The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1909-02-06
MUCH ADO ABOUT
NOTHING
LIGHT AND POWER FRANCHISE
BILL HuB-BUB DEVELOPS A
MARES NEST-NO LOCAL EF-
FECT-COUNCIL RESCINDS.

\ petition signed by SO citizens OF
| Ely was forwarded TO the representa-
tives of White Pine county at Car
son yesterday asking that they OPP
pose the passage of a house bill en-
titled An Act concerning franchises
for furnishing electric light, heat and
| power
At the meeting of council Thurs
day night motion was carried at
the end of the session, after the re-
porters had left. under the impress
sion that the business of the meeting
was over, authorizing resolution
from the council to correspond with
! the request in the petition. Yester-
day afternoon special session of the
council was held and the action of
Thursday night rescinded, on advice
of the city attorney that the act in
question did not materially concern
this locality.
Whether or not the citizens who
signed the petition forwarded yes
terday thought they were acting in
matter with direct application to
local conditions. is unknown. That
it has local application and is a
measure in the interests of a local
company is an impression that the
evening paper has spent great deal
of wind and ink in telling during the
last several days, and it would APP
pear from the 80 names on the Pc
tition sent out yesterday that 1t had
reached and impressed its entire
number of subscribers.
As a matter of fact, from what
can be learned the bill was introduce
ed for the relief of Reno interests.
1t makes no change in the law which
one way or another affects the local
light and power company, to whom
it Is understood 10 be entirely imma-
terial whether the measure passes or
not. Its sole object, so far as known.
is to relieve the Reno power people,
who in some technical manner failed
of properly filing their franchise and
as result have lately suffered some
minor annoyances.
The application of the bill being
of no local concern, all the provisions
of the proposed new act now being
enjoyed by the local company. it
il the evening dissemination of alleged
information had palmed off another
bunch that ii should have kept about
the shop for use on April /. That II
was working a real joke on its read
ers seems To be established by the
fact that it has serupnlously refrain
ed from publishing the bill. although
the latter has been in It's office for
a week. Very few people yesterday
had idea of the contents of the bill
and it is probably a safe guess that
not more than one of the signers or
the petition had read the measure.
The petition hung in the Ely post
Office yesterday and was the subject
of good deal of amusement among
thoughtful people who looked at IL.
As one man remarked, 1T may be
good thing, but what in thunder
is it," Those who did sign. did so
purely on report that the measure
was bad and possibly on the theory
that 1t is good TO block most all acts
which the present Legislature stands
sponsor for.
The act proposed is in full as fol-
lows:
Section / Any person. company,
corporation or association engaged
In supplying electric light, heat or
power to the inhabitants of any coun-
ty, or TO the inhabitants OF any town
or city in any county In this state,
and which filed its acceptance of the
terms and provisions of an act en-
titled AN Act granting 10 persons
and corporations the right to supply
electric power, heat, and lignt to the
inhabitants of counties, cities and
counties, cities, and towns of the
state of Nevada and granting to such
persons and corporations the right
to construct and maintain poles and
wires on the county roads and high
ways and in the streets of said cities
cities and counties, cities, and towns
of this state, and TO conduct electric.
| ity over said wires. and providing for
the punishment Of obstruction, hin.
dranee or damage thereto approved
! March =, 1901, the same being Chap
| ter XIV, Laws of 1901, with the
| county recorder of such county prior
10 March 20, 1907. and which has
since the filing of such acceptance
been actually engaged in supplying
electric light, heat, or power to ths
inhabitants of any county or OF an!
town or city therein, shah have anC
there is hereby granted to such per
son, company. association or eorpo
rauon the franchise. right and priv
iIege TO supply electric light. heat
and power to the inhabitants of suci
county, and TO the Inhabitants of an,
town or city therein. and that t,
carry out said purpose, the right
privilege and franchise is hereb,
granted to such person, association
or corporation to construct and main
tain poles and wires on the count!
roads and highways and in the streets
of said cisies and towns together Will
all the necessary appurtenances, ant
IN conduct electricity over said wire,