New-York tribune., 1903-02-27
10Th SIDES HEARD.
Oily O5onersLip of Lighting Plants
and Telephones the Subject.


Convention on Municipal Ownership and FupNc
Franchises. held al the Reform Club, were oe-
voted 20 the consideration of nunlclpaI owner
ship Of electric gas lighting and telephone plants
and water supply. Experts students ana IN
1erested citizens took part and listened 10 the
debates and. while II evident that the ma
1oritv Of those present were in sympathy with
The speakers who favored municipal ownership
those who took the opposite side had the close
attention Of the audience. and. by the applause
which they received. they must have known
-hat the assemblage Vas fair one 1t was the
object of the men who arranged the programme
80 have both sides equally represented
The opening paper was read by Lieutenant
Sahoon secretary Of the National Electric Light
Association. whose argument vas directed
against municipal ownership Of electric lighting
plants. He said in part
II We municipalize electric light plants We take
sNay the incentive 70 progress toward a cheaper
method Of projGction and Sheapenlng OF the piice
municipalities have started into such enter
ceased Electricity is by no means fully developed
Eng me 9niy wgy [2 msKg sdTcin ge he ma5ufaeTers
80 improve apparatus
In the discussion which followed E W. Eli
rott. city electrician of Chicago: A L. Pierce
superintendent Of the electric works of Walling-
ford. Conn; T. F. Ingram, Commissioner OF
Electric Lighting Of Detroit. and J. f. Lock
n
pany, took part.
Mr. Tnrrar7-s raner was particularly interest
.rg and its pertinent points, which showed the
ADVANTAGES gained by Detroit because of its
.77,1nicfpal ownership of the electric lighting sys-
sem. were loudly appauded. He said in part:
A. mers business proposition the m4nlciPsI trI,
gI@ns 2e I1 b2e nad for itself in the three
years based the lowest ten year S9n5I p Il Iafb
fhe service and the plant a. no sreatr cosI 1 tna1
~TouId have been the service alone mad 1t been done
Rv q private company -, L..
Moreover, great Improvement IN the service nss @
number q hegrs IA TnCn @ In EbIinc was s. i2s
S,bls ~ Iast year under municipal lighting il was
only eS5 with 80 per cent TP2T 3,i mn ~ the stand
ard. as confirmed by disintereSted parties e or
But the saving in cost ana the bettfrnel @ io 0i o
that result from the municipal ownership of pubic
sTsIe -e 5f wages and runs on The eight DAY It
has demonstrated that this can he done sil4 a. a. + m
improve the service ana lessen IN to9'
nv removing public utility from pIlEaIe eALoI's &
f. the business principles that govern ordinary com
rstitive enterprises
Mr.. Cuttings suggestion is a new one, salo
Mavo- Low TO a Tribune reporter. after the
meeting adjourned. Is has NOT been considered
Yet by the commission
i don't know whether the city could under
sske the operation Of the subways or the &C
uuirennent Of the company's lease" said Con-
-roller Grout. They should have thought OF
aI that before. I am in favor Of an inoe-
rendent line on the East Side between Harlem
and the Battery Mr.. Cuttings suggestion Is
somewhat aI1ng this line. I would not he will
n ing to pay S5oooo.oob for the assignment Of
vi The lease even if this is the estimate Of those
who are in position 10 know
When Edward NJ. Shepard visited by
reporter. he said;
Mr.. Cutting misunderstood what 1 said yes
ferdsy. or, perhaps, I incorrectly reported
What pointed cut was that the Rapid Transit
Board had struggled for years 10 induce rail-
road rneu take UP The existing rapid transit
contract, and that the Fanderbilts. Whitneys.
upon the plan reckless; that the board, there
fore, had struggled for years before il could
find 2 contractor and for two years after the
7erTns Of the contract were known to the whole
City. I did not speak Of the profit to be made
cut Of the construction Of the road; that is 10
say, out Of the moneys 10 be paid by the CITY.
hut pointed out that the judgment Of the Rapid
Transit Beard that the contract was very valu-
able had been indicated by the result that
every BODY to-day recognizes that rhe franchise
which MI. Belmont and his associates control
Is worth very many millions OF dollars, although
three OF four years ago no one would believe
g. wss worth having I expressed -he opinion
that IN the future. with the great increase Of
1ravel the franchise viii come 10 be worth very
much more than il is to-day. and might come to
he worth S30oo001o or S4oo0oo09 On that
account. I added that future contracts TO be
Jnaoe by The city, now that the value Of the
rapid transit contract has been established
ought TO be made on terms far less favorable
- the contractor than was the contract in
existence.
HEARING ON PARsoNs's PLAN
The commission yesterday gave public audi
enoe to rropertv owners and others who de-
sired 70 protest against the plans Chief Engi-
neer ParsoTs submitted week ago for the ex-
tension Of the rapid transit system Ex-Deputy
Controller Levey headed a delegation from The
Bronx 10 voice objection 70 the connection Of the
3erorne-ave subway ana elevated roads
Tbs board granted IRE request Of the Penn
sEivsnia Railroad for an extension Of three
1ncnths on the tire granted 70 obtain consents
fer IT'S crosstoW- tunnel
Gerald 5. Griffin. of the East Side Taxpa1ers'
Association, declared - ridiculous to use Lex
tngton-sve- a I5-foot street, for the rapid
transit, and leave FiFst-sve., q lt0-fcot street
with nothing b,t . horseczr 70 take pecple 70
and from their business
a horsecsT service IN ore 70 the most i'm
portant streets in The city" Mr. Griffin said
seems TO &c be pretty near the limit The
people N First-sve. ara poor. hut thez- are
numerous
The board appointed President Orr and Mayor
Low committee 10 examine into all the legis-
lstion pending concerning rapid transit. and TO
report back 10 the board. The committee was
instructed 70 ignore all legislation regarding the
composition Of the board.
BOOK DESCRIBES BANKING.