Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-01-09
st. ALBANS COMPANY
GETS THE CONTRACT
II Mayor jackson Approves Ac-
ton of Aldermen, Electricity
For Light and Power In Bur-
lington VIII Come From
Franklin County

The board OF aldermen, Friday night, by
vote Of seven to I'VE. passed a resolution
lavoring the signing Of a contract for a
period Of ton years with the Public Eles-
kric Lighting company Of st. Adams for
Nleotrio energy.
Tho price to be paid Is one cent per kilo-
Eatt hour and there are no restrictions a.
b, what the city may do with the energy.
rhis win open up TO Burlington manufac-
Jurors new source OF energy, as the city
mtonds to go into the business Of selling
electricity for power. The Juice is to be
turned on In Burlington within six months
after permission has been obtained from
he Public Service Commission to erect
The wires.
The resolution was passed after an at
Tempt had been made to adjourn until
his evening to allow the Bur-
ungton Light & Power company an OPP
portunity to make a proposition to the
board. The resolution now goes to Mayor
Jackson for his approval or disapprovai.
Tho resolution was fought hard and Aid
sr7rmn Han and Woodbury. expressed "a
desire to go on record as against it. Those
who voted in favor Of the contract were
Aldermen Luck, Dwyer. Bessette. Caisse.
Ladd, Bergeron and Dolan. Those voting
against Il were Aldermen woodbury., Nc
Bride, Deyette. Mansur and Hall. The
vote stood exactly as that against ad-
Dourning until this evening.
At the last meeting previous the con-
tract was nearly completed but another
meeting was called for the purpose Of pre-
benting clean copy" Attorney Warren
4. Austin and City Attorney Peck got to-
kether for that purpose and the contract
Is finally adopted was practically as
when last read to the board.
The city clerks Office was filed with
citizens, in addition to the representa-
tives Of the Burlington Light & Power
company and Manager G. A. Murch of
the ct. Adams company. The board went
into an informal session, which lasted
until $3.50. awaiting the arrival Of Mr..
Austin, who had made a previous en-
gagement, which 1t was necessary for
him to keep. During this time, Judge
C. H. Darling took an opportunity to
ASK the board to wait until this
evening before taking any action. He
said Mr. Curtis Of the Burlington Light
e Power company wished to meet with
the board. but at the present time was
IN Chicago. The last he knew of the
situation, until too late to meet with
the board. was when the board accepted
the contract presented by the Burlington
Light & Power company. Since that
time, new issues had entered into the
proposition and Judge Darling thought it
only right that the company be allowed
an opportunity to present its case.
When Mr.. Austin arrived the board
went into session. Mr.. Peck had pre-
pared an amendment at the request of
ione of the aldermen providing that the
city could cancel the contract after three
months notice on sufficient grounds. Mr..
Austin stated that no such clause could
he inserted in a contract to be accepted
fby his company. They were coming to
Burlington in good faith and could net
buck up against succeeding boards of
aldermen. who might be elected by some
competitive company and arbitrarily de-
eide that the contract was detrimental
to the city. Nothing more was said re-
tgarding this amendment. and from that
stime on those opposed to signing the con-
Rtract rehearsed some Of the objections
made at previous meetings.
Alderman Woodbury. asserted that the
clause which provided for the heating and
taking care Of the steam plant would
imean loss of $4,000 to the city in the
next 10 years. He had secured the fig
ures on wages and coal. He also had
other reasons. He, wished to 60 on rec
ord as strongly opposing a contract of
that nature.
Alderman Hall then got up and ex-
pressed an earnest desire to allow the
burlington Light & Power company an
opportunity to present their side of the
case. He stated that within a few
miles of Burlington there were two
large power stations. one at the gorge
Ind the other at Essex Junction. They
were equipped with. apparatus which
make it almost impossible for long
interruption of service to exist, while
the st. Adams company only had one
station and was equipped so that one
ice jam would put 1t out Of commits
sion. He favored doing business with
the Burlington concern II anything like
equal terms could be obtained.
This brought Mr.. Austin to his feet
He said that for the past month the
people OF his company had spent their
kime and gone to considerable expense
because they believed they were being
considered on their merits as being
able to supply Burlington with cleo
tricity. If there was to be an adjourn
ment in order to play them with a COM
peting concern, the board was to be a
loser for the company would no longer
stand any such treatment. The men
from St. Adams had come down and
met every proposition squarely and
FAIRLY. and had agreed to practically
everything asked of them. It was only
because they came down, that there
was given the board the benefit of any
puch competition. BY their coming they
allowed the city to sell power unre-
)etrictedly to not only Burlington, but
ito Shelburne. Williston, South Bur
aington and Winooski. and an oppor-
kunity was given the Burlington Light
department to prosper. The object in
coming down and making the propo-
eitioa was not to be used as a cats
paw with which to stir a rival concern
end that couldn't be done. Mr.. Austin
said he had no desire to put the screws
ION the board or the competing concern
|out his company would Just turn the
)sorews on themselves. At no later
meeting would their proposal be con-
lssdered because the proposal would be
withdrawn after last night. The meet
;1ng last evening had been called to
smooth over some minor details and
this had been accomplished Now II
was the desire of some to use it to let
10 rival concern in. His company would
mot humi1iate itself by being used as a
club.
Tho Official Of the st. Adams company
who was present said that no time would
be- lost. The contract will go into ex-
eOution 10 days after a copy of It has
been given Mr.. Austin. A representative
Of the Westinghouse company was pres
emit and he stated that the equipment
would be on hand in short time. The
Ika- A-rl