The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-09-19

Id.
from the bora .Siermen asking for
authority 70 make contract for not less
than one year. which was very shrewd
way as the city'p enemies thought to
fasten long term contract on the city
at price more than double that whioI.
they now offer for one year. We were not
caught mapping however and the city
was saved from a loss for the then fol-
lowing ten years Of at least s1o0, 200 as
compared with the prices we now have
rendered us because of the admission Of
competition.
Mr.. Cloudy then produced some bills
of the Consolidated Electric Light COM
pany, one being bill for 500 for wiring
city building. MIR. Cloudy alleged that
the wiring was SO defective that tns In
surance inspectors condemned It. Then
within NO years $500 was paid the Con :
solidated pr rewriting, without any con-
SESSIONS &c poor work of the previous
wiring. For Materials also large prof t
was charged.
MIR. Cloudy presented other bills to sup
port his allegation that the Consolidated
Electric Light company had run the city.
Mr.. Cloudy then referred TO the act Of
the legislature giving exclusive rights to
lighting companies In towns'a cities,
and denounced 1t as organizing gigan-
tic trust. =:
Mr.. Cloudy then read a letter In which
ex-Judge Foster had congratulated him
ON his speech recently in the council. at
plaseed me, 1 win confess" said Mr..
Cloudy. "for thought stood all alone In
this city Of 80. 900 people. like Dreyfus
Mr. 1oudy then rend Juuge Fosters
letter as follows:
JUDGE FOSTERS LETTER.
Louis A. Gcudys
Dear Sir:--I have read with pleasure
your remarks made ct the meeting OF the
council last evening. must congratulate
you and send you my hearty approval In
reference TO your able remarks made at
that meeting. also send you the report
of what said before the legislature COM
mites In which you will notice at differ
emit places agree with you upon the ar
rsighment Of the legislature Of 1895 which
passed as you will say 'sthe worst trust
laws In the United States." suppose
| You are thoroughly acquainted with the
three or four acts which were passed by
| that Legislature in regard to cutting of
all composition in reference TO railroads,
| street railroads, electric light and gas
companies, etc. They made all competi-
| ton subject to the consent Of some crea-
ture who had got foothold, however
| insecure, In any city or town in this
| state. That legislature was bound hand
and foot by corporate influence. and am
glad you had the temerity ana courage TO
express your sentiments not only as a
citizen of Portland but as a free man in
she state OF Maine, untrammelled by
party afBliation. You are q Republican
aud so am /. but believe that we are
fearless In expressing our disapproval of
corrupt legislation whether It be one
party or another. You have hit the nail
on the head to use an elegant expression
and you might have further arrAigned
| the last legisl AZURE and compared Its ap-
propriations made for 1900 which were
50, l23, 04S. So as compared with the legisla-
ture of 1870 where the total appropriations
for that year were SAB, 13o. 81. Thus the
last Legislature made appropriations more
than i've times greater than were made
in the year Of 1870. Think of it, with
comparatively no increase of population
OF the state and certainly no greater in
dustries than were in the year 1870, COM
paratively speaking. 1t Is subject
which not only the farmers Of this state
have grasped but the people and voters
can well comprehend and which l fore
warned them of in my remarks TO the
Very truly yours,
Enooh Foster.
Mr.. Cloudy closed his long speech which
had occupied over an hour and half by
urging upon the council the acceptance
of the bid of the Portland Electric Light
company for i've years.
Alderman Mannix took the 10 when
Mr.. Goudy had concluded and said that
he didn't think the convention had
prohted very much by the long speech OF
Mr.. Cloudy. Those members Of the board
of aldermen of 1888 whom he had ar
raigned were some of them present in this
board and were alive. They didn't need
to come to the council to be told how 60
conduct the city's business. The joint
convention had resulted as ne thought IL
would in long harangue and little
gained by It, Time had been wasted and
he thought the aldermen had best return
to their own board and proceed to bust
ness.
The joint convention.th then dissolved and
the two boards went into their respective
sessions. The aldermen at once notified
the council that they were about to ad-
journ. The council before the message
was received notified the aldermen that
they had adhered to their former action In
the passage Of the order giving the con-
tract to the Portland Electric Light COM
pany and asked for committee of con-
ference. The conferees on the part of the
council were Messrs. Cloudy, True ana
Murphy. The aldermen did not grant the
request Of the council for committee of
conference and adjourned until Wednes-
day evening at a. 80 o'clock. The council
had sent message to the upper board to
adjourn until 1850 o'clock on Tuesday
but the messenger reached the aldermen
after their adjournment so the council
followed suit and adjourned to wednes-
day evening.
THE ORDINANCE RELATING TO
ELECTRIC LIGHTING.
When the common council first assem-
bled MIR. Wilson of ward eight introduced