The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-11-26
4 Remarkable Elon.


When the Edison Electric Light,
Heat and Power Company petitioncd
Council to permit it to lay underground
wires Tor the transaction OF business in
the city, the Wheeling Register thought
the proposition fair. In its issue Of
October IS, appeared an editorial in
which the following occurred.
Ii Council IS satisfied that il can sufficiently
head the ordinance about with safe guards 10
protec! the Interests OF tile public. and insure no
Interference should the city itself in the future
desire 10 go into the business OF, say furnishing
private consumers with clcctricn! light or heat,
We SEE no reason why II should not grant the
petition.
will begin work, which IL estimates will cost no:
less than hall million dallRry 1t is strictly n
local enterprise; the company IL composed OF
Wheeling men and Wheeling capital will carry
out the work, Besides Il will introduce All era
which n! cities long have been wishing for and
trying in vain 10 arrive nj, namely, the t!mc
when the iaCOHvencnt and dangerous overhead
wires and uns!Shtiy and obstructive poles shull
disappear.
In view OF the above strong
endorsement. OF the proposition
before council, no little surprise
was created yesterday morning, when,
in commenting on the rejection OF the
ordinance, the Register gave evidence
OF having completely "llopped," us fol-
lows:
Councils action Is highly commcRdablc, a1d
Is directly In line with the recommendations
made by The ESgAcT nj the start, namely, that
10 lft,nt, hNt, tAs.t h..,
unless so drawn up MS to guarantee 10 the city
the privilege Of going Into the business when
ever II chose 10 do so, which involved the pur-
chase oi The new compnny's patents at n price to
he determined by arbitration, whenever the city
should decide TO purchase. IL has taken
this action with view solely 10 the best inter
cSts OF the city. ana every thoughtful citizen
must applaud lis action. The monopoly which
co'.nc.' hGB Just refused TO grant Il private cor
p0'atan u es truly natural monopoly rs 1t
would be ,e-s II 20 supply water. The city al.
ready supsliNs private CONSUMERS with water and
lighi-Why hot With electricity. for light, or for
my OtherpuruOsc OF equally general list? o " Q
Council should lose no time in experimenting
It's acuoa OF last night, and should 90 10 work to
provide ways And means whereby the city may
20 into the business CT supplying Its citizens
with electricity, MS II nt V docs 10 such great I'D
vantage with water and Eas.
What was less than month ago
commcndablc thing suddenly becomes
in the Registers mind thing which
should be rejected. What brought
about this wondrous change in our
neighbours attitude toward the PROPOSE
ton it had declared was fair, and OF
which it said there was mo reason why
Council should not grant tho petition, :"
We have no knowledge. The company
certainly complied with all tho pro-
visions suggested, namely, oblgating
itself to Ensure no interference should
the city itself in tho future desire to go
into the electrical business" In addi-
ton to binding itself to sell to the city
its plant, fixtures, etc, at price TO be
fixed by arbitration, the companyasrced
as follows:
SEc, 1.-The said company, rs compensation
toribc foregoing grant. agrees md binds itself,
that II. nj my time IN the future. the snd city
shall desire 10 erect o plant or 10 enlarge the
existing plant In said city, for the purpose Of
selling electric lights. heat and power to its
citizens. including corporations, firms and per.
sons doing business III said city, that the Ediso II
Electric Light. Heat and Power Company, Of
Wheeling. will sell to said city. II Il desires TO
purchase forts own uso. tbs necessary apparatus,