The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-05-11
MADE A nice MESS OF IT
Councils Sorry for Not Making An
Electric Light Dicker.
ONB KIND OF FINANCIERING
In 1S9A City Fathers Rodo q Free Horse
TO Death Until the Illuminating,
Heat and Power Company
Groaued-Big Bills Now.

There will be some loud bowling, no
doubt, heard from councilmen when
they are asked to approve of the bills of
the Scranton Illuminating, Heat and
Power company for lighting the city
offices and police and engine houses
for the month beginning April / and
ended April &c. 1895.
The Illuminating company was
granted the privilege In July. 1856, of
operating its poles and wires on the
streets of this city and i'm return agreed
to furnish the city offices with free
light and engine and police houses that
were in reach of It's lines. The resolu-
tion passed the city councils and was
signed on July 3, 1886, by Colonel II. ii.
Ripple, who was then mayor of the city
of Scranton. The resolution in full is
as follows:
Resolved, BY the common council of
the city of Scranton, the select council
concurring. that permission Is hereby
granted to the Scranton Illuminating.
Heat and Power company to erect poles
and stretch wires along said streets
and alleys of said city for the proper
distribution of electricity for furnish
ing light. and that the said company
will light city offices and engine houses
within the reach of said line free of ex-
pense. and will also give use of poles for
fire alarm, provided the said company
DOES not impede travel or interfere
with the rights of property owners, and
provided, further, that the said poles
be placed inside the curb lines.
Declined to Dicker.
Several months ago a measure was
introduced in the interest of the COM
pany which councils refused to pass
The measure provided that the COM
pany should be relieved from furnish
ing free light above the number Of
lights it first furnished the city, and
that all lights above the original num-
Der should be paid for on a nominal
basis. 1t was by refusing to comply
with this request that a. nose was bitten
to spite a face.
The city received free light until April
l, of the present year. The company Of
late had been complaining of making
no profit in consequence of the heavy
saddle of free lights it had to carry,
and more than once wanted to sell the
plant and franchises to the city. The
company complained that the number
of free lights has increased ten fold
in ten years, and it now has to pay a
tax on its poles of so cents each; so
that on March IL Mayor Connell signed
the following resolution that passed in
select council on March z, and had been
introduced and passed in the common
branch on Feb 2S:
Whereas, A communication from the
above mentioned company has been re-
ceived by councils, setting forth that
fha a n fllrnicb hn cit, OH
and engine houses with free light is
unjust and burdensome. the number
of lights (meaning free lights in 1886
being seventy-two and whereas the
number now is over 600; and
Whereas two competing companies
have subsequently been granted the
same privileges without any exactions.
and, further a tax on alf electric poles
has been imposed by councils and is
now in force.
Therefore, Be it resolved, by the COM
mon council of the city of Scranton, the
select council concurring, that the
words, viz: And that the said COM
pany will light city offices and engine
houses within the reach of said lines
free of expense" be and the same is
hereby repealed.
Be 1t further resolved, That the city
clerk is hereby instructed to advertise
LII oStlCu piOpOSdiS lOl llle llSHJluS VI
the Municipal building, engine and sta
tion houses Of the city Of Scranton, said
lighting to be for one year, beginning
April l, 1895.
Figures That Arc Eloquent.
City Clerk Lavelle received the fol-
lowing bills yesterday which are for
light furnished from April to April 30,
1895:
Municipal building. ..S79 Of
Columbia Hose company. ..... 90 10
Hook and Ladder company. 80 10
Crystal Hose company 26 81
Nay Aug Engine company. 25 05
Phenex Hose company ........ % 66
Franklin Engine company. q OF
A number of the city officials uttered
loud exclamations when they heard of
the size of the bills and wiped the
sweat off their foreheads; some Of them
said that the company was undoubted
ly making up for lost time.
At Thursday nights meeting Of COM
mon council the electric light company
presented its bid in accordance with
the resolution passed by councils and
agred to furnish light at As cents a
month per lamp, with a rebate of 10
per cent. If the bill is paid on or before
the goth of every month. There will be