Evening journal., 1910-12-23
GIVES SIDE OF
ELECTRIC co.
President Crosby Says it is
Desired to Have Both Con-
Germs on Same Basis
WILMINGTON CITY ELECTRIC
HAS NO FORMAL FRANCHISE

Oscar 4. Crosby, president OF the
Wilmington and Philadelphia Traction
Company, to-day made public letter
he sent on Wednesday to the VIII
mingtOn members and members-elect
OF the Legislature, regarding the ap-
plication for a franchise for the VIII
mington City Electric Company which
is pending before the Street and Sewer
Directors. The Wilmington legislators
wrote a letter to the directors asking
them to defer action on the PROPOSED
franchise until il could be fully In
quired into, and action was deferred
for one week at Tuesdays meeting.
Mr.. Crosby says the real object OF the
franchise is to put the Wilmington
City Electric Company on the same
basis as the Wilmington Light and
Power Company i'm it's public opera
tions, and also TO facilitate The raising
Of S35O,000 by the Wilmington City
Electric Company TO be expended in
| improvements
It was learned yesterday that tho
Wilmington City Electric Company
really has no formal written franchise
! or general consent TO operate In VIII
! mington. The company has been doing
business since It's existence without
written franchise. but II has had Of
fetal permission from time To time
! 10 do everything IL has done In the
way OF erecting poles and using the
! streets. With a formal written fran
chise, the company would be In much
/ better position to promote its financial
undertakings. oven though there Is no
question now of tho legality of its op-
I erations
When the company was formed many
years ago it was given the contract
for city lighting by City Council. Coun-
ell gave the company permission to
erect tho necessary poles aud string
tho necessary wires for lighting, but
no formal written franchise WAS given
tO th- company After H. engaged IN
city lighting IL branched out into com.
mercial lighting, but permission "a
erect each pole the company has
planted was obtained as the occasion
arose either from Council or from the
Street and Sewer Directors, which sue
ceeded Council in control Of th'
streets.
While the company has proceeded
i, according TO law and there Is no daes
y ton OF us right 10 occupy tho street
and string its wires. yet 4 has no for
nal franchise 10 show This is ono q
tho reasons. u was said to-day, wh,
the company Is seeking q formal iran
chise. which proposed franchise 4
now pending before the Street AM
Sewer Directors.
!, Mr.. Crosby's Statement.
MIR. Crosby's letter. setting forth To
! company's side OF the question Is a
! follows:
Wilmington and Philadelphia Trac
tim Compauy
sos Market street.
. Wilmington. Del. Dec. p, 1910.
Dear Sir.
Concerning the electric light situa
ton in Wilmington, the following
statements are made in order TO re
move Misunderstanding which hav
appeared in public prints and whic
! probably exist in the minds OF Varlou
= citizens of Wilmington.
IL has been supposed that the reso
luton now pending before the Stree
and Sewer Department grants priv
leges which are not now enjoyed b
tho Wilmington and Philadelphi
Traction Company This IS a mis-
take. The situation is somewhat com
plicated in form but Is simple enoug
in fact.
Two electric light companies eNii
Z. in the city Of Wilmington. One
: the Wilmington City Electric Con
2 pany organized many years ago an
: having a transmission system thi
= covers substantially tho whole Of th
u city of Wilmington. This transmiI
sion system has been built by virtu
OF q great number Of independent pei
Z mits issued from time 10 time by th
u street and Sewer Department or the
:, predecessors. There has been no lin
u tation nut on the price Of which ele'
tric current should be sold by tn
!, company. On the other hand thel
= has been no general consent given Il
- the occupancy of streets which ms
? in the future be opened as Wilmini
" ton develops. This company, the WI
, mington City Electric Company, all
y has contract with the Street al
II Sewer Department for the publ
lighting of the streets by electriclt
- this contract having now about H
70 wears still TO run. The rate for tn
i public lighting is S64.92 per annu
for standard arc lights. These iigur
= will be found, on comparison wi
prices paid in many other cities, to
extremely low.
The Wilmington Light and Pow
Company was organized about five
u six years ago and obtained from Z
4 Street and Sewer Department a ge
eral consent for the extension OF
transmission system throughout I
he city. In connection with this &c
he eral consent a limitation of 10 cer
so per XIV. hour as maximum char
for current was placed on the COZ
y. 1Cnnfinned ON pare TwelHel I