New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-28
DEPRIVED OF A MONOPOLY
NEW ARRANGEMENT WITH A NlA'AN1A
FALLS POWER COMPANY.
o az TIVE EFFORT TO SECURE TO ONE CON
Germ BOTH SIDES OF THE RIVER AND
.,y,cv or THE CATARACT.


Germ BOTH SIDES OF THE RIVER ND
THE ENERGY OF THE CATARACT
r..o,,o Nav u (speciaD Negotiations that nave
hoen going on in this city for several "eeA' " 49,
at last resulted In a new agreeihe"' .,e1ara rails
commits, ioners OF the Queen Victoria '>ias s".n,
-. - ,ba Canadian Niagara Power company.
~. 90, dina, difference between this agreement
ard the one II sets aside is one ahecung tfe $50
NJ the concession made to the compahs' -.
NOW contract the monopoly clause wncn 'i'"u
old one so unpopular, Is not revNeo' mss" -
tie former exclusive right to develop po"ei W 49,
mark margin Of the river. the company "o" a,
, s,,ch q franchise as the Commissioners may
o,o.d. IN half a dozen possible neighborihg po"e'
companies Under the present arrahee'
con,rany is 10 pay for the nrst lV"VV " ~ noo
developed $4,000 per annum Tor the heNt 49,
hor ,e-power 81 per horsepower per a 80.
,hn next 10000 horse power, 70 cents per nv
- .,or ,or annurn and for the remaining power u"
- ,onsd nm 20 n limit Of 100000 horsepower II 10 W
nav 70 cents per horsepower per ai""', %
anreerant Is expected to be approved by the O"-
tario Government
NIAGARAs ENERGY.
In arriving at a conclusion as 10 Tue D,sad NV
tho contract the Government mas pee"
| an important report made by MT heiheus, "a
neer 10 the Montreal Harbor Commissio"0' -
one Of the leading authorities on hyarau n,,
,hia continent In conjunction with MT "Hso,'
engineer TO the Park Commissioners Mr hen.
made a careful and extended exahha"0 s,ar-
pater-poyer at the Falls. with a vie" " -
mining es nearly as possible the quah'iy VI ,.n
that could be developed. His report toee' CO.,
ooref,,Ilv prepared plans. was handed 10 'i,e "'
. - Monday and II shows that there 10
~ darper Of a corner" OF power on the Oanaua'i
eide The Canadian Niagara Power COMPANY ny p M
noses 10 erect a plant capable OF oeVeiop'e
borse-nower This is a large amount pu' MI. -
nedv estimates that It is easily possioie " -.
further development of five times that quan,''
obova the Falls The intake or the Ca"aua .
NIAGARA Power Company will begin at the sou.'
"a ~ Cedar Island Other developments can 10
had further south, and including the Poii'' 80" 80,
the Welland River enters the park 30 &c =,
is annie power for any new companies ues
obtaining development rights mas In.
The Canadian Niagara Power COMPANY va 49,
corporated, and Its former agreement W.
Queen Victoria Niagara Falls Park Comh'sslo"
was confirmed. by act OF the on'ar'o Ice
lature assented to In April lsSz Inc pes "
cornorated in the company were Albert - o""~'
Francis I. Stetson, William B. Rankine' Johh ~
I.in ava charles + Holman American citizens
lite narsonnel was practically Identical win 'ha'
OF the controlling interests In the NIAGARA 1--WE
Comnanv which has brought into existence the
great power works on the American size OF inc
river. Its capital stock is S,oOcoOO'
TERMS OF THE OLD CONTRACT
Under the company's first contract its license TO
use the waters OF the Niagara along the FaIk lioi'
was TO last for twenty years II was 10 pay
rental OF s2 900 per annum for the first ten years
For the second ten years the rate was to begin
at s26 900 per annum and Increase by $lVOV per
| annum Provision was made for renewing the lease
! for a second term OF twenty years, the rehtal "
be s35 900 per annum and three further twenty-year
| renewals were provided for. so that the company
! could have held the franchise for a century. The
! commissioners agreed not to grant to any other
company or person the right TO use water for
power purposes within the limits OF the Park. On
its part, the company was required 10 begin the
construction Of its works before May 1897 and TO
have proceeded so far with its developments as
to have by November !, 1885, completed water con-
nections for Is 900 horsepower and to have actually
ready for use 10000 horsepower. 1t was further
provided that should the company continuously
neglect for the space OF one year eectually 10 gen.
crate electricity or rheumatic power as specified.
the Lieutenant Governor- Council might cancel
the agreement Every year since the contract was
! entered into the company has regularly paid its
| rental. and the money has been applied by the
| Commissioners to the payment OF the interest on
the bonds which represent the debt for the I'M
| provement Of the Park But the company did little
else than pay rental. 1t was loath 10 begin its
! works required May l. 1884, and tried hard to
| get an extension OF time. There strong
| popular demand for the development TO begin and
the companys petition for more time had TO be
! oeIleu a beginning was made which barely full
| nled the letter OF the agreement When November
| l, 1898, came round there sign Of the water
connections for 5000 horsepower or Of the TO- 900
horsepower required TO be actually developed by
IN mat date This caused little disappointment for
had long been rued, and the non -performaace Of
the company was welcomed as an occasion for
further time. but. in the face Of the sentiment
S csSi6 ot the monopoly the Ontario
oeciintd and advised the company that he con-
s sGeTea It's failure to fulfil duly 50 much OF the
november would void the agreement This view
'q 0 se s sRd court vas o
OF Ontario The question was argued before the
;ompany's license, privileges. ETC. were not for
emSe as he eon 59 get much done BY No
clause Of the agreement defining conditions u0 0s
e I SPovdns ms a be ,S cancelled
continuously for one year after NoveUber 1888 70
e,o lgS as agreed the Lieutenant
sis ana powers OF the company forfeited The
longer. Wv N''"pahy year
THE CANADIAN POWER COMPANY
Further efforts were made TO Obtain an ax,o,o,.-
OF time. but another company which mad -
steadily agitating against the monopoly. now he
came more active than ever This was the Cana.
osan ROVER company. which is also an association
| C. capitalists The Canadian Power
Company proposed 10 develop from Welland River
a srean which flows into the Niagara above ,he
o, DI.uieo py the waters of the Niagara The
current OF the Welland is forced backWard an n9
me bottom OF that stream scarcely incnes at ali
througnout the last twelve miles OF it's course a
culhs INTO the stream at any point in this
~ mile section would tap great storage basin
., power This is what the Canadian Power Com
Ra,ny proposed TO do, but TO discharge into the
Nlasata below the Falls and fully 10 deyelon The
Des1 ~ would have to cut tail-race through the
RarK controlled by its rival. the Canadian Niagara
lower company. As the Canadian Niagara Power
company Itself Il did nothing 70 produce power and
pany 10 produce any through the park and ne
mere was general impatience to see the Canadian
see become a hive or industry. like the American
sioe me mass OF the people took the side Of the
Cahaaiah POWER Company, and denounced it's rival
az oog In the manger. 1t became the nxed belist
81 the majority Of the people that the Canadian
,hs rover Conpany.made up practically OF
the same persons as the Niagara Power Gonna nv
aSsoss Ine river1seyer meant to develop power on
there for the sole purpose OF blocking Competitor