The Portland daily press., 1899-05-04

retifiontng to come in here.!"
Mr.. Junkins-"I am"
Major Sidney W. Thaxter was called on
and said It seemed to him that the propo-
sition which was made. by this company
was ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. He said
that he had signed the petition for this
new company because he was a member
of a firm which desired to use electrical
power, and wished to obtain 1t at as low
| a price as possible. He said that the
other reasons why he favored this
| company's coming in here were because it
would give to Portland a large amount OF
| cheap power and would bring here great
deal of business. AS far as the disfiguring
| of the streets Is concerned 1t would not
disfigure them much more than they are
now disfgured. The streets should be
opened to free competition and he could
sac no reason why this company should
not be allowed to erect their POLES in the
| streets and bring the power here. He said
1 that IL he was q member of this board he
should make the conditions of this COM
pany coming into this city as strong as
possible because he thought. the interest
| of the city demanded it.
Alderman Lamson-"Do you object to
any other companies coming in here2"
Mr.. Thaxter-'I am in favor of free
| and fair competition"
Alderman Smith-"You ars ready to
have other poles put in front of your
| house on Deering street, are you?"
MIR. Thaxtcr-'I do not live on Deer
ing street, but on Spring street. am
prepared to have other poles put in front
of my house if necessary.
| Alderman Smith-"You said you didn't
| think the financial standing of this COM
pany concerned us any. l think it does
concern us and the city great DEAL"
Mr.. Thaxter-" That is merely differ
ence of opinion
Mr.. Fogg-"WouId you impose more
severe conditions on this competing COM
pany than on the existing company"
MIR. Thaxter-'Yes, sir, 1 should tax
them a certain per centage of their re-
ceipts for the privilege OF coming in
| here"
Alderman Lamson-"I uuderstan that
you would charge the petitioning COM
Mr.. Thaxter-"I would make them pay
something for the privilege
Mr.. Fogg here rested the evidence of
the petitioners.
Mr.. Hale then made an argument in re-
| monstrance against admitting this new
company into the city. He said that he
should put in no evidence. He said that
he merely asked the board to consider this
matter as public business question, and
not to consider the private reasons of the
| Consolid ated company in the least.
"While we do not call upon you to pro-
test our private interests We do say that
character is something and we say that
we have lighted this city for years and
haven't killed any one and haven t lost a
| day in lighting this oity. The talented
man who drew up this petition w hich you
| have Just heard read has applied the term
open door, TO this electric lighting ques-
| ton. This is the first tine that / ever
heard the idea of free trade applied to
| electric lighting. 1t is boyish to think
| that we Cob admit to this city all the
companies which want to come in here
1t is folly to put so many poles and wires
| in this city and it would be unsafe to
allow it to be done.
| This petition which you have heard
here has been signed as all petitions are.
A man is asked if he wants cheaper
| lights He says he does and signs the
petition without thinking what it means.
You are here to protect the interests of
this city and not to be deluded by any
drag net petition such as has been pre-
ssnted here"
| MIR. Hale then went on to speak of the
good service which the Consolidated COM
pany has given and then read the list of
men who have supported this company
| for SO long. ''Are you not willing to
trust the company which has been doing
business here all these years to furnish as
cheap light as the new company claims
it can do? II 1t is cheap lights that you
them if you will be content with the kind
of service water power can give you"
Mr.. Hale went on to say that the Port.
land Electric Light company was strained
down from the Sabago Power company
which could take the power away from
the company at any time. Mr. Hala said
that there was grave questions whether
the petitioning company had a right to
bring power with 10000 voltage through
Deering. lie spoke of the si2J0 taxes paid
by the Consolidated company to the city,
| of the forty men with families which it
employs, of its pay roll of S25. 600 year
and s35, coo year which is spent here for
supplies. He said that the Consolid ated
company was prepared to furnish as cheap
lights as the new company advertised to
do if the city would take water power
electricity. He said his company would
take the power from "a much nearer point
than fifteen miles, say from five or six
miles. Mr.. Hale referred to the dangers
to the city if the lights depended ON water
power miles away which a falling tree
nigh put an end to.
| MIR. Hale then said he would note some
OeculiapitiaS of the netitiou He said in