The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-09-08

seeuno ioisted the meme DC liePss-fo1ever en-
the towns and cities o. this state. II
.has Is the kind OF men who 20 TO tho
legislature to represent Portland We hal
better mark thsm In the future and see
shat they dln't GO again. they have
peen controlled by the "big FOUR a.
everyone Knows. You know about the
legislator who was told that he couidn't
% up pointed TO certain committee In
sne last legislature though be had the
backing of the best citlzsns Of this city
unless he obtained the consent OF these
big four" The year that monopolistic
law passed at Augusta which was meant
to shut out competition In Portland for
this lighting company the city paid
$4,000 for its lights, an increase Of
$4,000. That was the sum Portland paid
Tor that job at Augusta. The farmers
are right In the movement they have
began and l hope they will KICK up such
a rumpus that they Will kick over the
whole caboodls Of these men who have
been running things in this way, He
characterized the statement made in the
proposal of the Consolidated company
that "a representative OF the new COM
pany had said the company must have
the city contract to raise money to put up
It's po.es" was deli bsrsts falsehocd and
he went on to show where this statement
came from. He said he would defy the
Consolidated company 70 take down its
lights IL they didn't get the contract he
fore the city told them they could do so.
'such threats as these don't brighten me
any," said MIR. Cloudy. He said that he
had the assurance that II the new com.
pany met with an accident or couldn't
carry out it's part Of the contract at first
the Wellsbach company would put up gas
line burners at short notice and light
the city until the new company could 90
ahead. He said that he would rather be
In darkness for few hours than 60 bs
ground under the heel OF monopoly
again.
At the end Of his long speech Mr..
Cloudy took mis- ssat but oftsn arose {
answer questions or arguments advanced
BY others In the council. Mr.. Wilson said
he was opposed TO i've years contract
because at the end of that time the city
would be in the hands Of monopoly
again He would vote for three years.
contract with the Portland Electric Light
company for that term.
MIR. Driscoll didn't believe In a i've
years contract "What would become
Of the other company at the end of i've
years he asked2h
"Do you believe that was an honest bid
which the Consolidated made for one
Year, asked Mr.. Cloudy. .It was not
an honest bid. 1t was made to kin of
mpstitlon."
MIR. Connolly believed in municipal
ownership but favored short term con-
tract now SO as to keep both companies
alive.
MIR. Phfnney said he thought the i've
years contract tine best and 80 out of
every leo business men would say the
same thing. MIR. Murphy took the same
view of the matter. MIR True said he
favored the new company both as mat
ter of principal and sentiment and from
q business standpoint. Mr. Pickett
thought the three years. contract the best
MIR. MilIiken diip't understand that the
new company has any agreement with
the Portland Gas company and said he
had seen letter written by Mr.. Davies
which said SO. Mr.. George W. Brown
was called upon To answer some questions
by Mr.. Milliken aud said that this agree
mont WAS primarily with the WelIsbaoh
people but IL was known by the gas com.
pany that such an agreement had hesu
made.
MIR. Wilson Offered an amendments to
the original order giving the city the
right to cancel it's contract Mt the end of
three years If 1t thought best to do so or
extend 1t to ten. The question was then
called and an aye and Ray vote TAKEN
All voted yes with the exception of
Msssrs. Huston, DriscoIl, Burke an
Connolloy.
THE ALDERMENS CAUCUS.
The alieamen held secret session last
night. They were pledged to sec eos sud
Wouldn't say what they had talked aso
or what they did. Ii was presumabiy IN
electric lighting contract which KEEP
them In session for two hours or more.