The Portland daily press., 1898-10-15
BAgK TO COMMITTEE.
Order Granting Privileges to New
Electric Light Company Blocked.
ALDERMEN WANT 10 BE SURE NEW
+ COMPANY WILL NOT SELL OUT.

Full Correspondence Between Investigat-
ing Committee and MIR. G. w. Brown,
President of New Company MIR.
Roscoe s. Davis's stabit-Alderrnan
Rounds Says jefferson Theatre should
lie Closed if They Don't Pay Their
J. License Fec.
The mayor and board of aldermen
were assembled in special session yester-
day afternoon to take some definite action
in regard to the petition of the Portland
Electric Light company. The meeting
was called for four o'clock. At that hour
the mayor walked into the aldermen's
chalnbe and called the board to order.
He confronted empty seats and it was
ten minutes later before four of the seven
their seats.
Aldermen Sprague, Rounds, Dow and
Smith were those present. Alderman
Mannix was some ten or fifteen minutes
late, while Aldermen Lamson and Merrill
did not appear at all.
A0 having tudUCu oiASo cAAAo 49,
an adjourned meeting Of the board to
consider the petition of the Portland
Electric Light company, which asks for
permission to construct conduits and lay
wires in them on certain streets and erect
poles and wires on certain other streets,
recognized Alderman Rounds who was
prepared to make speech.
Alderman Rounds talked for some little
time and was listened to with the closest
attention, not only by the board of alder
men but by the large number of specta-
tors who were in attendance. He said
that he hadn't had enough time given
him to carefully peruse the report Of the
report had not reached him until this af-
ternoon. He had visited Great Falls.
where the company's plant is located, and
had carefully examined it for his own
benefit In his opinion it was desirable
that the city and the citizens of Portland
should have cheaper light and power but
he first wanted to be sure that he was
mission of the Portland Electric Light
company. He wanted to be sure that he
was not saddling extra burdens on tho
tax payers when he voted away fran
chise which might be sold to the existing
com pany.
At Great Falls Mr.. Rounds said he
found the power house was only two feet
above the water and in time OF freshets
he thought 1t would be inundated. The
plant is not large enough to supply Port.
land with lights when everything Is
run ming all right, but in time of freshets
he wanted to know how the company ex.
pected to furnish lights to Portland. The
water going over the dam near this power
house Is apt to take the dam away at any
hot rron1d han n tho aify
lights then? The city has no guarantee
that the new company can furnish the
power and lights it claims it can supply.
There is nothing to show its resources at
Great Falls anyway. If the company
would guarantee any auxiliary plant In
Portland to be used in an emergency 1t
would be an entirely different thing.
poles from Great Falls to Portland. Mr..
Rounds said he did not think this was
sufficient to supply the city with lights or
power. Furthermore the trees are near
this line Of poles in many places and
should they fall across the line Portland
would be deprived of lights for night
and perhaps longer tine than that. .r
am In favor of anything which Will
lessen the burden of the tax payer but
we must be convinced that this new COM
pany is able to do this before we go any
further. Should the new company sell
out to the existing company 1t would
simply add to the tax payers burdens for
they would have to pay for the franchise
we are now asked to give away. 1t looks.
as ii the company now in Portland is not
ND to the standard. We are paying ex-
horb liant prices for lights in the streets.
I think the city should own its own cleo.
trio light plant and TINS save great
deal of money am not willing to vote
for this petition with thesknowledge
have at hand ana therefore I move you,
sir, that the petitioners be given leave to
withdraw
This motion was not seconded.
II don't want to kill this new COM
pany - said Mr.. Rounds. ~ am heartily
in favor of anything which will give
us cheaper lights but I want to do the
thing right Has any one an order cover
ing this petition9"
II have an order on this matter" said
Alderman Sprague.
"Ihen move you that the petition be
laid upon the table," said Mr.. Rounds.
Mr.. Sprague seconded this motion and
it was so voted.
Mr.. Sprauge now presented an order
of great length covering the petition of
the Portland Electric Light company and
giving them permission to construct
conduits and man holes on Congress