Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-11-01
TIE USUAL CALL
AADR By REPUBLICANS ON 4 CORPORATION,
TO HELP THEM OUT.
The Wheeling Electrical Company, With Kindly
Feeling for Mr.. N. z Whitaker, Rushss
To That Gsntlsman's "Rslisf"

That unerring but unhappy instinct
which teaches the Republican party,
whenever 1t finds its organization or its
Candidates in hole, to fall back upon
corporation aid aud corporation infu-
nee, caused the IntelIigencer, yester-
dNy, to publish an extensive misstate-
ut, signed but not written by Mr.. j.
I Hobbs, President of the Wheeling
ctricsl Company, in which the i'm
p fsion was sought to be conveyed,
t ugh manipulated figures and gross
u lths, that the hostility Of Candidate
N Whitaker to the practically unan-
i'd wish OF the taxpayers OF this city
I'll the municipality be allowed to
er maintain and operate an mean
de 1t electric light plant, had really
be "a good thing for the citizens at
la and had caused the revenues OF
tn ght department of the city govern
- to increase. Coupled with this
r r astonishing and wholly erroneous
ga, were number of assertions regard
a he cost and management Of the gas
81 S and Of the citY's arc plant, which
only excite the contempt and de-
. OF those acquainted with the real
and with the actual situation. II
II assertions contained in the corpora
t.. exhlbit published by the Intelligent
en- ,ers true, then it would be logic to
c25 ude that If the operation OF one
-ic lighting corporation In this city
10 been a benefit" to the light de-
"a rent of the city government then
Iteration Of several like corpora
TT would be still more beneficial, and
fc wing up this argument TO conclu-
sir the presence of say half-a-doZen
pi. Ute corporations OF an electric light
nature would see the city treasury over
flowing with revenue and the burden OF
taxation wholly lifted from our people.
1t iJ true, as stated in the corporation
exhibit published by the friends OF MIR.
Whitaker ia the i1telltgencer OF yester-
day, that the revenues of the city gas
works have increased since the estAo-
lishnent of the Wheeling Electrical
Company's plant. The city would be
in pitibe condition, indeed, IL this
had not been the case, But TO ascribe
auy of this increase. directly or indl-
rectly, to the business activity OF the
Wheeling Electrical Company, or yet to
the hostility of Mr.. n. +. Whitaker to
the best interests OF the whole people
OF this city. is 3 stretch OF the lmagin-
alton which must have caused even the
editor Of the InteJligencer to smile. The
revenues OF the gas works have in
creased, not because OF the ever
increasing business OF the Wheeling
Electrical Company, but but IN spite OF
it, and the increase has come, not from
the additional gas burned by business
men, anxious TO make their places OF
business look as bright as those where
the iacaudescent light is used" but
fro N new consumers OF gas in the resi-
dence districts Of the city. Had these
consumers not have come TO
the rescue Of the gas works,
the Gas Board would have been
compelled to ask permanent aid
from the city treasury to the
extent of many thousands OF dol
lars, because Of the ever-increasing
operations of the Wheeling Electrical
Company, made possible through the
course OF n. Z. Whitaker, for year by
year, the best customers Of the city gas
works-the business men, saloons, no
tells, etc.-have given up the use OF gas,
and either transferred their patronage
10 the Wheeling Electrical Company or
put in private plants OF their own. But
if the city of Wheeling had been allow
ed TO operate an incandescent plant, her
light revenues would have been what
they are, plus the present income OF
the Wheeling Electrical Company. Be
the income Of that Company what II
may, it all represents business taken
from the city Of Wheeling, while her
hands were tied. So much for that
particular phase of stbe Wheeling
Electrical Compsny's exhibit.
In an attempt 10 bolster up charge
that the city's operation OF the street
lighting plant has been more costly to
the people than IL the contract for light
ing the streets had been given to the
wheeling Electrical Company, that corr
poration asserts thSt whereas IL agreed
TO furnish lights TO the city at the ISte
of $40 per year, the present cost Is the
people is over 500 per light per/year
Let's look at this matter for moment
1t is true that the Wheeling Electrical
Company, in January, 1891, agreed to
furnish arc lights to the, City 81 the rate
of $40 per lamp per yer, but only in the
event that the city Should relieve the
Company OF all city taxes and water
rents upon their GIANT. Should they DO
compelled TO p0y taxes like other peo-
ple, then the rate was to be S72. so per
year. And this was to be ten year
contract, with the privilege Of ten
year renewal. In other words, at
the $40 rate, the city would
have yaid this Company $780, 200 under
the ten year contract, or 100000 under
the twenty year arrangement, while re-
lieying them for the same period OF all
taxation. This would have been very
nice thing-for the Electrical Company.
AS to the charge that the city's lights
cost the people 500 per year each, there
liz no shadow 81 truth in It. The first
year the plant was operated the cost
was about s64 per lamp, and
lthe present year the cost OF 423 lamps
will not exceed $4,000, everything in
eluded in the way OF operating expenses,
for only 500. 600 has been expended for
operating expenses in ten months Of
1894. or less than S64 per lsmp-hgureS
which the Wheeling Electrical Compan
cannot touch. The claim that the Elec-
trical Company can furnish electricity