Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-09
ELECTRIC LIGHTING
The Hearing Before the Senate sabcom-
mittee Concluded
Potomac and United States Companfe
Present Their Arguments-Protest
Against Overhead Wires.

The electric lighting matter continued q
subject for animated discussion before Sem
ators Mcmillan, Faulkner and Proctor yes
terday afternoon for about an hour after
The Stars report closed. Mr.. Crosby con-
cluded his statement of the case He said
that his company, the Potomac, would
agree to light the city with electricity much
cheaper than it is done at present, and he
expressed the hoIe that the committee
would not confer monopoly for this serv-
ice upon anv company.
The United States Electric Lighting Com
pany was not, he declared, under its con-
tract with the District of Columbia, respon-
sible for failure to supply the city with
light; it was paid by the night. The Po-
tonac Company, which he represented,
wanted to do the work under contract
that would hold ii responsible for anything
mat went wong in the way of lighting.
He wanted the committee to strike out all
inc restrictions of the pending law, and
give his company the power to run under
ground wires through the city and save
the city much expense. besides insuring
better service. In conclusion, Mr. Crosby
stated that he hoped the members OF the
committee would eXonerate him from any
rumor that he had been having underhand
dealings with Attorney Thomas. After ne
mad finished Senator Proctor compimented
MI Crosby on the clear statement he had
given and declared that he should have
studied law instead of engineering.
Agninst Overhead Wires.
Mr.. Madison NJ. Bal.inger followed, for
minute and half" as he said, to pro-
test on behalf Of the citizens of Columbia
Heights against the Introduction of any
ov' rhead wires and poles into that beautiful
section. He thought that the mythical char
acter OF Florida avenue as the boundary Of
the city limits should not operate to permit
the establishment on the Forth side Of that
ilne OF any institutions that are prohibited
on the south side. The officers of the Po-
tomac Company, ne said, are willing to
have the bill amended so as to prohibit
down Mr.. Faulkner remarked that there
was no likelihood of there being any ques-
ton in the mir DIS Of the committee on the
matter OF overhead wires. He indicated
very plainly that such things would not
be tolerated.
The United States Electric Lighting Com
pany then took the floor in the person Of
Mr.. James K. Redington. its attorney who
consumed the rest OF the time This COM
pany, he said. was composed almost en-
urely Of citizens of. the District and he
pleaded for a recognition of the rights of
the local people to run their own business.
making strong inference that the COM
peting company is composed of outsiders.
He sketched the history of the company,
which was first formed in 1882, by four
prominent burmese ME of the District ,f
Columbia, with capital stock of 100000.
Subsequently, under the laws of the state
or West Virginia, which provided that the
capital stock of the company might be in
creased to S3,OO0000, there was added one
quarter Of million dollars to the capital
stock. 1t was in 1888 that the first law was
passed in the District Of Columbia direct
ing that no more electric light wires should
be placed overhead, and Mr.. Redington
stated that his company was the fin 81 in
the whole United States to voluntarily put
Its wires underground. He stated that
twenty of the fifty miles of wire were
placed underground at a cost of Sass 600.
He further said that 81, 100000 was invest
ed In good solid money in this company,
and that less than per cent of this
amount was owned outside of the District
of Columbia. His company now had 44.O6
miles of underground wires and but four
miles of overhead wires.
The company had submitted 20 several
currents until the present Congress pro-
posed to bring it down to twenty-eight
cents per unit. Mr.. Faulkner wanted to
know If the service could be performed at
this rate. but Mr.. Redington would not I'M
dertake to answer exactly though he gave
1T as his opinion that it could not he so done
His company, he said was the only one in
this country that had reduced its charges
SO literally, and was the pioneer TO volun-
tarly place its wires underground.
Paid His Respects to Mr.. TruesdeII.
Mr.. Redington sketched the history of the
competing companies. and paid his respects
to Commissioner Truesdel in respectful but
significant language. He spoke of the forna-
ton OF the Potomac Company, and It's pur-
chase by the present owners. About this
time, he continued, Commissioner Truesdell
purchased a lot of building sites in Ecking-
ton. and the Potomac Company got the con-
tract for furnishing the light to this suburb,
making it an inducement for buyers This
scheme did not prove of profit TO Mr.. Trues-
DELL and he was obliged to sell his interest
lii the place at a great disadvantage. MIR.
Redington then went on to state how. a few
days after Mr.. Crosby and his company had
purchased the plant at lexington. and were
trying to gain an entrance to the District
of Columbia, injunctions were served on
them, and numerous protests were made
by citizens OF Washington against their en-
trance.
Mr. Redington stated to the committee
that the habit Of attempting to organize
new companies was not a new one, and that
it had happened at least fifteen or twenty
times to his knowledge since his company
was first started. He said il was all well
enough to talk about starting a plant at a
cost of less than 100000, but he wanted to
know if such a thing could be DONE
He said that protests had been several
times referred to Senate and House District
committees in regard to the same question
and every time they had been disregarded
In a recent report the committee on the Dis.
trict of Columbia had stated that they did
not see any need for another company in the
city of Washington. and that the one row
supplying electrical power had proven en-
tirely satisfactory to the citizens of the
city. Mr.. Redington at this point was in
terrupted by Mr. Faulkner who stated that
rortant legislation in which ne was con-
cerned, and the meeting was at once adj
journed.