The Portland daily press., 1899-09-14
MADE SENSATION.
Alderman Spear Talks To
The Point.
Insinuates That Doodle
Was Used
To Secure Exclusive Electric Light
Ing Irivi.eges.
Proposition to CONSOLE
dated Company
Was Made BY a Certain City
Official.
Proposition to CONSOLE
dated Company
Was Made BY Certain City
Official.

city govern ent Of South Portland last
evening was enlivened or saddened, as
The case may be, by most sensation
al speech which will be read with great
iatsress by every citizen, for 1t touches
on matters of vital municipal interest.
The council met at the usual hour, all
b Ing present except Alderman Tilion.
The records we're read and approved. az
ter which Alderman Davis made a report
on the matter OF the sewer assessment of
MIR Albion G. Psttsngiil. and it was or
dered that the asst ssment amounting TO
$is 40, lie abaten.
Mayor Reynolds read report from the
city auditor giving the expenditures and
the credits nov remaining to the various
accounts.
The order directing the Mayor to draw
a warrant on the city treasurer for the
monthly bills was passed.
An ordinance relating to the collection
of house offal, which was introduced
July &C. was passed to be ordained.
WARD LINES.
The ordinance relating to ward lines, to-
gether with the amendments introduced
by Alderman Pickett, was given It's 500.
ond reading and tine amendments were
lost. Aldermen Spear, willard. Scaminan.
Davis, Jordan; yea. Alderman Pickett.
Tbs ordinance WIS then passed. Yeas,
Aldermen Pickett, Willard, Seaman,
Davis. Jordan; no. Alderman Spear.
CUMBERLAND ILLUMINATING
cos POLE RIGHTS.
| Alderman Willard introduced an order
giving exclusive permission to the Cum
heiland Illuminating company to erect
poles on certain streets and to stretch
wires thereon, subject 10 the terms and
conditions which were embodied In the
report OF the committee on lights which
WAS published In last weeks report In
the PRESS, with these notifications:
The company shall not be authorized to
| erect POLES on any street where the Port
land railroad has poles SO long as the
privilege of stretching wires along these
poles is given the electric company. In
lieu OF $1,000 In stock with . guarantee of
6 per cent. the. oity shall receive $50 worth
of lights 1t sS also provided that the city
shall have the right to place cross bar
for its use on all poles erected and the
price of lights for individual use ia to be
determined at the rates fixed for custom
ers In the city OF Portland.
Th.order was given its first reading and
hardly had the voice of the reader died
out when Alderman Spear quickly OPP
ened the drawer of his desk, took out some
anuscript and taking the floor read the
following speech:
Your Honor and Gentlemen of the Board |:
In relation to this matter, wish to
state that I have always. been, and am
still In favor of allowing both companies
TO come into this city and do business.
believe our citizens should have the
hensdts and advantages arising from
| competition. Neither company can afford
| to come here and do business At . ioss
| But both companies can afford to come
here, and eacn make equal concessions
TO the city, land then compets Tor the busi-
ness among our citizens. 1t seems to me
this Is the more business-like way of do
/ ing business.
| Furthermore, your honor and gentle
men of the board. l wish to express my
| disapproval Of the manner In which the
| business In regard to these electric light
companies has been conducted. And
desire to place myself on record as not
being a party TO any such proceedings.
In the first Instance, these petitions were
laid upon the table, and kept there for
long time and without any apparent
reason for their being so held up. was
AZ loss to account for this strange act
ion Of the board until / came into pos.
session of certain facts, which seemed to
explain the delay.
| feel that / owe 1t to myself, and to
my constituents. to state that was not
"a party to such deal; and feel that
also owe 1t to the citizens Of this city,
and perhaps to osrtain members OF this
board, TO state these facts.
/ learned that . resident Of this city,
one who aspires to be, and j believe Ii
considered by some. as one of the leaders
of the Democratic party in this city
offered to sell five votes OF this board. He
offered to sell to the Consolidated Electrit
Light company the exclusive pri vilsgs
of doing business In this city. He stated
that the Cumberland Illuminating COM
pauy had offered $1,000 for such exclusive
privilege; but that he would guarante,
this exclusive privilege to the Consoli