Omaha daily bee., 1902-12-16
FRANCHISE FOR POWER CANAL
Andrew Rosewater Replies to Interview
with President F. A. Nash.
NO MONOPOLY OF PRIVILEGE IS SOUGHT
some Pertinent Questions Asked and
Some Pointers on the Petition
of the Thomson-HoustOn
People Given.

the city council providing for a franchise
granting the right to Andrew
to sell cheap electric power and
light to the people OF Omaha,
subject to the following conditions: 1.
That the city shall have public lighting at
not to exceed s65 per arc light or 81 per
cent less than IT is now paying. 2. That
private consumers shall have power and
light based on maximum rates, compared
with which the present companies rates
are 300 per cent higher. 3. That for the
granting Of the privilege OF selling cheaper
light and power the city shall receive
$4,000 the first year, with an increase so
that after the fifteenth year it shall receive
S15. 900 per year.
Against the passage of this ordinance
the local electric light company, through
its president, +. A. Nash, has exerted the
most strenuous efforts after sending an
army OF special employees and some Of his
regular clerks to secure signatures Of citi-
zens for a so-called free-for-all franchise,
intended as a choker OF the one now pend
ing. After securing the appointment OF
committees OF citizens specially selected
in his interest as representatives Of GER
tain organizations to act as an advisory
board to the council in the preparation Of
adverse legislation, after attempting to
| pldCdAt OlBdhlLtu AaiO JAIN AAENN
ton and cheaper power and light, the
president Of the company, Mr.. Fred Nash,
appeals to the public through the medium Of
published interviews in The Bee and Herald
not to grant an exclusive franchise for
power and light distribution in Omaha to
any one person for fear that it may drive
away all competitors.
Date of Conversion.
First Of all, let ne ask, since when has
this company become a convert 70 free
for-all franchises? Is It since it's presi-
dent succeeded, on March 16, 1897, to over
ride Mayor Broatch's veto and thereby
repealed all franchises heretofore granted
and had passed an exclusive franchise to
his company in the very face of the char
ter provisions prohibiting such grant with
out the popular vote which had become a
law on March Is, the day preceding such
action? Is the company's conversion to
free-for-alls since Mr.. Nash had sent a
special locomotive to bring a councilman
from his ranch and by his vote secured
the passage Of the ordinance compelling
CD the company to build conduits In
Omaha? Is 1t since this company induced
our city council to vote down resolutions
to advertise for competitive bids for arc
lighting In the city of Omaha and let this
company dictate its own price for street
lighting? When did President Nash ever
favor granting a free-for-all franchise to
do lighting or distribute power in Omaha?
And now as to his statements as to devel-
opment of water power Early In March
last, in order to secure the exclusive con-
duit ordinance Mr.. Nash publicly announced
that his company had SO, 900, 900 to begin
construction OF a power plant provided
the city council would. give 1t a footing
here and show by its liberality that the
people were not opposed, to corporations,
Since that time Mr.. Nash protested that
his company was anxious to secure the
benefit of a new developed plan near this
city which ! had drawn up and for the
basic water rights of which l had filed my
claims nearly a year previous. He asked
me to wait before going elsewhere until
the LIST OF September. when his company
would send out its best engineer to ex-
anime and report upon that plan. I agreed
to wait. The engineer came and examine
not only my plans, but all the other float
ing projects hereabouts. About the 10th
of October following Mr.. Nash called me
into his office and read the reports and
recommendations informing me that my
plans were reported upon and recommended
as the most suitable to his company and
involving the least outlay OF money. The
same statement was made by Mr.. Nash to
numerous other citizens.
Nash and RILEY.
When asked the question direct whether
his company was not covertly backing up
the so-called Riley scheme he stated to
me, II may as we'll tell you the truth, We
did give Mr.. Riley $3.50 towards his enter
prise. not because we have any confidence
in him. but that we want to use his testi-
mony In some future suits. as he was one
Of the original incorporators of the old
Thomson & Houston company" He fur
Their stated that the Columbus people were
trying to finance their scheme, and, as they
claimed a priority water right to the FIRE.
mont people. II became necessary to enlist
the Fremont company in a fight to break
the Columbus project, as it would give
Omaha a black eye to have the Columbus
people succeed. In the meanwhile the COM
pany secretly set its engines at work to
kill my enterprise by covert attacks at Lin
coin on my rights in favor Of Riley's. They
have thus been all things to all projects,
but always against any one single project.
And now after having held caucus after
caucus with certain eouncilmen and bam-
boozled a few business men to temporarily
come TO its aid and by we'll known meth
DDS got a special meeting of a handful OF
workingmen to secure by fifteen votes an
expression TO appear as that OF the l29
delegates OF the labor unions for the second
time Mr.. Nash publicly protests against
granting the franchise proposed and urges
in an ordinance which he knows has no
validity.
Columbus and Fremont.
AS a last aid to the company's opposition
Mr.. Nash has had Mr.. Babcock Of Columbus
here 10 appear before a committee picked
J to suit himself and to plead against my
franchise. This gentleman presented papers
! and statements to the effect that his com
I pany has absolutely financed it's enterprise
4 by the backing OF the General Electric com
pany. which controls your home company,
4 and that he had a contract with the New
|. Omaha Thomson Houston company TO sell
j power at S25 per horse power. When /
asked this olegenous buffer why II was that
he appeared here 10 protest against my
franchise IL he already had financed the Co
lumbus scheme and had contracts with the
Omaha company and therefore needed no
franchise to sell here, he stated that my
low maximum rates II telegraphed
3 east and l was given a franchise
might dampen the ardor OF hiss hackers
Now. Mr.. Nash. II this man is backed up by