Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-10
M R. H IRIS SPEECH
What Wes Said in the Senate in Answer
to Mr.. Gallinger.
The Two Electric Light Companies
Tribute to the Personal Char
ncter of the Commissioners.

/ ucter of the issiOners.
| The accusations Of Senator Gallinger
yesterday, when the discussion on the Dis
| trict appropriation bill was in progress,
and which were printed in The Star. nat
/ urally evoked much comment at the Dis
tIict building. Commissioner Ross, speak
ing to a Star reporter for the board. said
at the present time the Commissioners had
nothing to say. He referred. however, to
| the speech of Senator Harris IN reply to
| the remarks of Senator Gallinger, and said
| 1t set forth the merits of the case very
we'll
| In his speech MIR. Harris said:
| Il regret that the Senator from New
| Hampshire has deemed it necessary or
| even proper to indulge in the criticism he
| has done upon the Commissioners of the
| District of Columbia; but I do not think
| such criticism, even If justifiable or true
| both of which I deny. has any material
! bearing upon the question now pending
| before the Senate: nor shall I notice that
phase of his remarks further than to say
| that have served on the District commit
| tee for the last nineteen years; l have
known the present board of Commissioners
| since the beginning of their respective
| terms, and ore of them for many years
tefore he became a Commissioner; and
from the Intercourse and knowledge that
l have had of those gentlemen l stand here
prepared to say that l would trust their
integrity and their patriotism as far as l
would trust that of myself and my asso-
ciates on this floor. Like ourselves, they
may sometimes commit errors or mistakes;
nut, repeat. tEeir integrity OF purpose,
their fair dealing and their patriotism l
would trust as far as 1 would that of my
associates here.
no
lively simple, and might have been stated
IN much less time than the Senator from
New Hampshire has seen fit to consume.
he crit1cists what he caiis the change of
Cplnlon or the District Commissioners re-
ferrinS to some decisions or reports that
they have made in former years Mr.
President. if they have changed their opin-
Ions upon this or ony other question. they
do not stand alone in the world in the mat
ter OF change Of opinion
Mr.. GaliinEer's Change of Front,
Mr. Harris then read from the Record OF
February 3. 1893. giving the discussion of
the pending District appropriation bill
which, he said. showed that 1.-The Senator
from New Hampshire" vas earnest in adj
Vocating the right Of the Potomac Com
pany to compete with the United States
Company in the city and out of 1t, anxious
to relieve the people from the exactions of
monopoly.
This debate went on.r he said, land the
senator from New Hampshire took pre-
cisely the ground in 1893 that have taken
since that time, that | entertained then
ana that L entertain today. He was speak
ing of this Potomac Company, which orig
inally located its plant on the other side
OF the Chain bridge. but subsequently
moved up near the Aqueduct bridge. to the
edge OF Georgetown" After reciting the
various events and facts leading up to the
present application for further legisla tion
Mr. Harris said
This amendment is intended to authoriz.
the Potomac Electric Light COMPANY 10
carry on the enterprise that they have thus
undertaken. to turn on their currents and
TO enable them to carry out their contracts
with the people they contracted with to
light their residences. and the railroad
companies with which they have contract
Ell to furnish power for propelling their
cars rms amendment does not provide for
a single overhead wire within the city or
even within the fire limits, and the fire
limits extend much beyond the city limits
but II prohibits single overhead wire
within the limits of the city of Washing
ton, and also within the fire limits, which
ext beyond the city Of Washington and
wherever this company has occasion to
cross any part of the fire limits this
amendment requires them to construct
conduits and put their wires under ground
as the other company has been compelled
to put their wires under ground within the
limits OF the city. But In view of the legts-
lation in respect to electric wires the
Judge having under consideration the appli-
cation for injunction, reae he'd the conclu-
sion that the District Commissioners had
no authority to grant permits yet the ex-
tension of wires Of the United States COM
pany. wherever they have been extended
to the last foot Of their extension has
mits. granted under precisely the same
authority. 1t occupies precisely the same
position as the other company so far as its
work of construction is concerned. Now,
iurtn yrr,{tt,
enty miles of wire already strung its
poles up in the rural districts, Its contracts
outstanding for the extension Of the plant
and the extension of the wires to furnish
electric power to railroads and electric
lights to country houses, enjoined from
putting on Its current and enjoined from
extending another foot of wire to carry
out those contracts. and that, too, at the
instance Of the president of the United
States Electric Lighting Company
Il have no disposition to invite the other
company, nor does the amendment, nor
does the bill have reported to the Senate
authorize the Junior company to enter into
the territory now occupied and now being
lighted by the United States Company but
1 THINK IT would be just even to go that
far But the bill reported does not go to
that extent. This amendment does not 20
to that extent. This amendment accom-
pltshes no more and no less than to au-
thorize TINS company to turn its current On
the wires it has already strung and to go
On in the performance of contracts it was
fairly and fully authorized to make, and
that it has made. feeling fully authorized
to do SO. and to continue it's country lines
which it has already constructed
Il do not choose to detain the Senate by
a further discussion of the matter, for the
whole case rests upon the single point.
Wherever they enter not only the city. but
even the fire limits. far beyond the city
Mount Pleasant has been referred to-the
amendment requires them to go under
ground, and that is all l understand the
people of Mount Pleasant demand. They
do not want overhead wires, notwithstanG
ing they are beyond the city limits. | do
not care to detain the Senate with further
suggestions" '