The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-12-13
But the Ce : Il Corporation
Sugges' s some Changes
in 8 . Franchise
HEARING WAS GIVEN
BY CITY COUNCIL
Promoters Thought the City
Should Make Some
Concessions

Citizens who attended the public hear.
ing on the proposal to enfranchise the
Central Power Co., which is seeking the
right to establish power and transmits
sion lines in Barre, presented solid
front in supporting the petition OF the
franchise seekers. The hearing con
Quoted before the city council at city
hall last evening, was prolific of num-
Der of developments, but the attitude
taken by individuals in seconding any
action that will bring lower rates on
electricity used for commercial and do
mestic purposes was the outstanding fea-
ture. Next in Importance to this de-
velopment is the TACT that the power
company appears to have turned the
wolfe face" to some of its own sugges-
tions and is demanding additional priv
| ileges which have not been sought when
ever the companys representatives and
the council have met for a conference.
| Mayor Gordon presided at the hearing
and to him was addressed somewhat
caustic letter from Charles II. Thompson,
who, as the company's representative in
| these parts, has been active in his efforts
| to obtain the franchise. The letter was
read at brief council session prior to
the hearing and again when the citizens
had assembled. Among those who dl-
gested its contents were: w. I. Calder,
A. +. Campbell, Z. A Drown, James 7.
Marion and Joseph Ladrie, who were
Joined afterward by w H. Messer, James
Grearson and ]. T. Callaghan Mr..
| Thompson's note from the Central Power
| Co. said he had read with some surprise
that the council had been making amend
ments to the proposed franchise after he
had departed from the joint conferences
and he had decided not to attend any
more of the meetings until franchise
| had been reduced to writing and submit
ted to him for examination. To begin
with. he went on, he had been working
| for four years on the power project, had
contemplated reasonable profit from
the enterprise and while the company
had had several opportunities to sell
out, )" the offers had been turned down, as
the company proposed to do business
For that reason he continued, he oo-
iected to the clause which restricts the
company from assigning the franchise to
any other concern or corporation. More
over he claimed legal authority for the
statement that the clause Will not hold
water. so to speak, because 1t Is uncon-
stitutional On the next count he asked
that the life of the proposed franchise
be extended from 25 to 40 years, mas
much as the bond issue needed to tloat
the project may have to be renewed WIN
| in a certain number OF years. As Tor the
minimum charge clause inserted by the
council. he said that the 50-cent feature
was not barrier so far as the company
is concerned but that he had announced
his intention of doing business on nat
rate basis and that the clause, therefore,
was irrelevant.
| Allowing for extenuating circum-
stances TO a certain degree, he continued.
the company expects to have its lines IN
operation by July /, 1917, but the condi-
tion of the markets in the midst OF
world war makes it impossible to receive
shipment guarantees and for that reason
the company will object to filing oona'
the 81 900 bond requested by the council.
On the next count, Mr.. thompson saiu
| that the corporation now furnishing pow
err to Barre consumers has had opPoftu-
mites in the past six years TO purchase
additional rights and that 1t possessed III
its office data and information when
could have been used in eliminating the
power shortage that has reeurred. ms
has not been done. however, he claimed
In closing therefore, he said that onerous
conditions not now met by the corpora
tion already in the field should not be
;mnosed on concern that is seeking TO
nromote the largest hydro electric pro
iect that has been developed in New Eng
land for some years. Referring also to
the clause affecting the assignment of the
franchise. Mr.. Thompson declared that
the same capital back of the Central
companv is back of four other enter
prises in Vermont and that any OF them
might want to use the franchise.
The City Councils Analyses.
Although the citizens present had
every opportunity to express their views
il remained for the council to make some
of the paragraphs in Mr.. thompson
letter look like composite picture OF
all The holes that were bored IN the col
lection pans at Sundays Boston taber-
nacIe to prevent them from being con
fiscated by thrifty housewives. Indeed
some of the excerpts pried loose ny the
council resembled colander after they
had been exposed TO the light.
A. the council men seemed to under
stand il Mr. Thompson's main objections
eeptered on the minimum charge and IN
demnity bond features. II was held that
the company actually found no lault
with the minimum meter charge, as was
stated in the letter. and that the $1,000
bonJ feature was sealed with the com
nany's approval on the occasion OF the
80 conference. In the first instance, 1t
was recalled that the compsnys repre-
septatives. severally and singly, sub
srribed to the clause preventing the pow
- reople from assigning the franchise,
,bis a. the first conference after the
fr.prbise was drafted. On another
..,,,,t the councillors reminded one an