Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1918-01-14
Tp'fTQN TROUBLES
BROUGHT 70 LIGHT
Officials Say They Are Doing
Their Best Under Present
Circumstances
CONTINUE QUIZ
NEXT SATURDAY

A. T. Throop, officials OF the winning
ton & Philadelphia Traction Co, con-
ferred on Saturday night with the spe-
cial committee Of City Council appoint
ed at the last session Of that body to
investigate the power shortage in this
city. The meeting. which lasted two
and a half hours viii be followed by
another one on next Saturday night.
The session on Saturday night waxed
,vsrm az times, the Councilmen With
one exception, attacking The railway
company for what they termed dis
elimination The meeting was presided
over by Councilman Mearns, who open
ed the conference saying:
Gentlemen. the public wants TO
know something about the troubles with
the trolley car and electric light ser
vice I don't know that we can do any
shinQ. but we would like to be able 20
tell the people lust what is the trouble
We are receiving much complaint and il
Is said that current is being sent O.
New Jersey, Pennsylvania und Mary
hand. Only recently ] heard Of man
who came to Brandywine Springs on
Kennel Square car and he was COM
pelled to wait five hours at the Springs
Park before he could get a car for this
.ity, despite the fact that the Kenneth
ars were running all that time We
would like to know if you can send cur
rent to out-of-state points why the cars
here cannot be operated"
Mr.. Heindle, who was the spokes-
man FOR the Traction Company. re-
sponded. saying that he was glad 10
be present. feeling that the efforts Of
she company 10 keep up service would
be appreciated, when the facts were
laid before the Councilmen. Mr..
Heindle said the company and everyone
alse should not look upon Wilmington
as the whole thing but that it was the
centre Of a community and that his
company endeavored 10 do business
with the surrounding territory the
same as other merchants here DID
Continuing he said: "Our duty -
hree fold. First TO the country, second
10 the State, and third to the community
which we live; and We are presumed
help the Government frst, especially
these times Of war. We are cupply-
ng current to shipyards and munition
llants doing work for the Government
md these We cannot neglect. OF late we
rad trouble in getting coal, but recently
Re have been securing it through IN,
forts Of the Fuel Administration, and
when we had a supply on hand we sup
lied the City and County Building.
"Thc munition plants before the war
we're supplied by ne, but then they
worked but eight hours day. Now
hey run twenty-four hours day and
hey are taking more current than they
untrac' ed for
President Lyons Of City Council In.
corrupted Mr. Heindle at this point b,
saying that he and the Councilman were
Not interested in Elkton, Salem anc
other cities. He asked: did not a Mr
"copper" formerly employed by your
company. say that they would show
The people here how TO operate a plant
and didn't he dismantle the Peoples
Railway Company power plant2
Mr.. Heindle repued that the connec-
ions with Kennett Square and other out
of-state points were made before the waI
md that the use of the Peoples Com.
lany plant was not economical with IT.
I'D fashioned boilers and hand firing
Mr. Lyons said; As "a citizen de-
mand to know II your company did not
~ 10 care for outside business could
, not your company supply Wilmington?
Councilman Harrington said the tod
bic was not new one; that the com
Jany uad been giving poor trolley SER
ice on the Maryland avenue line Tor the
past 10 years he said that the COM
oany talked about helping the Govern
nent vet be wanted TO know why the
workers who used the cars were made
ate by the poor service each day. Hc
Ia..N N.H . Nall
inc was favored by q better schedule
nd also by being operated when other
mes were tied up. To this Mr.. Heindle
eplied that the Delaware avenue line
vas one Of the best paying in the city
he said that when the current is re.
'uced outside places are affected first
w Harrington asked why the service
was shut OH yesterday and last night
Mr. Heindle replied that II was due C
be noshet in the BrandywiAe creek
which was beyond the power Of th'
u'apany or of any of the t0untllmen.
Mr. Heindle then spoke of the trou
Die in securing men, saying that on'
lay last week 100 men reported of eicl
md on another day cars were KEEP
n the barns because Of the shortage
# men. He also showed that the wage
# the employees had been raised unit
today the minimum wage is p cent
ln hour as compared with Is cents
lew years ago. Councilman Abberge
aid that other industries we're payin
4 higher rate Of wages and Mr.. He.ndl
aid, yes, but we still get but hv
;ents for each passenger as before
Councilman Robertson asked II tn
company was furnishing lighting cur
rent TO West Grove. Kennett Square
Ayondale and other Pennsylyani
points and TO salem, y. j.. as well a
Delaware City, New Castle, Newarl
Elkton and Hockessin,
Mr. OFT explained that the compan
had contracts to furnish power to al
those outside centres mentioned bu
The contracts were made before ID
war except that Of Salem y. j.. an
his, he said, was not being flled
his time
The question Of the company beln
paid for The lighis along Market stree
and at the street intersections, whe
not in use, was here brought up b
Councilman Robertson. Mr. OFT sal
That the city paid so much per ligl
and not for the current used. Mr.. Rol
erlson said that il the Street and Sew
Department pays for these lights whe
they arc not in use, Council would Of
icct
Mr. Harrington. taking up the que
lion of shortage of labor asking II w
men or Negroes could not be used q
The trolley cars and Mr. Heindle state
that the use on Negroes in one cit
had resulted In a strike being calle
D.. a