Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1913-04-04
COUNCIL FOR
CITY LIGHT
COMPETITION
Street Department is Asked
in Resolution to Grant
Peoples Co. Franchise
ONLY TWO VOTES
AGAINST MEASURE

and by a vote of 8 to 2. two members
of Council not voting resolution
was adopted requesting the Directors
of the Street and Sewer Department
to grant the franchise which that
body will probably act upon at its re-
gular meeting next Tuesday.
The resolution was offered by
Councilman John j. Haney, of the
Tenth ward, and discussion follow
ed in which nearly all the members
of Council participated. The resolU-
ton follows:
The resolution offered by Mr..
Haney reads:
Whereas, There is now pending
before the Street and Sewer Depart
ment of the city of Wilmington an APP
plication or petition from the Peoples
Light, Heat and Power Company re-
questing said department to grant
them a franchise for the privilege Of
engaging in the light, heat and power
business; and
Whereas, 1t is the sense of the
Council that the granting of a fran
chise to said company would be
benefit to the citizens of the city of
Wilmington; therefore be it
mington, that the Council hereby ap-
prove of the granting of franchise
to the said company and respectfully
recommend to the Street and Sewer
Department the granting of the afore-
said franchise"
In introducing the resolution Mr..
Haney said that to allow the Peoples
company to enter the lighting field
would be a benefit to the citizens Of
Wilmington He said that competi-
ton was needed to bring about more
reasonable rates for electric light
and power. He moved that the reso-
luton be received, recorded and filed,
and a copy sent to the Directors of
the Street and Sewer Department
Colonel w. f. Slower, of the
Seventh ward, said he was not ready
to vote on the resolution as he mad
not read the application for the fran
chise and before he was acquainted
with its contents he could not intelli-
gently vote on the motion. He made
an amendment to Mr.. Haneys motion
postponing action until the applIca-
ton for the franchise could be pro-
duced and read before Council He
asked Mr. Haney If he could not get
a copy of the application last night.
The latter replied that he was afraid
he could not and added that 1t was
necessary that action should be taken
at once as the matter would come be-
fore the department directors on
Tuesday. He said the Peoples Rail-
way Company, which is back of the
new concern, has kept all promises
made to the people and he was con-
fident that the company will do what
it says it will. in the matter of sup
plying light and power to the public.
He called attention to the fact that
when a railway company took away
from the public the strip tickets the
Peoples Railway Company continued
to issue them and does so yet
Councilman Edward A. Higgins, of
the Third ward, an advocate Of the
franchise, remarked that the Peoples
Company was not a foreign concern
and had been in existence for twenty
five years. He said that it never made
a promise to the public it did not
fulfill and he for one thought
1t should be accorded all the
assistance Council was able to
give It. He wanted TO know
what had become of the 100000 taken
from the public by the abolition Of
strip tickets by one company and why
IL increased the cost of supplying
electric current. He laconically re-
ferred to a decrease in the fare be-
tween Wilmington and Stanton which
he said appeared in the newspapers
under big head lines.
Councilman Jacob Zimmerman. Of
the First ward, said 1T is about
time we are doing something. Elec-
tricity now costs most of the people
10 cents a kilowat and what is want
ed is competition"
Councilman Slower replied to the
foregoing remarks by saying that he
wanted the members of Council to
understand that he believed in COM
petition and added that he did not
mean to infer that the Peoples Com
pany is pulling something off that is
not right, but said he would not vote
for the resolution when he did not
know what the application contained
Councilman George l.. Bilderback
of the Ninth ward, said by way of in
formation. that the resolution offered
BY Mr. Haney simply expressed the
feelings of Council and he thought
eAe Street and Sewer Directors would
exercise caution in the kind of fran
chise il will give the new company
Councilman Robert G. Conner. OF
the Second ward, produced a copy Of
THE EVENING JOURNAL of yester-
day in which appeared a statement
from the Peoples Company setting
forth it's position and what it vii
give the public. This state
ment set forth that the Peoples
Company wanted only a fair oppor
tunity and he favored granting the
franchise.
Mr. Higgins again took the hool
and said he could not see why actor
on the resolution should be help up.
Mr.. Slower replied that the fran
chise matter had started in the Leg
islature where the Peoples Compan,
went in an effort to take the contro
of granting franchises out OF tho
hands Of a city department He SAID
II was not right to vote on some
thing the Council knew nothinl
about
Mr.. Bilderback replied that h
thought the present Street and Sewer
Department could protect the PEG
pies interests.
Mr.. Zimmerman made the last re
marks He concluded the discussion
by saying that even though the public
enjoyed competition for even two
years there would be some benefit.
Colonel Stovefs amended motion
was then put and was overwhelming
- voted down. Vote on Mr. Haneyt