The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-01-29
st. Louis Paper Says His Hostilites
Toward the Public in Manage
ment Of Properties Caus-
ed His Dismissal.
WADE TO BE MANAGER
Barker viii Direct the Local North
American Interests, is the Re.
port St. Louis Directors
Acted.

I Keokuk people will be interested in
1.-The following from this mornings ST.
| Louis Globe-Democrat as it has to do
with Mr.. Beggs, who came to Keokuk
a year or SO ago to investigate with
others the Keokuk water power and
/ who has since manifested an interest
in the enterprise. There is an opinion
| in certain quarters that the resigna.
j tion of Mr. Beggs will be helpful rath-
/ er than harmful to the local enterprise.
| The Globe says:
| 1t was stated yesterday, according
Ito dispatches from New York City.
! that the resignation of John l. Beggs
OF Milwaukee from the presidency and
management of the North American
company's st. Louis public utilities
corporations was virtually dismissal;
that his critical attitude toward certain
members of the boards of the ST. Louis
companies and the bad grace into
| which the companies were falling with
the public, due to his unpopularity,
( forced the directors of the parent COM
pany to vote him out of office. 1t is
also said that Beggs is retained as
manager of the Milwaukee utilities
companies only at the pleasure of the
/ holding corporation, and that his res
!! ignation there may be demanded at
any time II 1t is deemed best for the
welfare OF the interests involved.
Directors OF tho st. companies
which are the Laclede Gas Light
company, the Union Electric Light and
Power company, and the United Rail.
ways company, refused last night to
affirm or deny the statement that
Beggs' resignation had been forced.
They asserted that the news of his
stepping down and out had come to
them as decided surprise and that
they had received no official notif1ca-
tion of any such act being even con-
/ itemplated.
! C. L. Holman secretary of the La.
clede Gas Light company, and who il
mentioned for the presidency of that
company, said that the only informa-
tion he had received of Beggs quitting
was from the newspaper dispatches.
There has not been meeting of the
directorate of his company since Janu-
ary 10, week before the stockhold-
ers' meeting, he said, and there had
been no hint of change of manage
ment at that meeting.
II have had no information relative
to the Beggs' resignation and have not
the remotest idea of his reasons for
resigning." said Vice President Robert
McCulloch of the United Railways
company. Not knowing anything
about the matter, I am not in a posi-
ton to make a statement in regard to
it,"
David r. Francis, Jr.. who has just
been elected director of the United
Railways, said: Il refuse to discuss
the resignation of Mr. Beggs or to af-
firm or deny the story that he was
forced to resign
Charles H. Huttig, Breckenridge
Jones, James Campbell, James e.
Smith and Festus ]. Wade, st. Louis
directors of the North American COM
Ipany. all of whom are IN New York,
refused to discuss the question when
seen there yesterday.
St. Louis Directors Acted.
1t is well known, however. that the
st. Louis directors OF the company. be-
cause OF recent caustic criticism OF
the management of the local public
utilities companies, have been deter
mined to put local men In control.
The retirment Of Beggs is step in
that direction. The policies instituted
!, by Beggs, they believe, created the
: strong feeling against the compani IS
= !. in st. Louis and did much to aid the
companies seeking to operate here In
: opposition to the North American COM
panies. The granting of franchise to
the West end Light and Power COM
J pany; the strong possibility that there
! will soon be competitor buck!ng the
J. I,aclede Gas Light for business, and
q the fact th.>. the coming of the Nc
e Kinley line to st. Louis will be the
J. entering wedge of opposition to the
street railways monopoly has had
much to do with the turn affairs in
the North American have taken. 1t is
9 understood.
:, Beggs power in the corporation
g was due to his genius as promoter
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