The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1912-05-30
COMPANY PERMANENT
SAYS PRESIDENT
From Portland Journal)


1--WE are going into business in Ore
gon for investment purposes, and we
intend furnishing the people OF Port
land with the best of service IN electric
light and power.at fair prices, which
will compare favorably with rates in
the large eastern cities, SAID Herbert
Fleishhacker, vice president OF the
Northwestern Electric company, last
Thursday afternoon, in discussing the
work and plans of his company in and
about Portland.
MIR. Fleishhacker, who is president
of the Anglo & London Paris National
hank of San Francisco, was IN Portland
To round out plans for the Transmission
lines into Portland from.the company's
hydraulic development plant, construc-
tion of the first units of which is now
under way on the White Salmon river.
The company has applied to the city
council for franchise to supply Port
land with light, heat and power, and
Mr.. Fleishhacker says that Just as
soon as the franchise is granted his
company will be ready to commence
work on plans for distributiye service
for the city.
Contracts for the big dam to be built
on the White Salmon have been let to
the Stone & Webster company, of Bos-
ton. while contracts for the necessary
machinery with which to equip the
plant to be built at the base of the
dam have been awarded the General
| Electric company, of Schenectady, N. Y.
work at the dam, which will be $50
feet high and cost about $500, 900, is to
be carried on independently of the
work contemplated in the city of Port
land.
"Some correspondents to the Jour
nal" !" said Mr.. Fleishhacker, have
expressed the idea that we are merely
coming into Portland to get a fran
chjse. put up more or less Of an etfec-
tive showing and then sell out to some
competitor, wanting to monopollze the
business. Thatsidea is al wrong. We
are coming into Portland in good faith,
and a our record of 80 years business
in California and Oregon, during which
time we have launched several big en-
terprises of a quasi public nature,
shows in no instance where we have
sold out to competitors.
"Our guarantee to spend $500, OOO
within two years after the franchise is
granted us does not indicate that ouI
expenditures will by any means be
limited TO that amount. Our engineers
estimate, in fact, that our initial eX-
penditures in the city alone will
amount to at least 81, ,0O0,0 We are
going to make our plant complete anc
up to date in every particular.
"We will furnish the best of service
and the public will be protected IN the
matter of rates, which will be reason
able and fairly comparable with those
; common in big cities,
These promoters have launched somt
big concerns, including the City Elec
trio company and the Great Western
Power company, which represents al
investment of about $50, 600, 600; tn,
Crown Pulp 4 Paper company; tn,
. Central California Traction company
operating between Sacramento ant
Stockton, and the Nevada Transi
company, operating lines in and aronu'
Reno, Nevada.
A clause in the franchise being asket
from the city of Portland by th
2 Fleishhackers makes it optional TO
, the city to acquire the property afte
. the lapse of 25 years from the date 0
$ granting. 1t provides for furnishing
t light at a maximum rate, with tn
rate for power to be on graded scale
# ranging from one cent to five cents pc
kilowatt hour.
Mr.. Fleishhacker says that within 3
days after the franchise is granted hi
company will be engaged in placing
poles and stringing wires throughou
the city.