Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-08-19
FOR CHEAPER POWER
GENERAL ELECTRIC co. WANTS
TO HARNESS THE JAMES.
STATEMENT BEFORE THE CHAMBER.
,.xc.,,eation, Representative
says, Has been In PROGRESS ~"
s Tf,nc--snttcr Referred 10
Committee on Manufactures.
N Representative


o'clock. Prcsent were MessIS' o. -
Raves. president; s. W. TraVers' H'e'
s,co-nresldont, and II. l.. CaDeil' -. .
t,car.bv James II. Scott, W. ~ Hho'-
-, y I. Traylor, Leon WailerS'e"'
md G. u. WingAcld. directors. Ailer inc
transaction OF some routine business
a,n,ch occupied only few minutes M
rdward J. willis. superintendent OF lhe
Richmond Traction Company, ana MI
william Todd. OF Baltimore, the agent -
tho General Electric Company, VINO were
present by invitation, were Introduce
and invited by President HAYES 10 "u-
5rces the meeting in reference 10 p'''"
for the full development Of the ""-S-
bower OF James river. -.
Az willis. who spoke first, said mat j
gould only be necessary lor MN -,
that no was well acquainted WIN W
rold and the General Electric Coil'p"n''
1t, no represented, and that IN Iho
,ien Of development pr0pOaeu " -,
'orrnanv II had offered the IIacuon C 49,
oany electric power upon suCh ''i no -,
though his companys picSeH1 IS
Iont Tor generating electric power We
co,structed as 10 secure the pcS1
,,,,ts obtaiuable from plant Oh nc
s,ad when the system proposed 10y
grncral Electric Company was eSIaDii9i,
Al the Traction Company Would Ooi - ~
sbandon the use OF its own pldhO ~ -
shesner mower offered by the EeHe-"'
Electric Company. ,o..
Mr. TODD'S PROPOSITION.
AR Todd. after few explanatory Ie-
.,s~l,s tben read a paper addressed ~
a.. Chamber. which was as iolo"S'
General Electric Company,
Baltimore Office: 227 east German German Se 1897
,,.,s,r, richmond Chamber OF COM
merce. Richmond, va: ,.,-..,. Gam
Dear 'sir-The General Electric COM
many has been making an llVestlsa.,on
nt0 the WatCT-powers or TINS couu t,iS
aitb The view Of ascertaining whether
rome OF the present idle Waler-po"eIS
could not be advant3geousiy HoFo'99P,eu
and the power from them distribute ~
means of electricity for the operation Vi
msnufacturing embellishments our pur-
bose in this investigation was, OF COuIsc'
10 create a demand for electrical dppdid-
JUS that We can furnish. Nhiie me
Teneral Electric Company, as a company
los not invest its own money in enter
orises Of this character II - dDlc'
through it's various connections 10 me iIt-
Fest capital in these enterprises. w,hete
here is a fair possibility Tor goou It.
urn on the money invested.
WASTE OF JAMES-RlNER WATER
Our attention was called some time ago
n rho pOasibility OF utilizing the waste HOW
" the James river at Richmond by the es-
Adjustment Of an clcctric-pOWer pant LOT
he distribution Of electricity Tor various
,urposes our preliminary Investigations
convinced as that there was several thou-
land horsepower now going 10 waste III
he river that could be 50 utilized ana
hat there were in the cities OF Klchmohd
nd Manchester
tating several thousand horsepower
whose power was costing them great
leaI more per horsepower per year imam
~ electric-pOwer station established there
,ould furnish them power for.
we interviewed the present owners or
he water-pOwer. ana found that they
gerc willing TO cooperate with any com
,any in It's complete development. our
ngineers have made preliminary esti-
mates as to the cost of such plant, and
4 ii can be shown that there is market
or this power, We can proDaDiy interest
;apital sufficiently TO make thorough
INVESTIGATION into the subject, ana II the
,esults OF such investigation are salts
factory there can. we think, be eStaD-
ished power plant that can Iuihlsh
power TO the present manufactures IN
Richmond at a greatly reduced cost ana
san offer Inducements TO other manufac-
urng companies, In the way OF cheap
bower, as will cause thXr location In
Richmond. You have but TO look at what
Vater-power developments have done for
DWELL Lawrence. Haverill, and the other
points through New England to appre-
late the advantages that would come TO
Richmond, If such a development would
AXE place. There would, in addition, be
NE Immediate and direct benefit from the
expenditure Of from 100000 to 100000
II the construction, a large portion of
which would necessarily so to the citi
.ens of Richmond.
INTEREST ONE OF BUSINESS.
Our interest in the matter is, OF course
purely selfish one. but it is so entwined
With the interests of the city of Richmond
hat we feel free TO ask your organiZd-
ion TO assist us I'm establishing this en-
erprise. The first thing 10 be done is TO
ghOW that there is an actual market Tor
his power in Richmond sufficient In
AMOUNT to show some returns on the in
yCstment. and to that end we have sent
representative 10 Richmond with in
uructions 10 make as many conditional
contracts for electric power as possible,
conditioned as follows:
The power company TO supply the power
II an agreed price; TO furnish and keep
repair, at their expense, an electric
motor Of the proper size 10 do the work
he power TO be guaranteed permanent,
md as good as power from a steam en-
zine. The only expense that the customer
will be put 10 In order TO avail himself
" the reduced cost is a triiling one for a
foundation for the motor. These con-
racts being conditioned upon the power
being supplied within eighteen months
rom the date of the contract, and being
,nlv binding upon the customer for the
, amount of power he is using at the time
he power Is turned on.
We can see no reason why the manu-
acturerS OF Richmond should not be
Had TO avail themselves OF the possibility
" reducing their expenses, when il costs
hem practically nothing to make the
rial. While of course, the securing OF
sufficient power contracts would not
guarantee the establishment Of a power
~ In RiehmqlH ~ in in
sure there being very close and accu-
ate investigation made OF the situation.
and would. / think, If no unsurmountable
obstacles presented themselves, result in
he ultimate development to its fullest
extent OF the water-power Of the James
liver and make Richmond one Of the
largest manufacturing cities OF the coun-
rv.
Very truly yours.
GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY,
Bv T.. G. Todd, Resident Manager
After reading the paper MIR. Todd said
that ne would be glad 10 have the Cham
Der look well into tho advantages Of the
plan. and. II approved give its approba-
ton in such form as, would secure for
tho plan full and favorable considera-
ton on the part of manufacturers and
other users OF power at Richmond
He then offered TO answer any in
1uiries which the members OF the board
desired 10 make, and was asked with
much interest q number of questions
rs 60 details by Messrs. WingfelG, Wal
lerstein. SHELTON, and Scott, all OF which
were answered very fully and frankly.
THE MATTER REFERRED.
The matter. with the approval Of that
course by MessTs Willis and Todd. was
then referred TO the Chambers Commit
tee on Business Enterprises. which con-
sists OF Messrs II. l.. Cabell chairman,
w c. Bentley. S. u. Crenshaw, j.
Thompson Brown, n. w. Bowe. Il. VII
liam Pcmberton. Il. Raab, L. 8 Rose.
Arthur Scrvenor, Williamson Talley, II.
Seldom Taylor. and George s. Vashon, Jr