The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-04-05
TALK ABOUT MANHATTAN
NEW LIGHT AND HEAT COMPANY
HAS AN INNING.

The assembly committee on streets dis
eussed for two hours yesterday the ordi-
nance granting to the Manhattan Light
ana Power company the right to use the
streets Of the city for the extension of
Its business. Without arriving at any
conclusion the committee adjourned to
Monday afternoon at $3.50 o'clock, when
there will be more. discussion. Moses E.
Clapp, one >of the attorneys for the Man
haitian company, contended that the
franchise should be granted for the rea-
son that 1t would allow competition In
the lighting business and that it was the
duty Of the council to take steps to give
the public a relief from the monopoly
which now controlled the city in the
lighting business. A franchise had been
granted the Edison company without any
restrictions and the same rights should
be given the new company. He read
from circular issued in New York
offering for sale stock in the st. Paul
Gas company, in which the claim was
made that the company now controlled
the three electric light plants and had
monopoly of the lighting business, as
there was no competition and the city
had a population of 1000, the stock was
a good investment.
Mr. Squires. representing the St. Paul
Gas company and the Edison Electric
! company, said there wassno need Of the
J Manhattan company laying claim to be-
| ing an infant industry The gentlemen
! representing the new company might
| just as we'll come out from under cover,
as it was common knowledge that James
| Lockhardt one of the incorporators, was
! connected with the Standard Oil COM
! pany Mr. Brooks, another of the in
| corporators had been Lockhardt's agent
| for years, and the question was whether
| the council was to allow the Standard
or In and
! pany in ST. Paul. The Manhattan COM
| pany he commended, should not be placed
| on the same basis as the Edison, which
! for sixteen years had spent money free
| ly in order to give the city good lighting
! facilities.
Assemblyman Albrecht took the ground
| that the city would have to commence
some time to get something for the rights
! 1t was giving away and he favored a
per cent gross earnings tax to be paid
by the Manhattan company and time
| limit of twenty-five years being in
serted in the ordinance. The council
had no right to donate any rights to any
company new street railway COM
! pany had presented a franchise to the
council and was willing to agree to 8
! per cent gross earnings tax and TWEEN
! ty-fiVe-year limit. If the council, on the
ground of competition, should give the
Manhattan company free and unre-
| stricted franchise, the new railroad could
ask the same privilege. Assemblyman
Benson offered amendments providing
/ that after the Manhattan company had
as much business as the Edison COM
| pany then the tax of per cent in its
gross earnings should commence. Also
that there should be no consolidation
with the Edison company, and that bona
fide bids should be made by the new
company each year to do a part or all
of the city lighting. Mr.. Squires said
the amendment of Mr.. Benson regarding
the payment of gross earnings tax would
never pay the city cent, and If he was a
representative of the company he would
: agree to this section without any objec-
ton.
H. w. Phillips, representing the Man
haitian company, said the company did
not care to accept the ordinance with a
I gross earnings tax or a time limit, as 1t
would necessitate the raising of the rates
so that the company would not be able
to compete with the Edison company