The evening times., 1900-03-21
ON MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP.
street Lights the Issue in the Hs-
uerstOun Election

HACERSTOWN, Nd March 2I-Ha-
gerstown is In the final stages OF mu-
uicipsl campaign The election viii be
held next Monday. The proposition wheth-
er the city shall own IT'S electric lighting
plant 90 be voted upon is The overshsd-
owing Issue
Mayor r N Schindel. who has been re-
nominated by the Democrats. is making a
strong hight FOR municipal ownership. while
Or. J. F. Pitsnogle the Republican nomi-
nee, has as yet made no public statement
OF his position. From present indications
unless a big change Of seninnent sets in,
the proposition viii carry by a large ma,
iority.
The advocates OF a municipal lighting
plant alIege that the private company now
lighting the streets-ths HsgeTstoWn Eiec-
'rical Street Railway Company-is not Civ
ing good lights They also argue that the
pryfits now going TO the lighting company
should 20 10 the town.
Two enabling acts have been obtained
from the Legislature. one iu 1885. one in
1900 The town II authorized 10 sell 500
goo worth Of bonds 70 pay Tor the plant It
is estimated that $50 600 will be enough
10 erect a plant sufficient for the needs OF
The town. which also purposes TO sell com
merCial lighting and power for factories
The status uf the city's contract with the
lighting company is uncertain. In 1855
contract was made with Powell Evans. who
afterwsrd sold his plant 20 the present
owners 90 light the streets 10 January I
1901. at 80 per arc light per wear. There
was a clause added To the dgreemen. that
ne was 20 have the contract for an addi-
tiOual iye years-to lg06-proyided that
within ne first five years he constructed a
power plant at Dam No. 4 or Dam No T.
or some other place along the Potomac
River. or some central station somewhere
Of equal capacity for the purpose Of gen
Grating electrical power Tor manufacturing
purposes 10 the citizens OF Hagerstown.
The plant was never hulit on the river.
Mr. Evans sold out To the Hagerstown
Railway COMPANY which built a central
station" in Eagerstown. The company
claims the building OF the powerhouse in
this city was a fuldllment OF their part OF
the Evans contract, and that IN conse-
queBCe. they are entitled 10 light the town
for the additional five years. as provided
in the agreement. The town contends the
building OF the central powerhouse here
was not a fulhllment OF the contract.
which. the town contends. expires January
J. 1901.
Last year the town carried the matter IN
court to have the contract construed. but
the court declined 10 consider II In its en-
tirety. on the ground that the town should
be given a chance TO reject the clause al
tached to the agreement Th-- court re-
served TO 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
FIVE years. Judge Boyd. who delivered the
opinion. threw our suggestions that the
clause was too indefinite 10 be binding and
that Il was sided.
Many citizens who oppose city ownership
OF the plant contend that the present light
ing contract should first be determined. a.
it would be a great loss 20 the town il the
proposition we're carried. a plant built and
the courts then ruled that the lighting
company's contract did not expire until
1906 iA
William J. WitZenbacheTs attorney for
the Gown in the litigation said yesterday:
4 think it expedieDt for the town to con-
stTUct the plant. even IL The IOwn had 10
pay for eighty street lights under the old
contract. The town now pays 81 600 a year
for street lights, $1,000 Of which is not in
cluded in the contract. We need many ad-
ditional lights. and i has been shown that
we cannot get better terms than $75 per
light II would pay the town 20 supply the
lights represented by the $1,000 and the
additional lights required
"The Gas Company has gone into the
hands OF single individual who has
bought out all the other stockholders at a
premium OF 200 per cent aud 1t mas 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 eXtcrtiOn. unless the consum-
ers and taxpayers take the matter in hand
and construct competing plant, to be run
In the interests of the people.