Evening star., 1897-01-21
He Again Argues for the Potomac
Power Company.
ELECTRIC LIGHT FIGHT STILL ON
Senator. Bacon Corects Some
Statements Made.
THE UBWAY STEM


rell called up his joint resolution in rela-
once arose to ask if it was the wish, as
he understood, Of Mr.. Gallinger to speak
On the joint resolution today.
Mr.. Gallinger replied that he would
rather vote than to speak on the joint res.
olution, and If Mr.. Hill wished to do sc
he could conclude his remarks.
Mr.. Hill Continues His Speech.
Mr. Hill then continued his speech begun
on Tuesday. He said much light had been
thrown on the electric lighting controversy
and 1t had not all been electric light. He
said he had learned since he last spoke on
the joint resolution that Senators Bacon
Proctor and Martin, members of the Senate
committee on the District Of Columbia, dis
sent from the report on the Cockrell joint
resolution, which had come from that COM
mittee.
Mr. Hill said he regretted that the ques-
tions he had put to Mr.. Faulkner had been
answered with a fullness Of speech, but
not with that dlrectness that he had de-
sired.
He alluded to a great subway system,
which he hopes to realize in the sweet by
and by, but he fails to give definite In
formation" said Mr.. Hill.
II start out with the proposition, he
continued, that we did find a few years
ago that the legislature had been so ma
nipulated, If l may use such an expression
(and If 1t is harsh one l will withdraw
it,, that no company other than the United
District of Columbia without some legtsla-
ton in It's behalf
Believes in Competition.
He continued to say that until public
opinion forces competition it is resisted.
A trust was simply a monopoly. and in
such enterprises there were found the best
elements, the people in the best society,
members of the church, and the arguments
of all trusts are that they are formed to
benefit the people in the end. But the peo-
pie look with alarm on aggregations of
capital that are found in all parts of the
country. But when the operations of trusts
are antagonized there is cry that 1t will
disturb the business interests Of the coun-
try; it will interfere with some plan we
have formed. When the proposition was
made to allow two electric lighting COM
panies to operate in the District OF Co.
lumbia 1t was opposed.
I'VE are allowed to have two eyes, two
ears, dozen hired girls if we want them,
but there can be but one electric hight COM
pany here. 1 remember when l was a
young member of the legislature of New
York ard l was inclined then to fight
monopolies. There was bill introduced to
have a railroad company to extend Its
tracks. They said the company was re-
garded as against an extension; they sim
ply would not extend Of course voted fer
that bill, but afterward l learned that the
company wanted it. and the whole repre-
alton was merely blind. The sena tor
from West Virginia told us yesterday that
Congress had made the Metropolitan com
pany extend it's tracks as an instance cf
the way these corporations are made to do
the will Of the people"
Uncnruora <ion NJ tho Tvvo Comnou Toe
Mr.. Hill reminded Mr. Faulkner that yes
terday he had asked him in what state the
United States Electric Lighting Company
was incorporated. He said that Mr.. Faulk-
ner had replied that he didn't know. Mr..
ated In the state of West Virginia, which
was the state represented by MIR. Faulkner.
He could see no special reason for its in
corporation in that state, except to escape
taxation In the District Of Columbia. The
Potomac company, he said had been in
corporated in the District of Columbia, and
yet Colonel Britton had argued before the
committee on the District of Columbia that
they should keep out outsiders in the form
OF the Potomac company.
THE United States company" he SAID,
pays taxes on $4,000, while Its stock goes
without taxation, and this Is the company
for the protection Of which the most ex-
traordinary resolution has been brought
before the Senate, in order to continue its
monopoly by keeping out of the District
of Columbia the little Potomac company
that has honored the District Of Columbia
by being incorporated under its laws
Need 1 remind the Senate that there was
no legal reason why the United States
company should not have been Incorporate
ed in the District Of Columbia?
The Subway System.
Not only is 1t plain that the passage of
this resolution would stop electric lighting
In the streets Of this city. but it would
stop electric lighting by the War Depart
ment. The theory Is that this favored
United States company has a monopoly
for doing this work under existing law,
while Congress Is getting ready its splen-
did subway system. 1t will be years be-
fore you see any system of subWays in
this city unless this discussion hurries It
up l am not 80 sure that a subway sys-
TEN Is necessary. OF course the Commits
sioners would like to have it. I have never
yet seen Commissioners who would not
like to expend five millions of dollars.
There are greater cities than this that have
no subway system. OF course we have
this grand subway system placed before
US as a possibility while they sustain this
monopoly"
Mr.. Bacon inquired II he could ask the
Senator from New York a question. but
Mr.. Hill declined. saying he was making q
connected argument, and would hear from
the senator from Georgia later as that
senator had said he would content him.
self with voting on the proposition. AS
he was proceeding Mr.. Bacon interposed to
say that he simply wished to call the at.
tention Of the senator from New York tc
the fact that eight or ten bills had beer
introduced in Congress on the subway sys.
tenn, and that there was no proposition tc
have the District of Columbia spend the
millions that had been referred to- but i,
was proposed to have that work under.
taken by a company. 1t was not proposed
to have the District of Columbia provide
the money to build the subways
Mr.. Hill continued to say that the com.
petition brought into the District of Co.
lumbia by the Potomac company had re.
duced the price of arc lamps from $13S to
$i00 per year, and yet, when he had asked
Mr.. Faulkner what the saving would be he
had replied 500 a year.
Mr.. Faulkner said he had simply referred
to the seven arc lights in Lincoln Park. for
which three miles of conduits had to bf
laid.
Giving Work to Idle Men.
Mr.. Hill continued to say that the worb
of the Potomac company was resulting III
expending from 5000 to 5000 per day ir
the District Of Columbia. giving to laborins
men an opportunity to earn a living, Will,
otherwise they would be subjects Of chari
| ty on the part Of the District
He then sent to the table a memoria