The morning times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1897, 1896-06-11

The campaign of the District Commission
ers which was undertaken last November
III favor OF the Potomac Light and Power
Company and which las been continued by
an assortment OF scbemes and subterfuges
ever since, came to Il dead and disastrous
termination yesterday afternoon before the
House and Seuate conierees on the appIo
priatIon for the District.
The final agreement makes Impossible
any agreement iIetween tne Potomac Llghc
ana Power Conipauy's lines and the plant
III lexington which they bought from Com
missioner TrueSdell, this latter plaut being
how absolutely Isolated and left in the
condition in which Mr. TrueSdell thought it
best to sell it.
The agreement also specifies the respects
in which the Commissioners may deal with
the Potomac Company and leaves no room
for the granting or permits other than those
authorized by Congress. II depnves the
Commissioners OF the powers which they
sought TO have engrafted on the appToprla-
tion bill, and it rebukes them practically for
refusing applications made by the United
States Electric Light Company.
Congress has, in fact, granted to the
United States Company absolutely the au-
thority to act III be respects in which they
were opposed by the Commissioners.
LIMITS THE POTOMAC COMPANY.
The action OF Congress confines tn,
operations Of the Potomac Company, al
though il does not me ntion its name, TO the
territory west OF Rock Creek: and limits
its extensions, which must be i'll Conduits
in George town TO not more than a mile
and Il quarter. A IS will be seen by the
text OF the agreement it gives a lease OF
life To the company for only eight months
as TO overhead wires beyond the fire limits.
N "a Iot 10 ~ m DN- nr
may not do is specifically set forth in
the following abstract from the agree
ment:
Provided that the Commissioners of
the District oI Columbia may under such
rea sonable restrictions as they may pre-
scribe, authorize any existing electric
light company, having overhead wires, to
maintain and use for a period Of eight
months and no longer. its existing poles
aud overhead wires west of Rock Greek
in places outside the existing fire limits
Of the city OF Washington and OF the Dis
tTict of Columbia, and such overhead wire
system may be extended west of Rock
Greek and out side OF said fire limits to con
tinue only for the said period of eight
months and the end of said period all
right all authority he reby conferred
shall cease.
To BUILD C0NDUITS.
"And the said Commissioners may also
authorize any such existing electric light
company to construct ana use, under such
regulations as the Commissioners may
fix, conduits for the reception of existing
overhead wires within the territory former
ly known as Georgetown, AMI TO extend the
same by an aggregate of not more than
one and quarter miles of conduit in
the same territory.
And the United States Electric Light
ing Company may extend its underground
CouduitS and wires east OF Rock Greek and
within the said fixed limits to Mount
Pleasant and Washington and Colut. biz,
Heights under such regulations as the
Commissioners Of the District of Columbia
may prescribe"
II VIII be interesting tn note what use
the Commissioners will make of that au-
thority given them TO compel the Potomac
Company to put underground the over
head wires they now use in Georgetown.
The Senate conferees were evidently care
full not To commit themselves to the prop
ostion that the Potomac Company is an
"existing company" as it is not mentioned
or recognized by name.
The United States Electric Company has
succeeded in holding its rights in all of the
District east OF Rock Greek without
limitation of time, and that company is. as
heretofore, recognized by name in contracts
with Congress and the Commissioners.
The president of the United States Electric
Light Company has given great deal ofhis
attentiontOthe schemes oftheCommiSsionerS
this year and as will be seen from the
result has outgeneraled the Commissioners
and their friends and the enemies of his
company in House and Senate. He said
yesterday that he had to keep his eye open
all the time, a fact which goes with the
record of the various schemes Which have
been concocted from time to time to favor
the opposing corporation, and as effectualy
killed.