New-York tribune., 1905-05-16
NEW NIAGARA COMPANY
LEGGETT ITS SPONSOR.
II Mag Be Connected zcith Lockport
COrpOration.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE Tribune. ]


Albany. May 15.-Wshat is believed here to be
new Niagara power company. not without
Connection with the famous Niagara, Lockport
,a Ontario Company, which has figured before
,,o legislatures was incorporated to-day by
-. ding OF its articles OF incorporation with
.ha secretary OF State. The fact that Assem-
.,,-,an John 81. Leggett, who had charge Of
18th the Niagara bills at the recent session one
- vrh,ch perished after widespread scandal in
he Assembly, while the other was transformed
tr4o the Cassidy bill, passed the Senate and was
gJued By the Assembly Rules Committee. brought
.bs papers to Albany was partly responsible
g. the belief that this new corporation, the In
.,-nsaonal Power and Transmission Company.
.,,fs capital of $2,OO00oO. has a part in the
,a.ars power scheme.
wsreover the papers declare that the purpose
= ,he company is TO operate in every county
:, he state, except those included In New
York City, n substance the field that the Leg
es,t bill opened for the Niagara company.
The situaton with reference to Niagara
county, and particularly TO Niagara Falls, as
.oya BIZ residents Of that county Is this: At
.-.ssnt there exist three Canadian power COM
.,,es sll Of which have franchises for manu-
s.cturng an immense amount of electrical
,,vrer vastly more than can be sold in the
c.nasiau province Of Ontario. The Leggett bill
:. +be present session, that is. the measure by
rsre applying 10 the Niagara. Lockport and
Ontario Company. was designed to make this
cor1pany the distributing agent Of the Canadian
oo-,nsnies IN New-York State, and not. at least,
,-tr1arty TO take water from Niagara River.
,bst IS. not until the market for the Canadian
mower had been thoroughly developed This
nm was defeated, not merely because Of the
methods used IN pressing it. but also because
the reope Of Locl1port discovered that the pro-
nosed measure would eliminate their city from
any share in the industry created by the ex-
tension Of the powers of the Niagara. Lockport
and Ontario Power Company, and would permit
tbe company 10 manufacture power wherever it
chose and not al Lockport.
This bill having been shelved, the next at
tempt was 10 grant to all power companies
sweeping powers Of condemnation, more whole
sale than those possessed by railroads. for IN
staIling their transmission lines. This bill was
elsO Killed by the Assembly, and all Niagara
rover legislation was thus stiaed in the closing
hours Of the session, in obedience to the general
pub!c outcry Now Assenblyman Leggett has
brought the papers Of this new corporation,
notably transmission company. to Albany, and
the general belief IS that subsequent develop
1nents VIII show the relation Of this corporation
20 the plan which was back of the two Niagara
bills Of this session. and also of that vetoed by
Governor Odel after the legislature Of 1904 had
passed 1t, namely, TO open up the American
market TO electric power generated by the
Canadian companies. It should be noted, how
ever, that one adjunct of this plan was the ex-
tension Of the rights Of the Niagara, Lockport
and Ontario Company TO take water from Ma
CARA River so that when the demand for power
exceeded the manufacturing capacity of the
Canadian plants. then the American side Of the
river could also be used by this company.
Il IS interesting TO note. also that the rush
TO Albany by nearly a score Of power and gas
companies. in order 10 secure existence before
Governor Higgins signs the State Public Ser
vice Commission bill, indicates desire on the
part OF these 10 avoid the minute inspection
and the rigorous requirements this bill would
authorize the new commission TO make. In the
last few days the average daily number of these
Interpretations has been four.
Rivalliag the company incorporated by AS
seInblyman Leggett is a second power company,
which filed fits articles to-day, namely, the
Western Counties Fower Company Of Buffalo,
which has a capital Of S2,O00O00. and avows
!ts object TO be to supply the Western and
Southern tier counties with power. 1t is obvi-
GUS that before the commission comes into
being, even II the Governor signs the bill within
the next few days, about the full resource Of
Niagara River viii have been mortgaged TO
companies already incorporated without refer
ence 70 the commission.