Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-07-20
FRANCHISE FAVORABLY CONSIDERED
Geo. W. Paulus and Atty B. R. Goggins
Have Hot Time in Stevens Point.

/
Have Hot Time in Stevens Point.
Geo. ". Paulus and Atty. B. R.
GOggins were in Stevens Point Mon
day evening. The Journal of that
city says:
''There was a hot time in the cOun-
Gil Monday night. The ordinance and
| franchise of the Jackson Milling Co.
was brought up for passage and pre-
| cipitated such row in the aldermanic
teapot that it did not cool off until
1870 this morning, and resulted in the
granting of the franchise. 1t has
been some time since the council has
been so wrought up over any question.
Attorney Goggins Of Grand Rapids
represented the company before the
council and deserves much credit for
the able manner in which he presented
his clients case. His frank manner
of answering ali questions put to him
won the approval even of his oppo-
nentS."
For hours the mayor and minority
aldermen prevented the council from
expressing their will but they were
OutvOted at every turn and finally sur
rendered. Regardless of the fact
that the people of Stevens Point are
for it, the passage of this ordinance
has been blocked for nearly six weeks
Everyone knows that had this
franchise been passed earlier the i'm
proving of the big waterpower owned
by the Jackson Milling Co. would have
been carried out this season and
several hundred men would now be
working on the river. They withdrew
contracts and stopped work when the
passage of their franchise became
questionable.
By this franchise the Jackson Mill
ing Co. is allowed the right to use the
streets of Stevens Point for the pur-
pose of furnishing electric lights and
gas to the city and inhabitants, as
we'll as transmit power to industries
that are now located or may locate
there. Contract for electric lighting
covers a period Of thirty-tiye years,
that for gas period of twenty years.
Two weeks ago the council gave a
contract to the Stevens Point Light
ing company extending their present
contract for street lighting fifteen
years, making it nineteen years to run.
This was all done on the sly and no
competitive bids were asked for The
Jackson Milling company will, how
ever, be strong competitor for
commercial lighting, and no doubt
will get the majority of such lighting,
for there is a strong sentiment against
the old company for poor service in
the past as well as against the council
men who so unfairly manipulated
things as to give this fifteen year
contract to the Stevens Point Light
ing company. Active efforts are being
made to overthrow this contract for it
is alleged that it was illegally passed.
The strong opposition in the council
against the Jackson Milling company
franchise is explained in this way:
The Lighting company is trying to
float bonds in the east on the repre-
sentation that there are no cOmpeti-
tors for electric light and gas in
Stevens Point, and it is said upon
good authority that after the bonds
are flOated in the eGSt the aldermen
who are such strong friends of the
Stevens Point Lighting company
would be willing to express the will of
the people and grant the Jackson
Milling company its franchise.
The Stevens Point Lighting COM
pany is now in the hands of a receiver.
They have never given good service.
Their gas plant, including mains, isn't
worth dollar and the electric plant
is likewise in very poor shape.
Mr.. PauluS was in Stevens Point
again Wednesday when Mayor Barker
refused to sign the franchise, stating
that he might never do it unless COM
PEELED. 1t is not considered impossible
by the Grand Rapids men to overcome
the mayors personal enmity and
ObStinacy toward the Jackson Milling
Co. Barker further states that he
expects a suit on the fifteen year
contract granted the Stevens Point
Lighting Co., hence he wants all this
trouble to come up in bunch.