Omaha daily bee., 1902-06-15

the managing director of the British Thorn
SON Houston company. He is well known
in connection with the General Electric
company OF New York, by whom he has
been employed for years. He was very
particular to say that the British Thomson
Houston company is a British concern, al
though a large part of the stock Is held by
the General Electric company of New York.
II has a capital in debentures and shares OF
about G1, 900, 900, or $5,00O,C COO, and the
stock is held not only in the United States
and Great Britain, but also in France and
Germany although the operations are con-
fined to Great Britain and Ireland.
The chairman OF the board is a member
NJ Parliament. w. A. Macarthur. The com
pany has been paying dividends for years
and as far as ! can learn Is in excellent
condition.
Mr., Lewis tells me that the field for the
sale of electrical machinery in Great
Britain is large and constantly growing
His company is not trying to introduce
American machinery nor to crowd in Amer
lean goods to the exclusion of English. Its
aim is to find out what the people want
and give 1t to them as they want 1t. In
the new Rugby factory the most OF the ma
chinery will be American, as the Amerl-
cans are farther advanced along such lines
than any other people, but the output Will
be made by British labor, and In this way
the constituencies here as to the American
invasion will be catered to. Indeed, the
company is using British labor as far as
possible and so far no trouble has been ex-
perienced with the workingmen.
The British Houston company
has some interests in tram lines and other
UNDERTAKINGS in different parts OF the
United Kingdom, but its chief business VIII
be to make and sell electrical machinery
appliances and supplies. 1t is a manufac-
turer and seller rather than an operator oi
concessions.
Concessions Hard to Get.
There is one thing l want to emphasize
as to the electrical field here. That is ina
II is entirely different from that OF th'
United States. Americans are coming u
England with the idea that they can ge
!, concessions for nothing and penniless pro
, motors land expecting to go back on Tn
next months steamer with valuable char
=, tiers in their brooches pockets. There Is n
: chance whatever for such men. 1t cost
: from $25, 900 to $50. 900 and upward to ties
. any sort of a street railway concession
: You have to pay that much before you ca
= know whether the concession will b
:. granted. 1t takes months and months I
.. learn and at the close there is a fair pos
- sibility that the undertaking is one nj
worth carrying out. Both promoters an
N contractors have all sorts of difticulti'
) which are unknown In the United State
No contracts or concessions are award'
EXCEPT by special act of Parliament al
M that only after a costly and thorough II
an vestigation undertaken at the expense
D. the promoter.
in Talk with a London Lawyer.
m | had a chat yesterday with Mr.. A.
is Monks. the solicitor of the British Thon
ry SON Houston company, on this subject. /
Ike showed me the methods Of procedure ne
n essary to acquire a street car concessio
We giving the different steps that are abs
lutely necessary before such a concessi'
is, can be granted. We took up one car IL