Perth Amboy evening news., 1906-11-15
CITIZENS co., TO
TURN ON CURRENT.
Continued from Page ID

Company met the Board of Aldermen
at a special meeting and discussed the
franchise question. On June 26, 1905.
a similar conference was held. and
on July 3, 1905, the council granted
the Citizens Electric Light. Heat and
Power Company a franchise for TWEEN
ty-one years, which was TO he ac-
copied within thirty days, and a bond
filed for $4,000.
The franchise stated that the rate
was to be 7h cents a kilowatt hour.
with a minimum of a dollar a month.
Another clause stated that no more
| than 500 feet of street was to be torn
up at one time during the installa-
tion of their lines. Another clause
stated that the city was to be paid
two per cent. of the gross receipts an
nually. The merchants held a meet
ing at once and objected to paying
the city the discount, as they claimed
they were not forming to make mon
ey, but simply to furnish cheaper
light. On July 10, 1905, the direct
ors of the company conferred again
with the council and asked that the
franchise be revised.
On August 5, 1905, James $.
Wight, counsel for the company, sub
mitted to the Board of Aldermen u
petition asking for the following
changes;
First, that the company be allowed
to put up poles for their wires, with
an agreement to begin to lay conduits
after five years.
Second. that the company be not
required to pay two per cent. of their
gross earnings to the city.
Third, that no maximum rate OF
Z " cents per kilowatt for private
consumers be fixed. The board or
dered Mr.. Wight TO submit the ordi
nance with the proposed changes at
their mex meeting.
On August 81, 1905, at a meeting
of the Board of Aldermen, the fran
chise in a revised form, was granted.
Mayor Brace, on signing it. said: II
signed it because it's the proper
thing"
No time was lost by the Citizens
Company, after the franchise had
been granted, and at a meeting held
at the Packer House on August 20,
1905, it was decided to sell the stock
at $25 a share at once. AT a public
meeting on August 30, 1905, the
stock was offered for sale, and in a
few minutes, $4,000 had been sub
scribed. The books we're ordered
placed at the Office of Boynton Broth
esr, 81 Smith street, where any one
desiring to subscribe for stock could
do So. The Eagleswood pumping sta
ton was also spoken of as a site for
the power house. The Citizens Elec-
trio Light, Heat and Power Company
on September 26, 1906, officially ac-
cepted the franchise, after waiting
until almost the time limit.
The question Of securing a power
house then came before the directors,
who held another meeting on Deem
Der IL, 1905, and after much discus
sion purchased a tract of land at Me-
chanic street and Pearl place, just
south of the Lehigh Valley stock
grounds, and formerly owned by j..
Gilbert Hall, of M%etuchen. The mer-
chants became enthusiastic over the
success of their enterprise, and eager
ly awaited some action on the part OF
the Public Service Corporation.
Bids for the plant were advertised
on January 10, 1906. Albert Buys,
formerly superintendent of an cleo
trical plant at Railway, was appointed
supervising engineer.
On February IS, 1906, the Citi-
zens' Company held a meeting in the
office of Boynton Brothers, on Smith
street, and on opening the bids of
Carl Christensen, the Grouse Con-
struction Company, and the Mercer
Construction Company, awarded the
contract for building the plant to the
Mercer Construction Company.
At the annual election of officers
on April 10, 1906, John *. Sheehy
was elected to succeed Jacob Gold