The evening times., 1895-10-26

orbitant prices of gas and electric lights
the wide open difference between the as
sesscd values of the Washington Gaslighr
Company, the Georgetown Gaslight Com
pany, and the Electric Light Company prop
erty, as compared with It's actual value
and other such live questions made the
meeting OF the Board of Trade last night
at Wizards Hall one OF especial interest
and public edificaton.
The board also touched on Jackson City
gambling and the governor OF Virginia
but especially as 10 what he did not do TO
suppress the evils in that sanctimonious
and OdOriferOus precinct.
President Warner presided, with Mr..
John b. Wight as secretary. Mr.. Guriey
assisting. The board had as invited guests
Mr.. Tucker president of the Northeast Citi-
zcns' Association, and Mr.. Frizzell of that
body, both of whom addressed the meeting
The members present were George A.
7 Armcs, NJ. A. Ballinger. II. L. Biscoe, L.
c. Botcler, DIR. Boyee, J. X. Caumody, A {.
S. Caywood, l. Chapelle. C. b. Church,
Louis Clcphane, Arthur Cowsill, S. W.
Curriveu, W. C. Dodge. A. 7. Pardon, Dan
| lei Fraser. W. u. Frizzell Randolph Hag
ner, Frank Hume. b. I. Janney, II. L. +.
johnson, j. II. johnson. T. A. Lambert.
Charles c. Lancaster, Mr.. Loeb, Mr.. Nc
| Murray. NJ. g. Ordway, A. NJ Read, II. L.
| Rust, W. l.. Sanders, John L. Smiibmeyer.
W. +. speir. ". H. Tenney. +. L. Whitford,
| j. B. Wilson, and W. G. Woodward.
President Warner spoke briefly opening
| the meeting and welcoming the body back
To its labors after the summer vacation.
JACKSON CITY FIRST.
! The first matter before the board was
| the report of the special committee on the
| gambling evils across the river, The va
| riOIs steps OF whose work have from time
to time been published in The Times. The
following from the report, which was pre-
scnted by Mr.. F. L. Moore, its chairman,
will be read with interest:
The governor of Virginia was waited
| on by a committee consisting of Mr.. II. H.
| Warner, Judge /. 6. Kimbali, DR.. A. +.
Pardon and Mr.. John l.. Wight, secretary.
To whom lie gave the assurance that lie
would IN ma king case that could be safely
brought into the courts, Immediately pro-
cced against the offending parties.
''In the preparation of this ease Mcssrs.
Thompson and Fraley, attorneys at law,
have given ms their most efficient aid.
preparing the case with great ability and
care, and on July last presenting it Ia
the governor of Virginia. In obtaining
testimony the Commissioners have given tu
your committee every aid in their power.
detailing such men as we selected from the
police force and supplying the necessary
funds for prosecuting the Offenders.
For some months gambling WAS sup
pressed by the new sheriff. but il il re-
ported to your committee that the gambling
houses are open again. 1t is hoped that
the governor will take immediate steps
to try the cases made by our detectives
and put in legal shape by our attorneys.
President Warner said that he understood
that some indictments had been found, and
complimente'i Mr.. r. L. NJ oore on the splen-
did work he had done with his fellow com
mittceInen. The committee was then dis
charged with thanks. Messrs. Thompson
and Fralcy, the attorneys who had charge
OF the matter for the board, We're also
thanked by the hoard for their valuable
services.
FLATS CASE REVIEWED.
The report on the Potomac Flats com
mittee was then read.
Mr.. c. c. Glover, chairman of this special
committee, after congratulating the board
and the community on the result of the
recent Potomac Flats case, now on appeal,
suggested that Congress be asked to pass
the following:
Resolved, That the entire area known
as the Potomac Flats, and now being
reclaimed. together with the tidal reser-
vors. no and the same are hereby made
and declared public park, under the name
of the Riverside Park, and to be forever I!
held and used as park for the recreation |
and pleasure of the people,"
The committee further recommends |
that efforts be made by the board to re-
claim the Eastern Branch Flats and to es-
tablish there a similar park.
The report of the committee, of which |
Mr.. Ross Perry is chairman. was received; !
and the resolutions suggested, adopted on |
motion of Mr.. Church.
The committee ON telephone rates re- |
ported that it had conferred with Mr.. |
s. NJ. Bryan, president of the Chesapeake |
and Potomac Telephone Company, and |
found that the rates could not be any |
cheaper than at present, because upon the |
Of the company some years
ago, 1T was compelled to pay sum that |
has made necessary a capitalization of
between two and three million dollars, |
and for the further reason of the expendi-
ture Of large sums in construction and
equipment.
This committee recommends that there
shall not be more than one telephone COM
pany in the city. The report was handed
in by Mr.. r. Goldschmid. its chairman.
COMMITTEE WAS SILENT.
Mr.. ]. H. Ralston presented the report
If the special committee on gas lights and
electric lights. The first part of the re-
port included the resolution under which the
was requested to determine
such lights could be furnished at
cheaper cost than at present 1t con-
tained further a vast amount of mforma-
ion as to the cost and price of gas and
electric lights in other cities and whatever
'acts could he obtained from the companies
Of this city and Georgetown.
Mr.. Ralston stated that he had not been
able to get a majority Of the committee
together, nor had any OF them signed the
report. He had written to them to sign
1,.,N hod mot dld
members of the committee are Maj. Haines,
John Spier, Mr.. Carver, Mr.. Hazelton, Mr.
Sa nds and Mr.. Heaston.
Only three of the committee had ever
been present at called meeting. Mr.
Ralston's report covered the ground COM
pletely. He compared the cost to the
citizens of gas and other lights in cities
under private and municipal ownership,
in favor of the latter. He reviewed
the grounds on which the Washington Gas
light Company maintained its high price,
and showed that they were fallacies and
especially as to the cost of coal and their
advantage in using water gas in part.
He referred to the enormous capitaliZa-
ton OF the company, the watering of the
stock, and the payment of hundreds of
thousands of dollars on fictitious stock
values; and finally shO wed that the immense
was assessed at only 80 per cent
Of its real value, He then took up the
company ana the electric light
company, and showed that OF the former
the assessed value was a little more than
so Per cent. and of the latter about o, per |
cent. AS an argument that the companies
had no reason to maintain their high prices,
it was complete, and its conclusion was
received with great applause.
Mr.. Ralston said that he assumed the |
whole responsibility OF the report and
suggested, which was agreed to, that it |
eing a matter of grave Importance, the
go over to a subsequent meeting