Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1910-02-24

1t was early in October of last year
when DR.. John R. H. Latchaw. gen
eral sales agent of the Warner Arc
Lamp Co., brought the proposition to
the city. On the 10th of October, in
response to a request of the Board OF
Control, he brought six lamps here
and put them to test on the ,eity's
system. These have been burninA
since. He was followed by Presiden.
William F. Warner of the company.
and then the company's first PROPOSE
ton, that of sale of 500 enclosed
arcs and 80 flame arcs, for $4,000
cash, was withdrawn, on the explana-
ton of the Board that the city had
NO money, and the new proposition
su omitted, that Of: furnishing the
lights, and taking for their pay.
month by month, the actual saving.
| to the city on the two items alone OF
carbon and trimming. AS the. new
lights require fewer earbons and re-
Quire less trimmings the net saving
| IL figured at. $40 per day or more.
| This saving was to be turned over to
the Warner company for 80 consec4-
tive months, which WGuld completes
tthe transaction. not one cent having
been taken from the taxpayers. Yhe
city would also profit in the mean
time by the saving on power. as At 1s
guaranteed that the new lghfs re-
Quire less than the old.> 1t is thus
apparent that there could be no risk
to the city. especially as the new
lights were guaranteed to be equal in
fefficiency to the old, and as the judg-
TO- off nin rncfnd
city. Likewise there could be no OPP
Iportunity for graft.
The Dogs in the Manager.
Then appeared the dogs in the
manger. The Trust, which every
where fights the Warner company
| (the only independent concern of the
kind in the country Immediately
had its representatives get busy In
" heeling. The Trust has its men
follow the Warner people like Pink
l.ertons follow Labor agitators, and
they soon had them here. The
Trust had no light to offer in Place
of the Warner light, but went on the
theory that something was accom-
plished If the Warner sale was pre-
vented, as that left the hope that
when the Wheeling system did COL
lapse, as is inevitable. the Trust
could then get in and make bunch
of money.
The Trust people offered their arc
light in evidence, but admitting that
lit could not be used on the Wheeling
system without rewinding the arma-
lures at the city light plant at an ex-
pense which they first estimated at
| $50, 200, but which they now say
could be done for one-third of. that
amount. They said, finally, that their
light could be used for exhibition
purposes on the present circuit by
'1oading it down" and were invited
to bring light here, but never did
so. All the Trust representatives
have ever done is to keep the city
from making a profitable contract
with the Warner Company.
| The Council Finish.
After the Board of Control was
forced to see that there was no other
Hight offered on anything like equal
terms, and no light that would burn
on the present circuit. except the
Warner, the Warner contract was
recommended, to Council: The Second
branch endorsed the contract unani-
mously but the First. like unto the
/ United States Senate, baked and the
matter was turned over to the Com
mittee on Lights. The committee,
latter thoroughly considering the