The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-10-23

The question OF Lighting the city is 10
De finally determined al the council
meeting Monday night. The council
men are in shis humor and Mayor Ross
is decidedly 50. Upon the subject Henry
c. Scott, president Of the Wichita Gas,
Electric Light and Power company. has
! written to Mayor Ross the following let
ter:
October q, 1897
Mayor Finlay Ross, City Hall, Wichita,
Kansas:
Dear Sir:-Our Wichita people have
called my attention 70 the action OF the
mayor and city council in connection
with the effort the city is making to Sc
cure the best and cheapest contract for
lighting its streets, and 1 have thought
that 1t would do no harm, to either the
city. or TO our company, to present to
You, the city's chief officer, a few facts
TO consider in connection with the work
Whieh you and the members of the city
council seem to be considering and
working over so earnestly in the citys
behalf
Knowing that I am addressing a bust
ness man, VINO will deal with this and
every other item Of the city's affairs
upon purely business principles. it is
not difficult for me to present for your
consideration few facts, which think
are worthy Of careful thought from the
citys point OF view. 1 will state that
stand ready at all times TO substantiate
any Of the statements made below.
First-I viii take the liberty 10 allude
to number of glaring mis-statements
which have appeared in your papers re-
Gently, bearing upon this matter. sand
which mfs-statements should be correct
ed, lest they mislead those who are I'M
skilled in and familiar with such mat
tiers. l do not assume, OF course, that
you have given credit TO any Of these
statements, but ii becomes my duty to
correct such tons, and I
shall try to do so. A clipping from a
newspaper before me states, among
other things, that our company is at
tempting to overcnarge the city and pri-
vate consumers for lights, and that since
the Citizens company failed the prices
have been raised. Permit me TO say that
neither of these statements are true We
are, on the contrary, selling light to both |
the city and private consumers al as
low prices as light-either by gas or cleo |
tricity-is being sold for in the state; |
and. since the Citizens company dis |
continued business, neither the price OF
gas Tor the price of electric light has |
been advanced one cent. 1t is also as |
serted that our company has been max |
ing large sums Of money in Wichita. In |
reply 10 this l have to state that al |
though our property was built more than /
twelve years ago. for cash, and without |
the issue of dollar OF bonds, and al |
though there never has been one dol
lar Of bonds outstanding against the /
property, We have never paid to our |
stockholders one cent on their invest
ment. Our books are open to the in
spection Of either yourself or the men,
bers of the city council to Substantive /
this or any other statements contained |
in this communication. I may add that
during the said period of twelve years
our company has paid taxes to the
amount of nearly 100000 to the city. a
'monopoly'-as, we are termed by one Of
the papers-Which has never paid dol
lar on It's investment; which offers, as
we have repeatedly offered 10 do, to sell
its property to the city or to individuals
at one-half OF its actual cost Said cost
to be determined by disinterested eX-
perts) and which sells its product, in
the shape Of light, cheaper than ii il
cold for in any other town in Kansas.
cannot be considered a very serious bur-
den upon the people.
Having endured with your people the
depressed conditions which have pre-
vailed in Wichita for 50 many years.
we hoped to be able TO unite with them
IN building up the city and Improving
its position as a commercial centre; for
in this way, alone, can We ever expect
10 realize upon our investment. There
is not lighting expert In the world
who will not concur with my statement
that until Wichita improves and grows
IL will be impossible 70 make a dollar
out OF the ligh ting business OF the town,
and 1t is because OF this fact, and be-
cause 1 deplore the failure OF the COM
pany which formerly divided the
lighting business with us in Wichita,
and because l wished 10 make some