Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1901-02-03
ELECTRIC Light BILL
RECEIVED UNANIMOUS ENDORSE
MENT OF THE WHEELING
BOARD OF TRADE
AT LAST NIGHTS MEETING.
An Additional Committee of Ten APP
pointed to Leave for Charleston
Monday Morning to Lobby in the
Interest of the Measure-StrOnS
Revolutions Adopted by the Board.

| the enactment by the West Virginia
Legislature of the bill granting the
municipality of Wheeling the right to
! generate and sell electricity for light
| ing purposes, was amply demonstrated
| last night, when there was represen-
tative meeting at the Board Of Trade
rooms, and an unanimous endorse
ment Of the bill.
The Board will do all within it's
power to insure the passage of the
bill, and to that end will send a strong
| lobby to Charleston Monday morning,
| to present the wishes of the commun-
! ity to the members of the State Sen
| ate. Last night about eighty MEM
| bers were present, as we'll as number
| of prominent citizens who are not
members of the Association. Senator
| r. f. Kidd, of Gilmer county, who
was in the city, accepted an invitation
to be present, and took considerable in
terest in the proceedings.
In the absence of President Laugh
| lin, First Vice President Paul o. Rey-
mann presided. Assistant Secretary
Adams read the call for the special
meeting, which was addressed to Mr..
Reymann, and was as follows:
I'VE, the undersigned members of
! the Wheeling Board of Trade, respect
fully request you to call a special
meeting of the Association for Satur-
day evening, February End, 1901, at
eight o'clock, to pass resolutions on
1 the electric light bill now before the
State Legislature.
The call was signed by George Hook,
e. Buchanan H. G. Ogden, Clark Ham
ilton, Jr, Allen Brock, James Cum
minis and Fred J. Fox.
Mr.. George Hook, who offered the
original resolution adopted by the
Board, had a copy of the bill, which
was read by the secretary. He stated
that it had passed the House, and is
now pending in the Senate. After the
reading of the bill, Mr. Hook offered
the following:
Whereas, There is now pending in the
West Virginia Legislature bill known
as House Bill No. ~, by Smith, OF ONO.
| to generate and sell electricity to private
consumers, which bill has already passed
the House of Delegates; and,
|. Whereas, 1t Is. the belief OF this BODY
that such power will be greatly to the
| welfare of the city and its taxpayers, ana
| that it is essential in order to do justice
that by reason of facts well known
| throughout the city, there are no private
| rights which the city ought, in justice, 10
buy up; and, go,
| Whereas, This body recognizes this bill
as non-partsan measure, for the bene-
fit of the city and not OF any political
party; be it
Resolved, First-That the Wheeling
| Board of Trade heartily endorses said bill,
and urgently requests. the west virginia
Senate to pass the same in due course. .
| Second-That the action of the Board or
| Directors in appointing committee OF
this body to go to Charleston and work
for the passage of said bill, is approved
| and ratified.
| Third-That the secretary shall prompt
| ly forward a copy of these resol utions to
each member of the West Virginia Senate.
There was no discussion upon the
resolutions. A vote was taken imme-
diately, and they We're unanimously
adopted.
| Mr.. Ogden then suggested that Mr..
E. Buckman, member of the City Gas
Board, was present, and might give
some interesting information If he
| felt so disposed. Mr.. Buchanan took
| the floor, and addressed the meeting
for about ten minutes.
| He dwelt upon the Importance OF the
proposed bill, and the necessity for its
enactment, stating that the gas board
has desired the right which the Legis-
| Iature is now asked to give, in order
to increase the efficiency Of this I'M
portant department Of municipal gov
| eminent. He said that it was general
ly understood how the electric light
| franchise was railroaded through
Council, and he regarded it is unne-
cessary to dwell upon that point.
| Mr.. Buchanan said that if the Smith
lbill is enacted into a law it will en-
able the city of Wheeling to manufact-
| ure and sell Illuminating gas for 80 or
SO cents per thousand feet.
| Col. White took the floor, and said
he drafted the original BILL Of which
the present bill is largely copy, and
he referred to the difficulties which
were encountered in endeavoring to
pass it through the Legislature. He
concluded a short talk by moving that
it be the sense of the meeting that the
committee previously appointed pro-
coed to Charleston at the earliest pos
sible moment. He said the opponents
of the measure, and the lobby behind
them, are skilled in parliamentary
trickery, and might succeed in defeat
ing the measure before the committee
had a chance to be heard.
Capt. A. A. Franzheim moved the
appointment of an additional commit
tee of ten members at once, the COM
mittee to accompany to Charleston
the gentlemen previously appointed.
The motion was seconded by Mr. H. P
McGregor, and Mr.. Hook took the floor
to endorse it. He explained that the
original committee had been unable
to go to Charleston because he was out
of the city, and one or two other mem
bers has pressing business engage
ments which interfered.
The motion was unanimously adopt
ed
Vice President Reymann appointed
as members of the committee Capt A.
A. Franzheim, F. H. Lange, F. P. Nc