The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-05-04

| mad been shown to be SO FOOLISH by tne
Questions asked that he didn't think the
aldermen would pay much attention to
what he said about high voltage. Mr..
Hale then read from Prof. Bells book on
the transmission Of electricity, in which
he said that high voltage was very
DANCE under certain conditions. Mr..
Hale read several paragraphs from this
book and commented upon thsm. He said
that the new company sought In its
petition to run net work of wires all
over the city which was dangerous, and
which no other company had ever sought
to do. GAS business men you will agree
with me that no bond can be drawn to
protect the city against all possible CON-
tIngencies. Suppose this high voltage
comes in here and kills q man, can a
bond protect mans life? No safe guard
of this kind can protect human life. 1t is
necessary for you to see that the city is
protected and the welfare OF its citizens
guarded.
"You should not consider alone the mat
ter of competition but the kind Of COM
| petition offered. We think we can look to
you again not only for our own protection
but for the protection Of the city.
Alderman Moulton-"W Wasn't there an
open door here when your company
stsrtedP'
Mr. Hale-'tYes"
Alderman Moulton-"Wasn It the open
door closed only after you got inside the
city,"
| Mr.. Hale-"Yes.
Alderman Moulton-"Now Mr.. Hale
what Is the real reason that the CONSOLE
dated doesn't want the new company to
come in hereYo
MIR. Hale-"We think only one electric
lighting company can successfully serve
city. We are willing to meet all de-
mands, but we don't believe 1t wise to let
this company in here which will reduce
prices for minute, only to raise them at
the end"
Alderman Moulton-"Do you men to
say that.y usscan't furnish lights at the
same cost as the other Company
MIR. Hale-"I don't know as l said that,
mands made upon us by the city and have
always been.'
Alderman Moulton-''D Don't you believe
in competitionf"
Mr.. Hale-"Do you think 1t right to get
up such an unhealthy condition as that to
run prices way down and then boom them
way up againr'
Alderman n oulton-"The law passed
by the legislature four years ago pre-
vented such a condition didn't it?''
Mr.. Hale-"If you want to stimulate
that kind of competition 1t will In the
end subserve the interest of cheap light
ing"
Alderman Moulton-"D Didn't your COM
pany do business successfully until four
years ago? Mr.. Hale yes
Alderman Mannix-'As l understand
you, Mr.. Hale, only one company can
successfully do business in Portland, Is
that right?"
Mr.. Hale-"Yes, SIR"
Alderman Johnson-"Do you think 1t
is for the best interest of the city of Port
land to have competitiou?"
Mr.. Hale-''No.'
Alderman Johnson-"Then you don't
think these men who have signed this
petition are asking for their own in
terests?"
Mr.. Hale-"No.''
Alderman Johnson-''If 1t isn't for
their interest to have chsaper lights why
are they asking for these things?'
"Mr. Hale-'They have an idea that
this general drag Eet competition is as
applicable to the lighting business as it is
to the grocery business.
Alderman Johnson-"Then you don't
think they will get cheaper nghtsP"
Mr.. Hale-"They might for short
time, and then the prices would go up
and the city would have TO pay for it all
in the end
Alderman Johnson-"What company
do you think would last the longest, the
company using water power or the one
using steam?"
Mr.. Hale-"Ihis is not question of
which company would last the l,ngest. |
We are prepared to put in ia water power |
plant and give the city cheap lights from |
such power if that is the Kind of lighting
they want done.'
Alderman Johnson-"Why haven't you
done this before:'
Mr.. Hale" Because we have assumed |
and think we had the right to assume |
that the city didn't want that kind of |
lighting"
Alderman Johnson-"T you don't
think the city wants cheaper lightsf"
MIR. Hale-''Not from an unguarded |
water power"
Alderman Johnson-"Don't you think |
high voltage Is safef''
Mr.. Hale-''No, DON'T
Alderman Johnson-"Dont you con-
slider the voltage run on your wires from
here to the Union station safe?''
Mr.. Hale-'I am unable to answer. l |
am not an electrician"
Alderman Johnson-''If your wire fell |
would it kill any onef''
Mr.. Hale-"I don't know"
Alderman JOhnson-"Did it ever fall |