The Portland daily press., 1899-05-05
Attempts to Further De.
lay Action Lost.
Portland VIII Now Have Two
Electric Light Companies.

Board OF Aldermen last evening, permits.
sion was granted the Portland Electric
Light company to enter the city and do
business. 1t has bean long fight which
this company has made to secure this
permission. From the beginning they
have been fought stubbornly by the Con-
solidated Electric Light company, and
this has extended over a period of more
than two years. The new company offers
to do lighting and furnish pow
er at very low rates and the action of the
board of aldermen last evening will prob
ally bring about revolution in the prices
of electric lighting and power in this city.
The opposition manifested last night
against the passage of the order granting
permission to the new company to enter
the city did not amount to as much as
was expected. The only aldermen who
voted against 1.-THE order 4 were Aldermen
Lamson and Smith. Their endeavor to
have the order submitted to the city So
licitor for revision, and when this failed
to postpone action on it for few weeks.
added nothing to the strength of the op-
position. There was big crowd present,
including great number of prominent
citizens who demonstrated by their man
ner that the passage of the order was very
gratifying to them. When the mayor
called the board to order there was not a
vacant chair in the aldermen's chamber
and the door ways were filled with spec
tators. The mayor simply stated that
the meeting had beer called to take act
ion on the petition of the Portland Elec-
trio Light company to enter the city and
said that he awaited the pleasure of the
eoard.
Alderman johnson moved that the
board proceed 10 this. business and it was
SO voted.
:, Alderman johnson then introduced an
order granting the permission asked fol-
by the new company.
Alderman Moulton said that he had d
similar order to the one introduced by
Alderman johnson which he had amend
ed somewhat in order ( to make the-condi'
tions more binding and stronger. Alder
man johnson agreed to the amendments
the gentleman from Ward made, and
they were adopted 10y vote of the board.
Alderman Dow thought the erection OF
poles should be under the direction of the
municipal officers of Portland instead OF
the committee on lights and he suggested
that the order be- amended in this par
ticular.
This suggestion of Alderman Dow mai
with some opposition at first and tht
question came up as to whether the poles
should be erected under the direction OF
the municipal officers, the committee OIL
lights or the committee on poles. A de
lay was caused by the informal discus
sion of this matter and it was during
this delay that Alderman Mannix toob
the floor and asked the Mayor whaI
question was before the house.
The Mayor--"I will inform the gentle
man from Two if he does not know, that
the question is On the adoption Of the
gentleman from hives amendment tc
the order.
express his opinion In regard to this mat
ter and in few minutes the amendment
offered by Alderman Dow was accepted
Thus amended the order stood as fol
lows:
Ordered, That permission be and here
by dis given TO the Portland Electric
Light company to lay and maintain un
derground oonduits and maDholes with
wires and cables to be laid therein un'
der the surface of the following streets
.nFf 1-+r
to Monument square Also permission t
lay and maintain underground conduits
Dlanholes, cables and wires for the pur'
pose of connecting tha main conduits
with SAID petitioners poles.
also permission TO erect line of poles
and string wires thereon for the trans
mission OF electricity through and along
the following streets, VIZ:
Twenty-one poles on the south side o1
Green street from opposite the head ol
Kennebec street; pole on southeast s!dt
of Congress street, opposite the head OF
Green street; 10 poles on east side of Free
street, beginning at junction with Con-
grass street; poles on south side oi
Centre street, from Free street to Fore
street, ii poles on east side of Fore street.
from Centre street to Pearl street; pole
on south side of Pearl street, from Fore
street TO Commercial street; poles or
east side of Commercial street from
Pearl street to Franklin street. Poles to
be of pine, chestn35 or cedar, reasonably
straight and of a height ranging from
20 to 20 feet MS the municipal officers
may direct.
Said poles to be located rs indicated OF
map accompanying the petition sui jsct
to such specific changes as said mu
niclpal officers may direct.
This permission is granted upon the
express condition that the Portland hec
trio Light company shall continae tht
rates heretofore published and furnish
the citizens, business houses and firms
and the city of Portland electric lghts
and power without any advance IN price
over said published rates for II tenn OF
at least five Years from date
Also that said company shall not sell
ouG to or combine with any light com
pany whereby the price Of electricity for
lighting or power shall be increased above
tie prices heretofore proposed by this
company to the city and citizens of Port