The Portland daily press., 1899-04-26
Discussion of Voltage
Excuse for Delay.
Citizens Who Want the. Petit
ton Granted.


Board OF Aldermen yesterday afternoon
occurred the hearing on the petition OIL
the Portland Electric Light company for
permission to set poles and string wires
on Green, Free, Cross, Fore and CONNER
ciaI streets aud to build an underground
conduit from Green street to Monument
square.
There was very large attendance Of
citizens at this hearing among them be-
| ing many of the largest property owners
| In the city, and men who have been con =
nscted with some of tho big industries In
Portland. There was also large number
of lawyers and professional men and al
together 1t was about the most represen
tatye gathering which has attended city
government meeting for many months.
The petition having been read by the
maze or the hearing was declared to be
open.
John II. Fogg, ESQ.,, appeared for the
petitioners. He said the matter had been
placed before the board of aldermen
year ago, but the few new members were
unacouainted with the situation. 1t may
not be known to all that the Portland
Electric Light company served the hrs'
electric light ever seen in Portland. II
was organized February s, 1882. 1t was
then a close corporation with less than
ten members. They put their hands into
their pockets and paid one hundred cents
on the dollar. There was not and has
never been any watered stock In this COM
pany. Raising the cash among them
selves they bought their machinery and
strung their wires. Arc lights were en-
tirely used. as incsndescent lighting was
in It's infancy and there was no demand
for It.
This company continued to do business
until the company of which the present
lighting company is the outgrowth drove
our company out of the field. Our co n
pany then ran its lights for one dollar a
night. The new company cut rates to rs
cents and then to 80 cents and finally TO
% cents, and later they gave th,ir lights
for nothing. Our company was not Or
ganized for speculative purposes hut was
organized for good, square business.
Having been forced TO the wall by the
new company we finally suspended busi-
ness, but kept our charter alive until such
time as we thought 1t might be used To
advantage.
Steam power is expensive and we have
waited until we could realize water power
to run our lighting plant, We have now
made all arrangements aud last Septem-
l,af
asked that. our petition be granted. You
all remember the backing and filling, the
shutting and excuses which were made
and from the old city government we
never were able to obtsin anything.
Now we have come here again. We see
no reason why we should be subjected to.
conditions different from any one
else. We have the power, the machinery
and are ready to do business only waiting
for your permission to set poles. We are
not debtor company and everything WE
own is paid for. The severe storms of the
last winter have tested our lines during
the past winter and l say without fear OF
contradiction that we have the Lost line
of wire in the state of Maine. speak OF
this to show you that this company is not
a mushroom affair, but is here to stay.
We are doing business in two awards of
this city, and we want to do business in
here. We are doing business in the Deer
ing distr ct after the closest examination
and the exercise of the greatest care.
We admit that we are here to make
money, but we think we can benefit the
city in its corporate capacity and in its
citizens. 1t will be vastly beneficial to
this city to have new company come in
here. Competition is the life of business
and the more we have in any business the
be tier for the people.
What we ask for now Is in accordance
with the wishes of the majority of the
citizens of this city. have never tested
this matter, bur l know there Is a big
demand for cheaper lights in this city.
feel that this city government or any city
government would be anxious to save this
city from $500 to $40, 900 year. Nc
honest man would hesitate to give his
city cheaper lights IL he were not blinded.
We don't feel as though we We're asking
IOf an We 1Sh AoeA
that we are asking you to confer favor
especially upon us but we are asking you
to do that which is best for the city and
| its citizens.
In this petition We ask for little. We
ask for an underground conduit on
Congress street to Monument square and
few other pole rights on Green street,
Free street, Gross street, Fore street &C
Commercial street.
We have all the rights under our charter
that we ever had and we ask you now to
bring this matter TO an end There have
been more than $50. 0o0 In hard cash paid
out and this amount has not been col.
looted ON watersd stock or anything Of
that kind. have not approached an
alderman in relation to this matter, nor q