The evening times., 1900-03-21
ON MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP.
street Lights the Issue in the Ha-
ve-stown Election.

uerstown Election.
HAGERSTOWN, Md. March 21.-Ha-
gerstown is In the final stages Of mu-
nicipal campaign. The election will be
held next Monday The proposition wheth-
er the city shall own IT'S electric lighting
plant. 10 be voted upon. is the overshad-
owing issue. 81.
Mayor E. NJ Schindel. who has been re-
nominated by the Democrats, as making a
strong fight for municipal ownership, while
Or. J. E. Pitsnogle. the Republican uomi-
nee. has as yet made no public statement
of his position. From present indications.
unless a big change of sentiment sets in,
the proposition will carry by d large ma
iority.
The advocates Of a muniripai lighting
plant alIege hat the private company now
lighting the streets-the Hsgerstown Elec-
tricaI Street Railway Company-is not Civ
ing good lights. They also argue that the
profits now going 10 the lighting company
should 20 10 the town.
Two enabling acts have been obtained
from the Legislature one In 1898. one in
1900 The town is authorized 10 sell $50
000 worth of bonds TO pay for the plant. 1t
is estimated that $50 600 will be enough
a
The town, which also purposes to sell com
merciaI lighting and power for factories
The status of the city's contract with the
lighting company is uncertain In 1885 a
contract was made with Powell Evans, who
afterward sold his plant 10 the present
owners. 10 light the streets TO January l.
1901 at s75 per arc light per year. There
was clause added 10 the agreement that
he was 20 have the contract for an addi-
tional five years-to lS06-proyided that
within The first five years he constructed d
power plant at Dam No. 4 or Dam No. >.
or some other place along the Potomac
River, or some central station somewhere
of equal capacity for the purpose of gen
Grating electrical power for manufacturing
purposes TO the citizens of Hagerstown
The plant was never buiit on the river.
Mr.. Evans sold out 10 the Hagerstown
Railway Company. which built a central
station in Eagerstown The company
claims the building of the powerhOuse in
this city was a fulfillment Of their part OF
the Evans contract. and that In conse-
quence they are entitled to light the town
for the additional five years, as provided
in the agreement The town contends the
building of the central p0werhouse here
was not fulfilment of the contract
which. the town contends expires January
l. 1901.
Last year the town carried the matter to
court to have the contract construed but
the court declined 10 consider it in its en-
tirety. on the ground that the town should
be given a chance to reject the clause at
tached to the agreement. Tbs. court re-
served 10 the town the right to bring suit
again in case the Street Commissioners
who have control of the lighting attempted
20 let out the contract for the additional
&, InAp bn ha
opinion, threw our suggestions that the
clause was too indefinite 10 be binding and
that ii was one sided.
Many citizens who oppose city ownership
Of the plant contend that the present light
ing contract should first be determined IS
il would be a great loss TO the town If the
proposition were carried. a plant built and
the courts then ruled that the lighting
company's contract did not expire until
1906.
William J. WitzenbachsFs attorney for
the town in the litigation, said yesterday:
Il think 1t expedient for the town to con-
struct the plant, even if ihe town had to
pay for eighty street lights under the old
contract. The town now pays $1,000 a year
for street lights. 81 900 of which is not in
cluded in the contract. We need many ad-
ditional lights. and il has been shown that
we cannot get better terms than $75 per
light 1t would pay the town to supply the
lights represented by the $1,000 and the
additional lights requiredl I
'The Gas Company has gone into the
hands of a single individual who has
bought out all the other stockholders at a
premium of 2CO per cent, and 1t has been
published without denial that the gas plant
will be consolidated with the railway and
lighting system and the people thus placed
at the mercy of a corporation. ! do not
know of any other way to escape from the
consequent extortion, unless the consum-
ers and taxpayers take the matter in hand
and construct competing plant, to be run
In the interests of the people