Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-01-09
THOMAS FIRES BACK
The Electric Lighting Company
President Answers Maj. Powell.
POINTS ON OVERHEAD Wire PERMIT
The Engineer Commissioners Ac-
curacy is Questioned.
A LIV ELY CHI A P T E R

A L I V E L Y G. III A p T E r
Capt. A. A. Thomas, president of the
United States Electric Lighting Company,
was apparently not seriously upset by the
interview with Major Powell which ap-
peared in last evenings Star when Star
reporter called on him this morning, and
asked him what he had to say in regard to
the Engineer Commissioners structures on
his letter to the Columbia Heights Asso-
citation and on the company over which he
presides.
Capt. Thomas said: Major Powell, in a
somewhat heated statement, seemed dis
posed to try his case in the newspapers. and
his statements to say the least, are dis
ingenious. The facts, as recall them, are
these: On or about the 10Th or 14th of Mo-
vember / made application, as president Of
the United States Electric Lighting Com
pany, for the extension of our system across
Florida avenue at the intersection of Con-
necticut avenue by underground conduit,
thence by Columbia road to Wyoming
avenue, to the intersection Of Columbia road
and 18th street by pole line. and on the
west side OF 14th street southerly. to con-
meet with our underground conduit at the
corner OF Florida avenue and 18th street
About two days after that being somewhat
ANXIOUS for the issuance of the permit. I
i
mas primary charge of the streets and alleys
OF the District, in the Office of the Engineer
Commissioner. Capt. Fiebeger stated in that
interview that. as the Columbia road would
De made considerable of thoroughfare be-
tween the east and west sections, he would
Ike to have me select some other street for
the pole line. and I consented to do this. He
ought not to be disigured by a pole line
and then said I would gladly build con-
dnit on the west side Of 14th street from
Columbia road. He said he would so recon-
mend 1t to the Engineer Commissioner
A Call on Maj. Powell.
About two days after this, about the
18TH" continued Capt. Thomas, II called
the second time on Can't. Fiebeeer He then
told me he had or would send the papers.
with his Recommendation, to Major Powell.
Immediately called at Major PowelPs
ONCE and brought up the matter for his
attention. He said in substance that he
had all the papers On his desk, and that he
had not time to look them over as yet by
reason OF press Of business. Upon my in
slstence that the matter should be taken
up, he glanced over them and reiterated
the statement of Capt. Fiebeger, that 14th
street should not be disfigured with a pole
line l told him, as 1 had previously told
capt. F1ebeger, that the United States
Electric Lighting Company would be per-
1ectly willing to build q conduit on 18th
street, and asked him for permit for that
purpose. He then suggested why it would
not be proper to build a conduit as far
north as Whitney avenue, and 1 also as
scented to that and requested again the is
suance of the permit. Since that time I
have heard nothing of the application YER
bally or written, until the statement In The
Star of last evening.
Claims n Permit Was Secretly Issued.
Il note what Major Powell says in refer
ence to his directing that the matter should
be held up pending the disposition of the
in IIIr 1ofi lon, otr,e,f
sioners preventing them issuing permits
for overhead wires to the Potomac COM
pany, when he said the question was rails
ed as to the right of the Commissioners to
permit pole line to be erected, which
direction or order was made by Major
Powell, according to his statement on the
4th day of December. But he seems to
forget that on the return day of the in
junction suit, and about one-half an hour
before the case was called for a hearing,
he did issue permit to the Potomac Light
and Power Company for the pole line from
the intersection Of Klingley Ford road and
Woodley road, which permit had been Sc
cretly issued several days previous and had
been kept from the newspapers of the city
Of Washington by direct request of Major
Powell to the newspaper reporters. Mr..
crosby of the Potomac Light and Power
Company made a hurried visit from New
York to Washington, and applied for and re-
ceived such permit within two hours after
his arrival.
MIL. IOweIls Accuracy Questioned.
But Maj. Powell in his interview is re-
ported as saying that your company is a
foreign corporation, squatter in the Dis
and that 1t is not entitled to what it re-
ceives. How is this?" inquired the re-
porter.
Maj. Powell was certainly right when
he said he was mad" answered Capt
Thomas. 1T will probably make him mad
der yet to have the public know just how
far he went in these last misstatements.
Maj. Powell perfectly well knows, for he
read it in the bill recently filed against
him, and admitted it iI his sworn answer,
that the United States Electric Lighting
Company is a foreign corporation in
nothing but the fact that 1t was organized
uLder the laws of West Virginia, state
in which probably half the corporations in
Washington are, for convenience, organic
ed. From the same source Of Information
and from his own admission under oath, he
also knows that our company was original
ly organized by five gentlemen, four of
whom were prominent Washington BUSH
ness men; that 1t has ever since been, AMI
now Is, strictly local company, with it's
principal Office in Washington; that its
entire business is confined to the District
Of Columbia; that almost its entire capital
stock, at least So per cent thereof, Is owned
aid held by citizens of the District; that
these good citizens have actually invested
out of their own pockets 81 100000 in the
enterprise of lighting this city with cleo
tricity, and that the company itself actual
ly owns and pays taxes upon real estate in
the District worth more than $75 900. All
this he has admitted under oath.
He also perfectly well knows that the
board of directors of the company Is COM
posed of eleven well-known and reputable
br siness men of Washington. The stock
holders, in the aggregate. pay between
S,OO,OOO and $GO0.O0O in taxes to the Dis
trict. And yet he calls the company a
foreign corporation and a 'squatter'
What and who are the people who have
so recently fallen under the special pro-
lection of the major?' asked Capt. Thomas
1T canrot be that they are foreign or
'squatters. I hope the major will not
again lose his temper when 1 say-and the
major knows it-that the Potomac Light
and Power Company has not now and
never has had even corporate organiza-
ton; that no. dollar of its capital stock,
said to be $4,000, was ever paid in by any,
body; that Mr.. o. T. Crosby and Mr..
Charles A. L.eb. two private individuals,
with whom alone the Commissioners are
r{eI,t