The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-03-02

csived from His Company Has Al
ways Been Considerate.
The following statement has been
made public by w. w. Scranton. presi-
dent of the Scranton Electric Light and
Heat company:
So many absurd and contradictory
rumOrs are afOat concerning the bid Of
this company in response to the city's
advertisement for a ten year street
lighting contract that / ask leave to
state our position.
First-We hold that, ample time hav-
ing been given by the city for responses
to It's advertisement. and two bids only
having been received. the city Ia bound.
in ordinary commercial decency. to ac-
cept one or the other OF those bids. If
one of those bids comes from COM
pany. which at the time did not exist
and never had existed, that bid should
be thrown out. Inquiry of Mr.. w. w.
Griest. secretary Of the commonwealth,
shows that as late as yesterday no
charter had ever been granted to the
so-called Electric City Light Heat and
Power company" nor was there appli-
cation for any such charter on file. Ex-
actly how corporation which does not
exist can make a legal bid I do not
see. For that reason, If for no other.
the contract should be given to the only
responsible company bidding; that Is
to say. to the Scranton Electric Light
and Heat company.
SecOnd--Outside Of the above consid-
GRAFTON. we believe that plain recital
OF facts concerning our company Will
convince any fair man that 1t Ia to the
interest of the city to accept our bid.
In 1887 the city. desiring its streets
lighted by electricity but not having
the money to build the necessary plant.
the city authorities. as we'll as promi-
nent citizens Of that day. united in urg-
ing the interests represented in the Gas
and Water company to take up the
work, II not for profit, vet as matter
Of public spirit and city pride. In that
spirit alone we went into the matter.
While we never expected to make much
money by tive did expect, and thought
we were justified in expecting, fair
treatment.
PUBLIC WAS PLEASED.
When the work was done and the city
lighted, the public Of that day was
pleased and the compliments and prais.
we received were endless, and. in spite
Of all that has been said. our service
today ia equally good. We spent over
5000, 900 in building a plant of the most
substantial character. and. having, in
what was perhaps a spirit of quixotisnl.
resolved to show that a city could be
served by private company more
cheaply than 1t could be by itself. we
charged only the actual cost of light
ing. or twenty-five cents a light per
night, at a time when other companies
were getting forty, fifty and even
seventy-five cents and more a light.
In March. 1894. feeling we had done
all that could he reasonably asked Of
us. we offered the plant to the city at
less than cost, an offer. by the way
which never had even the poor honor
of consideration by the councils. Later,
as costs diminished. we voluntarily re-
duced our rates from twenty-five cents
to twenty-three cents. to twenty-five
cents. and finally to twenty cents. Dur
ing the twelve years since starting. the
company has never paid a dividend,
and the city has had it's lights at. prac-
saying that If there ever was an in
stance in which the public has been
faithfully honestly and economically
served, it has been so by us.
For the last two weeks the Scran-
tonian has devoted itself to attacking
us. 1t has ransacked the country from
Maine to California for instances Of
cheap lighting. Yet out of 172 private
companies. it can only instance four
ming all night as We do. whose prices
are any lower than ours. Some are
nearly double, and the average. even
including those run only till midnight,
or even by moonlight schedule. is far
above ours.
The real truth is that. so far as we
are concerned. there Is not enough
to- Htsn< To-
sure us against the damages incident
to a live wire accident. Does all this
look as though we had been trying to
rob" the city? Yet the new contract
is more exacting than the old. At pres,
ent. IL a light goes out, we are dockei /
only the time 1t Is out. But. under the
proposed new contract. ii, by, any
trining accident at the works. such as
a hot crank pin. one. two or three cir
cults Of sixty lights each &C, out for 4
moment, the contractor Is to lose the
price Of all those lamps for the entire
night.
NUMBER OF CITY LAMPS.
Out of our 500 lamps. 6O7 are city
street lights. or the 100000 which our
plant has cost. more than twO-thirds
solicitation of the city. for city service.
In view OF all these facts. ! ask every
fair-minded man whether it is eQuit-
able in the city. by rejecting our bid.
to put us to a loss of over $200, ,000. thus
virtually running a plant built express
ly to serve the city. We have always
treated the city fairly. we have given
1t honest and low priced service: We
have voluntarily reduced prices again
and again, and We defy any man to
| name an instance in which We have
treated the city in petty or picayune
spirit. ] think we are entitled to fair
treatment in return. We want nothing
but what Is right and for the city's
interest and we ask no councilman tG
vote for our bid unless he honestly
thinks it for the citv's interest II
however. any councilman thinks 1t for
| the future interest of Scranton to de-
| stroy an industry which the city itself
| called into being. or that such confis
| eating action will make 1t easier for
the city to obtain future contracts al
low prices, then let him vote against
us. The time will quickly come when
| he, and the city also. will have cause
| to regret his vote.
have been asked to explain our
threat" to shut of the city lights In
! case our bid was not accepted. We
have made no such threat nor any
| other threat. We have merely alluded
to the well-knOwn fact that. having
| had no contract with the city for sew.
eral years. We have simply been sup.
| plying the city by the year at prices
named. This year ends March 81. II
after having named a price at which
| response to the city's advertisement
| a ri nfPaV q nd &c