The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-01-13


arews Committee on December s. Artnu:
II. Lea was the witness OF the day and he
covered the entire history of the electric
lighting of the city. Incidentally, he gave
the names of the managers of the compare
les which have been robbing the city.
Among them were Charles A. Porter,
David Martin and William ]. Latta. We
all know Dave; the other two are
equally fayorably known in their "
city. 1t was conclusively shown tina.
Philadelphia. which uses more electric
lights thai any other city in the United
States. also pays more for the service. It
was pointed out that Common Councilman
A. J. De Camp. Of the Twenty-nintn
ward. was general manag of the Brush
Company. Then after coupling the names
of other Councilman with the monopoly.
Mr.. Freddy significantly proved sthat
Councils had persIstently refused to es-
tablish an electric light plant for the city.
Lea testified that the city had spent for
electric lighting $l.129.000 in 1894, s6s5,1SS
of which was for electric arc lights. In
1895 Councils had appropriated sS5O. 600 for
electric arc lights. and for 1896. $685.. ooo
was asked for.
Philadelphia had paid for $500 lights, a
greater number than was used in New
York. Boston and Chicago combined. Al
though this fact should reduce the cost
per light. Philadelphia really paid more
than any of these cities. and in fact
more than was paid by many little vii
lagos through the State. The witness
said the Brush. Diamond. Germantown.
K~ensington. Manufacturers, Poweltown,
Southern. Suburban and Wissah.ckon
Electric Light Companies controlled all
of the lighting in Philadelphia No other
companies bid and no one of these com
panies encroached upon the territory OF
the other.
Mr.. Lea then proceeded to give the
names of those active in the manage
III SO1ApalilCS. IT,
De Camp, he said, was connected with
the Brush; Charles A. Porter, David
Martin. w. J. Latta and George A. Cas-
tor with the Diamond; Charles A. Porter
with the Knowlton; Charles A. Porter
and David Martin with the Manufactur
ers', n Henry Clay, A. ]. De Camp, P.
A. B. Widener and John Lowber Welsh
with the Northern. The Northern, he
said, however. was no longer a bidder.
Mr.. Lea closed by giving some figures
as to the enormous profits of the compa-
mics. one of which paid 80 per cent. divi-
dends. others as high as ls per cent.
The next day Professor William D.
Marks. of the Edison Electric Light
Company. which is not in the trust, tes-
titled that his company would supply the
are lights in the old city proper for 81
cents per night per light, and would, In
addition. supply the plant. He said thai
rate would pay the company 6 or 7 pei
cent. and provide for depreciation in the
plant. He said the Edison Company
would supply the arc lights for s109 pc
year, but might take 500 per lamp pei
year. The price paid by the city to thu
trust is sl59 per lamp. The Professor
said these lights would cost a private
corporation from $50 to ss5 per year.
When asked why the Edison Company
did not bid for public lighting, he sait
the company was prevented from engag
ing in arc lighting by a clause in the or.
dinance granting them permission to d.
business. The Edison officials were giver
to understand tina the ordinance would
fail if this clause was not accepted. Th'
witness said the Edison Company coult
not get an Independent franchise from
Councils and were compelled to lease tn
privilege of using the ducts of the Penn
Company.
The Penn Company, he said, was CAPT
talized at a million dollars, but onl.
$40, 900 was paid in. The Edison Com
pany was now paying about $4,000 pc
year for the privilege of using its ducts
The ducts were so rotten that the Edi
son Company was compelled to replac
them. A. j. De Camp. Common Coun
Gilman from the Twenty-ninth Ward
ne said, was president of the Penn.
Assuredly no robbery to surpass this
let us say, was discovered in New York
But the New York revelations wer
carefully timed. They were sprung up
on the public ait a time when a politica
revolution was possible. New York Stat
was to vote not only for a Governor, blu
for a Constitution which was CAREFUL
framed for the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of tn
Democracy for at least twenty years.
Not only that; with all the abomina
ton of cunning for which the Republi
can party is justly famous. the Lexo,
| revelations were spread broadcast throug
the land, to the fatal detriment of tn
Democratic party. While not one lin
Of this Philadelphia enquiry has appear
ed In the columns of the New York news
papers, jaded with their revealing in mi
quities the results of the Lexow exam
nation from day to day occupied a
much space in the Philadelphia paper
as in the New York ones. 1t is not to