Show MORE ON veritas version for the home company HISTORY OF ITS operations the gas light and fuel company has existed for eleven years he lie says and has given good service EDITOR editon THE STANDA permit mo me a few words concerning a matter of public I 1 ic and private interest tho c electric light question now pending in the city council several months ago a resurrection occurred in the journalistic graveyard arid and a d daily ai ay came a lie 1 upon I poll the scene dressing in in th the same me garb and occupying the tile samo same bab habitation I 1 tat io it of t the I 1 1 e 11 gone ono b but u t not forgotten fresh fr from orn other failures its leading spirit at once marked out a pro ro gramme and policy peculiarly culi arly cf characteristic but wi widely d different ferent T if from the views entertained ta by an eminent writer who in a recent article on clean journals eaid said journals that depend ulan upon vulgar and vitiated tastes for success ri rise s C struggle and vanish like the fungus growth of swamps if they pay at all the money is not honestly earned nor is it to be depended on as a permanent revenue for nothing is so tickle as evil it lias no constancy and no gratitude ti and its own instability prevents it from giving stability to an anything Athing depending on oil it to work evil under the cover of good is an unforgiving forgiving offense it was at once evident that the new candidate for public favor proposed to revolutionize and control the municipal departments of our city gove government rement and direct the management of a all I 1 enterprises of a public or semipublic semi public character seeking and bidding for the applause of the ignorant and vicious the tile editorial columns with very rare exceptions cc t i ons were devoted to snarling fa faultfinding fault pi t fi finding nd I 1 ng and irreverent comparisons pari sons and there was manifested a fiendish pleasure in making reckless and vulgar insinuations against our public officials heads of departments and committees entrusted with grave and responsible du duties ties were all hounded by mischievous questioning and c cowardly innuendoes reputations were smirched smirch ed and suspicion directed d against men of standing and integrity and ogden was advertised as being in the clutches of a venal gang forgetful of the fact that blackstone had defined a common n cold as a public nui nuisance since misrepresentation continued and frequent attacks were made on the ogden gas light and fuel company intimating all manner of shortcomings and oppressive conduct and filli finally illy charging that the company had deliberately published falsehoods in regard to the price of lights in other cities I 1 noticed a local item in your paper that the manager a and nd secretary of oi the company I 1 had called at the office of trie STANDARD and presented letters from a number of electric li light lit companies loca located in the tile intermountain inter mountain country where the conditions were similar which letters substantiated the rates contained in tile schedule circulated by the company I 1 ae accepted t alie lc published invitation to peruse these papers at the ollice of tile company and an all exhaustive examination convinced me that the charges were not only false and malicious but were born of a malignant nature and were deliberately made for the purpose of deceive deceiving ng and misleading the public and in f furtherance of a personal scheme the sheet referred to had much to say concerning the injustice estice of up tho meter dyste system m and proclaimed that unusual burdens were placed upon patrons it will be conceded d that no business can be safely prosecuted to the tile satisfaction of all persons and tile light business is no to exception it was demonstrated by incontrovertible proof that a largo amount of light was re regularly consumed after the hours appl applied belf and paid for at monthly rates and tho the company was compelled to adopt the tile meter system on the same basis which obtains in ninety nine per cent of cities certainly no honest man will object to pay for service actually used an and d this can only be determined by inc meters the tile charge of continuance continua of electric service cannot be sustained tied I 1 in it a single instance on looking in over the books I 1 was astonished to find as many unpaid accounts this was convincing proof that the management appreciated the tile final financial I 1 stringency aricy and at no time all showed owed a disposition to be unduly exacting the question of making a contract to furnish the public lighting of ogden for a term of three yeara years from august 18 is now being consid considered cred by the council in view of the fact that persistent efforts have been made to cast discredit on oil and weaken public confidence in tile company a short statement of facts is desirable for right harms no man if my memory serves mo tile correct correctly v ogden ell was one ot of the first cities in fit the united states to be lighted with electricity tri city the tile first service being furnished in 1881 tile records of tho the original company compan y show allow a series of disasters and financial loss which would have discouraged the majo majority r it of men in i 1884 ll 11 lesa less than a year after the plant had been located in tile canyon and the station there established the buildings machinery and dam were almost totally destroyed b by a flood necessitating a complete rebuilding it should be remembered remember eAl that up to 1887 the tile population of ogden did I 1 not lot exceed yet in ill that year another 11 avy ex was I 1 incurred I 1 by the it introduction tro of tile incandescent system which was yet in ita its infancy for six years tho plant was operated in the canyon the supply of of water was variable and at certain seasons insufficient for the tile power required ilav ving 11 g confidence in the future of ogden the company determined to be in line with the new order of things and ill in 1890 completed a large largo and commodious steam stearn plant near to the heart of the city equipping it engines and electrical machinery anery of tile best typo type yet known thus supplying a sy system stelli entirely new av and as nearly perfect as neary modern er appliances con could d make them th the 0 city council having increased the number of street lights the tile company in october last voluntarily abrogated the con contract tract havi having ng nearly a year to run and did lid thereafter furnish the service a at t a reduction of over 20 per cent and it agreed to aad did greatly extend its cir circuits to meet the requisitions of tho tile city and this was done without condition or guarantee in response to the published adver ment mentford for bids cot certain tain proposals have two of them by c a 13 which I 1 to T my mind arc are fata arable or able consie consideration Z e ration but without bc the point I 1 am clearly of the opinion that g good d faith and tho the best interests of tile people demand domand that the co contract retract bo be awarded to the present company why boca because U se its proposal is 13 the only responsible bona udo fido bid submitted bub tho tile original and since sine 0 the consolidation eighteen months ago th the present company ins has me met t a all 11 the requirements of the city and tho the public it lias has extended its poles and wires through a sparely spar ely settled portion of tile city t to 0 par furnish u r iny ish street lights lights it has again largely increased its motive power and dynamo capacity as a rescue reserve against accident accidents and consequent stoppages it haare auml its rates and in in all dea dealing lingi with tile city and the public it lias has endeavored to do all things consistent with a prudent regard for good service and the interest of tho the stockholders mandof many of whom are valued citizens of ogden it is is stated as an open secret that one of the applicants for contract and franchie is is really ercill a company already enjoying to two ver cry y prof profitable compana itah 0 franchises and that in in hiding behind an unknown name the attempt is is being made to hoodwink the council Ilo however wever this may be it is is not at all likely that all the cities west of the missouri are entirely at tile mercy of 1 light ligi I 1 t com companies 1111 es and pay for public 1 i t g alie 0 rates d demanded without regard to the alue value of the tile service sen ice in the new york world of the dinst int I 1 note the item that a contract had just been made with the edison company to supply arc limps lamps of about candle capacity at 25 cents a lamp mr per day equal to say 7 50 per month on the same bais basis a 2000 candle power would equal 1875 18 75 per month A II 11 I 1 boote boote the distinguished electrical writer in ins his work on economic value of electric light and power says ys cities an and I 1 governments overn ments have though tit it go good 0 d public baic policy to pay bounties to or subsidize S I 1 railroads improvements prove ments of water power and navigation and manufacturing establishments if tins this policy lias has been beneficial and right then it will bo be beneficial and right for a city to sustain and protect by all 1 1 reasonable and public acts lie establishment of the clec electric service for itself and its citizens on the broadest and most permanent foundation possible by granting but one privilege for an electric central station company and by supporting the enterprise its public patronage a city can BO so arrange conditions as to secure for itself itself and its citizens all tile advantages of electric service vice know known n to science TI the to requirements ui rement a for the tile electric service serto forto vice may bo be formulated as follows first I 1 arst the apparatus atus used must be capable of supplying supplying plying a light arc are or sur incandescent w where lere a light is is needed second it must supply the incandescent lamp jamp by meter measurement eo so that payment is is made mide for the lamp when in use only third to grant the privilege to but one company and eliminate from the grant all needless reductions restrictions when there is is more than one central station in the city that the best interests ests of the community will be served edby by con combining in in one there can bo be no question it is true there are some attractive theories regarding the avan advantages of competition in business but to perform the electric service of a city aa as it should be done and to secure to the community the best advantages of science mechanically electrically and economically there can be but one ownership one responsibility for the service one central station from which all distribution is made under what w aliat liat might bo be called special legislation some of the tile most important corporations of pennsylvania have been brought into being and are now operating today in them are invested enormous amounts of money and almost every branch of industry affecting the tile people has been touched and benefited by them labor itself has been lightened capital more generally diffused homes have been secured communities muni ties have become more firmly settled and the comfort of the people of the state so largely developed dev eloped as to be inestimable famo ble thus we have ii heat cat and light ali and 1 I g gas as and water companies in i n a almost I 1 most every v village of ti alie c 8 state and in in order alia eliat the people might have brought to their t I 1 e ir own homes these vast advantages the state lias has said to fie the capitalist investing investing lna his moncy if you vou do so we v w ill give you for a given period of time and until your v our earnings shall amount to a certain percentage per annum on your dinv inv estment ahbol ute immunity from com tion that you shall h have 1 ve wi w thin the limits of the territory embraced c n b r ed by tins this village or borough or city the exclusive sive right of su supplying plying this commodity to tho the people borsuch of such place until vou YOU are reimbursed for the risk vou oil take on the capital vou on have invested tins this is is a broad comprehensive and intelligent inte li ent doctrine stated so clearly cheari y a and nd tat fairly r I 1 Y that it will commend itself itsel f to the earnest consideration of all thoughtful persons the tile material welfare of a alt city y includes the prosperity of every industry and id every citizen and the ca capital atal invested in good faith under a fran franchise c ilse i is justly entitled to be protected from needless opposition VEI VE |