its report to Council that the ordinance
be rejected with the recommendation
that Council ascertain the probable
cost Of the plant of the Wheeling
Electrical Company, as a preliminary
TO the city going into the business her
self.
II one accept the inevitable conclu-
sion that electricity will soon supplant
gas for general use, one must also ac-
cep, the equally inevitable conclusion
that the city must supply private con-
sumers with the new light as she now
does with gas or else go out Of the bust
Of supplying light 10 her citizens alto
gether. In that case what would be-
come Of our costly gas plant? 1t must
be borne in mind that out of the earn
ings Of the gas works our street-light-
Ing electrical plant, costing 100000,
now in course Of erection, is TO be paid
for. II a private corporation is given
the franchise the Edison company asks
and drives the gas works out of bust
ness, as it must in the end, this $1,000
must be shouldered by the city treasury,
together with the cost OF running the
new plant, and we will be deprived of
the present advantages we enjoy of
municipal ownership Of this natural
monopoly Of supplying light.
As the matter now stands the city can
supply electricity to private consumers
rs soon rs she chooses.
The REGISTER believes it speaks for
the people when it counselS the city
not to give away that right to any pri-
vate corporation and 10 take immediate
steps to 90 into the business of sup
plying electricity to her citizens, her
self.
CARPETS AND TIN.
Object lessons in the DracticsI oDara-