Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1902-08-07
MAYOR SPARKS
TO THE FRONT
Defends the Action Of the CounciImsn as for
the Best Interests Of the
Public.
ONLY TO oGUARO C|TY'S RIGHT
Insists That Capital Light and Power Companys Fran.
chIse Should be Fair 10 the Municipality and of
Some Benefit for the Values Granted
the Company
To the Editor of the New Mexican

, with Mr.. A. r. Gibson pertaining
the Capital Light and Power Compan
published in your issue of the 9Th il
stant I wish to say for some time pas
1t has been noised about the streets {
Santa Fe that ANEW light and powe
company was to be organized. whic
company proposed to erect waite
power plant on the Rio Pecos for tn
purpose of transmitting electric powe
to Santa Fe, Las Vegas and. Albuauer
ter of this project, Mr.. John P. Conner
has talked with citizens and member
of the city council relative to thi
promotion, saying that the new com
pany would in time ask for franchis
and a privilege to operate within tn
limits of the city of Santa Fe. and tha
this new company would light the tow
free. In reply to this, our aldermen
who were interviewed, naturally tolc
them that they would of course, unde
these conditions, favor the granting O
a franchise to this proposed company
I noticed in the Daily New Mexican al
account Of the filing of the incorpora
tion papers of the Capital Light ant
Power Company, with Mr.. Corners a!
vice president. Some "a days later the
incorporation papers We're published
[ In the meantime, however, papers were
handed to Councilman J. D. Sena
chairman of the committee on ordinan.
ces, licenses and franchises. Mr.. Sene
showed these papers to the different
| members of the council and also to me
| I wish to say, and the entire city coun-
}cil will bear me out in this statement
! that there was nothing whatsoever in
the petition or the ordinance or other
documents which had been presented
to the council for their action that
made any suggestion as to the rates to
be charged for services to be rendered.
The matter was brought before the
council in the meeting in June and re-
ferred to the committee on ordinances,
composed of Councilmen J. D. Sena, c.
w. Dudrow and A. j. Fischer, who re-
ported to the last meeting of the city
council. held the night of the 4th in
stant, that they were in favor of gran
ting a franchise to the Capital Light
and Power Company limiting their
rates to ten cents per 1000 watts, for
current used for lighting, and 2 10 cts.
per kilowatt hour, for current used for
power purposes, also asking that the
proposed company furnish the city Of
Santa Fe 20 arc lamps for street light
ing, for five years free of charge. This
committee is composed as every reader
of the New Mexican in this city knows
of men of unquestioned honesty and
integrity. They are men elected by the
people to serve the people and who
have the interest of the city at heart
In their report they considered the
matter purely from a business point Of
view. They are negotiating for the ci-
ty in their endeavor to secure from this
proposed enterprise which will operate,
as Mr.. Gibson stated, when installed,
at cost so extremely small as to
make the concessions asked by the city
an item of expense to them scarcely to
be considered. Inuendos against the
fairness, and official integrity of the
city councilmen are of no value in the
light Of the facts. They are good men,
Mr.. Gibson Notwithstanding. If they
propose to furnish light for half the
price that the present company charg-
why don't they embody that state
ment in their petition or limit their
rates in the franchise which they We're
praying for. The committee above
mentioned having it in charge to make
this report were actuated strictly by
business principles. They we'll know
that when it comes to matter of this
kind, jaw-bone or verbal promises are
not to be considered and that all the
concessions the city in the future can
expect should be demanded now and
made a part of an ordinance contract.
The present company is lighting the
streets Of Santa F'e for 50 per month
per 80 candle power light, all night SER
vice, and every night in the month,
and in payment of this light account
the company for the quarter ending
June 30, received under the Bateman
law, As cents on the dollar. Do you call
that robbery? If robbery it is, then
certainly the company furnishing the
light is the party robbed, as they re-
ceived less than half of the amount Of
money specified in the contract and
less than half of the amount for which
the new company pretends it will rem
der like service. 1t seems that In Mr..
Gibson's interview he is little fast
when he undertakes, through the COL
umns of the New Mexican. to question
the intelligence, honor and integrity Of
the committee above referred to or of
any other member of the city council.
II this city has had better set Of men
in control, it Is not shown by the books.
Mr.. Gibson says that he Is not able to
find any businessman who has opposed
the granting of the Capital Light and
Power Company a franchise to operate
in this city. In this matter quite
agree with Mr.. Gibson. The business
men and citizens are perfectly willing,
and In fact, they propose to encourage
that leads to the progress and