Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1910-11-23
LEXINGTON LIGHT & POWER CO.
Report of the Manager to Stockhold-
ers at Their Meeting Nov. Is, 1910

4 " TUE OtOCkuOlUtTS VI tu6 1cAluk-
ton Light and Power Co.;
This meeting has been called by
your President, as advertised, for
the purpose OF considering the in
stallation OF an auxiliary steam
plant. The need of said plant has
been brought about by the various
conditions which will be set forth
in this, your managers report.
Since early in September Of this
year the water in North River has
been extremely low, in fact the low
est during the operation Of our
plant, for nearly eighteen years.
BY this condition OF low water we
have been unable TO furnish good
spread complaint from the citizanS
of Lexington.
The Retail Merchants Associa-
ton took formal action at a meet
/ ing held Sept. 9th, and formu-
lated a resolution to be presented to
the Mayor and Council requesting
them TO require the Lexington Light
Il Power Co. to furnish lights in
accordance with the terms of the
franchise, at once."
This resolution was presented at
a meeting of the Council, at which
time the Council appointed a COM
mittee TO inquire and report in what
respect, If any. the said Company
Lexington Light & Power CO. has
l failed to comply with it's contract,
and whether or not the powers and
privileges heretofore granted 10
said Company should be declared to
/ have been forfeited and reverted TO
the Town of Lexington. as to which
inquiry the said Company shall
have notice and an opportunity to
/ be heard.
Our Company was represented at
the hearing of the committee by MIR.
W. 5. Hopkins, Prof d. c. Hum
phreys and r. E. Hutton, who
explained that the present condi-
ton was due entirely to lack Of
power on account of low water. 1t
did not appear to me at this hearing
that any evidence given could eS-
tablish the fact that this should net
be accepted as a correct statement.
The committee was shown that the
Company had in the past always
endeavored to meet the demands and
needs of the town
The committee was furnished with
a statement showing the capacity of
our plant; a capacity sufficient TO
furnish three times the maximum
number of lights as yet called for
and that these machines were all in
good working order.
The committee was also informed
that tie price paid for arc lights in
. Lexington is the lowest paid any
5 where in America, and that while the
Z franchise called for 1900 nominal C. p
lights, nevertheless we are supply
ing Lexington with 1000 nominal C. p
y arc lights, this last in opposition to {
statement made by the town attor
ney that the town had been good Il
the Lexington Light & Power Co. IL
that the town had reduced the siZ'
OF the lamps and that the Company
had paid nothing for it's franchise
q while in fact this Company has beer
: giving the town of Lexington owe
: and above the franchise Requirement
more than it has paid TO its stock
= holders in dividends.
l. also assured the committee tina
5. ! would use every possible effort T.
n have our Company correct the Stu
N alton so that in the future we wouI,
be able to furnish a satisfactory ser
u vice. At that time from the effec
2, we appar ntly produced felt tia
J. the committee would not take an
n drastic or unreasonable action
Nevertheless, the committee reports
> in almOSteverY instance, contrary I
lie statements given by me.
tie To take the report somewhat i
re detail:
4 Prof Humphreys did say: 'Th
lights are retched." He did nc
T. say for the past six mouths, nor di
We any one else, but the report "
S. fact the lights are always good dul
8 ing July and August, yet the r,
,o port insists that for several month
~ past that the light had been total
q, inadequate.
OF This report states that ''they r,
O. greet to say that our committee hay
~ b en- unable to obtain any satisfa.
tory solution OF the difficulty"
~ distinctly stated that low water an
ed that alone was the cause. But. 8
it was so manifest. that any statemel
OF mine did not accord with the pu
ev pose Of the hearing, so it was n
satisfactory. This report al:
OF mentions inefficient and defective
Mt machinery. They add that this
for largely inferential." Their infe
,av ence has more weight than OF
- declaration that our machinery is
'0h good working order; that the m
lgs chimes installed about four yea