Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-02-06

of Including Franchise and Good
Will in the Assets of the Present
Company-Mr. Buchanan Pleased
With the Result.
MI. e. Buckman, of the city Gas
Board, accompanied by Supt. Thomp-
son, of the gas works, and Supt. I'm
derwood, of the electric light plant, re-
turned last night from Charleston,
where they accompanied the commit
tee appointed by the Board of Trade to
advocate the passage of the electric
light bill. Mr.. Buchanan expressed
himself as surprised at the position
taken by an afternoon newspaper, and
expressed a wish that the public might
become familiar with the subject in ali
it's history and details.
"Mr. Steck, Ohio county member of
the House of Delegates, met our COM
mittee at Point Pleasant" he said,
and told us that we had no chance to
get the bill through the Senate. Other
members of the Ohio county delegation
met us when we reached Charleston,
and all of them told us the same thing,
that the bill was virtually defeated.
We were not long in ascertaining that
the situation had been correctly stat
ed, for we were given the cold Shout
dnr' nv, fha Cono+A,c --b1~o
preached.
Il met Mr.. Howard, who was lobby
ing against the bill, and he presented
the claims of his side to me, and said
the matter could all be arranged sat
isfactorily if we were willing to com
promise upon reasonable terms. He
said the whole matter could be arrang-
ed in a half hour. He proposed that
the city buy the property of the cleo
trio light company. While we were
talking, a representative of the eastern
syndicate which controls the Wheeling
property, came up and suggested to Mr..
Howard that he should not neglect to
include a price for the franchise and
good will of the company.
I'm further talk with Mr.. Howard
at that time, and by the city's repre-
sentatives later in the evening, we
gave him to distinctly understand that
we could not consent to any terms
which o0ptaporlo+o d ;noI,,dipr tbo ooO5
will Or franchise as an asset of the
company. We would rather go down
IN defeat than agree to such terms.
Mr.. Howard finally waived the point,
and we came to an agreement that the
city would be simply required to buy
the physical property of the company.
After my first talk with Mr.. How
ard, the Board of Trade representa-
tives, who were already upon the
ground, Senators Whitaker and George,
n the Ohio county members of the
House of Delegates, met in Mr.. George
Hooks room in the Hotel Ruffner to
talk over the situation.
1T was agreed that the bill had no
chance in the Senate. Then | told the
committee what Mr.. Howard said. We
~canvassed the situation and every gen
tleman present not only voted to ac-
cept the terms of compromise, but
spoke in favor of acceptance. There
was no other course open. We en-
ployed Judge Reynolds, an eminent
lawyer, to look after the interests of
the city in the preparation of the
amended bill, and promised to remun-
crate him for his services. He con-
scented to act. but declined to accept
any pay.
Under the compromise agreement,
as incorporated in the amended bill,
we are simply to buy the physical
property of the company. l under
stand there has been some criticism of
the proposed purchase of the real es-
tate. That provision was put in upon
our insistence, and not at the sugges-
ton of the other side. The method Of
ascertaining the value of the property
is as fair as anything under the sun
could be. A committee of three is to
appraise the value Of the property. The
city is to select one man, the company
the second, and the third is to be ap-
pointed by the judge of the Circuit
Court from ten ames five to be sub
mitted by the city and five by the cleo
trio light company"