Richmond Palladium (Daily), Volume 32, Number 305, 17 December 1907 — Page 1

RICHMOND PALLADIUM

rm AND SUN-TELEGRAM, roL. xxxn. no. m. RICHMOND, IND., TUESDAY EVENING, DECE3IBEK 17, 1907. SINGLE COPY, 2 CENTS.

NVEST1GAT10N OF MUNICIPAL LIGHTING PLANT'S CONDITION IS FEARED BY BOARD

OF S

WORK

IfllS FEAR IS PLAINLY MANIFEST IN THE REPORT OF THE BOARD AND COUNCIL COMMITTEE, WHICH BODIES WERE REQUESTED TO INVESTIGATE THE SENTIMENT TOWARD THE SALE OF THE PLANT.

COMPETITOR WILL PROFIT AND DOT RICHMOND CITIZEN It Is Asserted That Investigation Would Disclose Inside Facts of MunicipaLPIant to Light, Heat & Power Co. COUNCIL APPROVED REPORT WITHOUT DISSENT. .the Plea Is That City Fathers Should Give Moral Support And Certificate of Character to Board Members. TO DESTROY CONFIDENCE. AFTER ONCE THE PLANT IS PUT UNDER PROBE, THE PUBLIC GENERALLY WILL NATURALLY BECOME SHAKY OF ITS FUTURE A knockout, blow was landed on the Wchmond Light, Heat and Power company Monday evening by the city council and the board of public works. The solar plexus jab was in the nature of the emphatic endorsement of council, of a report submitted by the board of public works and the council committee on contracts and franchises, in which the citizens of Richmond are informed that it would be suicide to sell the municipal light plant, to the Light, Heat & Power company. Tie public is assured, in this report, t'.iat it would also be most unwise to accept the proposition of the would-be purchaser to have an investigation of the municipal plant made Bt the expense of the Light, Heat & Power company. Such an investigation is described as "a muck-raking" crusade, the result of wh'ch would be to supply the Light, Heat & Power company with inside information concerning the municipal plant. The report also stats that this proposition implies an insinuation that the board of public works i shielding and covering up the real condition of the municipal plant. The committee insists that the mechanical condition and business affairs of the plant, are all that could be desired. The committee states that the efforts of the Light. Heat & Power company, to have the condition of the municipal plant investigated by experts with the object in view of purchasing the plant, is for the purpose of undermining the popular confi dence in the city plant. In this effort to destroy the public confidence, the report says that the Light. Heat & Power company is aided and abetted by an "over-friendly" press. The committee on bended knees and with j tears streaming down its face urges the city council to staud by it in this dark hour and give the committee moral support and a certificate of character, by. joining with it in fighting such a "campaign of misrepresentation." The Light, Heat & Power company is informed that the records of the Municipal plant are public property and that the companv. as a tax payer, can at auy time have access to these records. The report concludes in a shower of bonnets tossed by the committee at themselves, the plant and the general public. After the reading of the ioport a motion was made to concur in it aud the motion was unanimously adopted. It is seldom that council overlooks an opportunity to turn on the hot air valve but it did so in this case. There was absolutely no discussion of the

report. The only councilman to speak corPa-v gives no assurance, to say on the subject was Mr. Deuker, wh0:the least- that the most olem" Promremarked that he thought council j lse of protection would be carried out should order no investigation of theIn good faithmunicipal plant, until such an inves- Refring to the suggestion to employ (experts, the reasons given are. first.

2ens of Richmond. The report madeito fix a value on the cit-v Plailt- a by the contracts and franchise com-!vlw to bicS and 6ond- to fur-

mlttee arid the board of public works reads as follows: To the Mayor and Common Council jf the City of Richmond. i uuiieai Xhe undersigned, mam-

IT IKES FERVENT APPEAL

bers of council's committee on Contracts and Franchises, and of the board of public works, to whom was referred the recent communication of the Light, Heat and Power company, beg leave to submit the following report: The proposition is in brief as follows: That said light company is interested in the success of the Munici pal Light plant, both as a large tax payer, and as its only competitor: tv,Ht ! said company desires to purchase said municipal plant; that said company is losing money on the electrical side of its business; that the city must be losing more money, as the latter cannot conduct such a plant as cheaply as said company: that in case of its purchase of the city plant said company would agree in a new franchise to "safeguard" both the city and the public in rates to be charged in the future; and that the existence of two plants, with the increased expense incident to a duplicate development, prevents either plant from making enough money to justify such future extensions as will be required by the city's natural growth. The light company then makes the following proposition, accompanied by an offer to pay all expenses incident thereto: "Therefore, we request and petition that for the purpose of establishing a basis for future negotiations and arriving at. an appraisement of true value of the plant and for the future purpose of accurate knowledge on the part of the city's officers, a firm of competent chartered accountants and electric engineers, trained in municipal investigation and satisfactory to both the city and ourselves, be retained by the city to make such examination and appraisal, and to report at the earliest opportunity;" When fairly analyzed, the above proposal says to the city: We are losing rmmey. You are losing money. We know we are losing money. You don't know you are losing money. We want you to join with us in hiring some experts to show you that you are losing money. Then we want, to buy your losing business and add it to our losing business, so that by doing a large business we can make money. And as an inducement for you to do this, we agree to "safeguard" you by continuing the business at the same cut-throat rates which hiade us both lose money." On its face this is a generous propo sition even for the "second largest taxpayer" in the city to make provided the above statements are true, and the premises are carried out in good faith. We do not doubt that the Light. He.it and Power company is losing money on the electrical side of its business. It does not. need the company's admission to prove that. It has no street lighting income, and it. takes commercial business at any old price. Hut the city plant is not losing money; on the contrary, it is making a good profit on the investment to the city as such, besides saving the citizens many thousands of dollars ea-.h year as electric, light and power consumers, whether they patronize the city plant or its competitors. And in our opinion it because the city plant is making money that these gentlemen want to buy it. They are not quite so philanthropic as to be hunting for a losing proposition, either in their capacity as "the second largest taxpay er or as the city s only competitor. As to "safeguarding" the interests of the city and the public as to rates in a new franchise, we may be permitted to doubt the efficacy of such a promise, however well it. looks on paper. This committee has not. forgotten a former promfse made by the Light, Heat and Power company to "safeguard" the city at the time a franchise for street lighting was given at $!H ppf light, with a provision therein that the city should have an option to purchase the electrical plant of that company a a value to be fixed by three disinterested appraisers. We remember how, after much appraisement which was satisfactory to the city, enough members of the city council were "controlled" by the company to prevent the two-thirds vote necessary to issue the ,bonds to pay for the property, thus defeating, instead of "safeguarding" the city. remember that it was this betrayal that so aroused our people that they voted by an overwhelming majority t install a municipal plant four years before that contract expired. Our past experience with this nisn "accurate knowledge about the piant to the city officers who now have j it in eharee." This annears tn ns t-J

be an invitation for the city to joini,eft a no,e. saying that he was guilty . i wnile Dorsey was innocent. A note (.Continued on Paxe Three.) Uaft hx Doraey told the uma atotx.

PROSECUTOR

BRINGS

SUIT TO COLLECT TAX Princeton Man First in State To Take Action. WATCHED WITH INTEREST. Princeton, Ind., Dec. 17. County Treasurer Korman E. Knowles has turned over to the prosecuting attorney the names of twemy-five tesidents of the county who have ignored the warning made public a few weeks ago relative to settling their taxes. Prosecutor Clyde McGary has been instructed to bring suit at once with a view of collecting the delinquency. If the delinquents have property of any kind it will be sold, if the officers can lay hands upon it, and the proceeds will be used in lifting the taxes. NEW YORKERS ARE Today Cabmen of Metropolis Struck for More Wages. THIRTY-FIVE HUNDRED OUT. New York, Dec. 17. Thirty-five hundred cabmen went out on a strike this morning tieiug up all hotels, stables and cab stands. The cab men demand fifteen dollars a week for seven days' work. The present scale is fourteen dollars. Employers refused to grant the asked increase. WILL OPPOSE GRAIN BILL FATHERED BY WATSON Indiana Grain Dealers Meet in Indianapolis. OPPOSE GOV'T INSPECTION. Representatives of the grain interests of the country met at the Claypool Hotel in Indianapolis yesterday and adopted resolutions against the bill now pendiug in Congress providing for federal inspection of grain. The boards of trade and the grain exchanges of the large cities are opposing the bill, which is known as the McCumber-Watson measure. Senator McCumber of Minnesota and Congressman James E. Watson of Indiana are fathering the bill. The board of trade men oppose it vigorously. They do not believe the Government should have a hand in the matter of grain inspection, although many of them declare they are in favor of a uniform inspection system. INNOCENT IMS EXECUTED Bl NEW JERSEY WARDEN After Execution Took Place, Notes Were Found Entirely Vindicating One of the Men Whose Life Was Taken. CHARGED WITH COM MITTING MURDER. Although Penitentiary Officials Are Not Certain a Mistake Was Made, They Feel One Was Dealt With Unjustly. Trenton, X. J.. Dec. 17. In a double execution at the state prison today, probably one innocent man was put to death. His innocence was not established until after the execution. 'Charles Gibson and Stephen Dorsey, colored, were executed for the murder "1 ,l,s- riBUte!l nwuer ana. .mxs. onio Hatali. Notes found In the men's cells told the story. Gibson

OW

WALKING

MEN OF

BIG, STRONG MEN FORCED TO ACCEPT OTHERS" CHARITY There .Are Many Families in Richmond Who Have Nothing in Their Homes, to Eat, Said Mrs. Elizabeth Candler MORE CALL FOR CHARITY FROM POOR THAN EVER. The Situation Is Critical and The Associated Charities Is Doing All in Its Power to Alleviate Much of Distress. "There are many families in this city who have not a bite to eat, fuel to keep themselves warm, nor money with which to pay house rent."

The above is the remarkable state-1 cepted the apology and the incident is ber of No. 1 hose company, who susment made by Mrs. Elizabeth Candler, now closed. Last week the grand jury tained serious injuries April 20, while city missionary, this morning. There in its report, heard evidence on Tag- risking his life to stop a runaway team

have been many calls for assistance received by Mrs. Candler at the headquarters of the Associated Charities, South Fifth street, and she has done all in her power to relieve the suffering, which is greater in Richmond this winter than for many years past. Mrs. Candler has only limited means to relieve this distress and it will be necessary for those citizens who can financially afford to do so, to extend aid to the poor and needy. "The most distressing part of this general suffering is the fact that the majority of the cases reported as in need of assistance are worthy cases strong, able-bodied men, at the head of large families, men wlio scorn charity, but are forced to accept it because they can obtain no employment. Tho.se who are in a position to extend aid must do so and as soon cs possible,-' said a well known charitable worker today. Iast winter there was considerable suffering among the poorer class of people in this city, but at that time there was plenty of employment for those willing to work, so those who appealed to charity for assistance were unworthy people or some unable to work because of sickness or disability. This year there is a general change in the class of people who are in need of assistance. Toilet waters for wkhe dusky belles of the African west coast, bitters for their sweethearts and patent medicines all form a part of the cargo on the bark Freeman, which will sail this week from Boston for Sierra Leone. Boston Herald. THE WEATHER PROPHET.

- j er for his actions at council and he alINDIANA Fair Tuesday; Wednesday !so apologized to Prosecutor Jessup

cloudy, probably snow. OH1C Cloudy Tuesday with snow flurries in north portion; Wednesday fair.

AFFAIRS IN RICHMOND

CHARLES H. ROGERS. Supt. Municipal Light Plant. HUMBLE APOLOGY OFFERED BY CITY CLERUAGGART He Told City Council He Should Be Punished for His Actions In Council Chamber While Under Influence of Liquor APOLOGY WAS ACCEPTED AND GLAD HAND EXTENDED Taggart Is Popular With Council Members and They Did Not Take Action on Matter Apologized to Jessup. City Clerk John F. Taggart apologizeu to council Monday evening, for apr pearlng at the previous meeting In an j intoxicated condition. Council a - gart's actions at the council meeting held two weeks ago, but refused to re-, turn an indictment against him, believing it to be the duty of council to discipline Taggart. In his remarks, which were made at the close of the business session, Mr. Taggart said that he realized he had made a great mistake in attempting to perform his duties at the council meeting while under the Influence ;f liquor. He said he deserved to be punished for this offense and that he was ready to receive any punishment the council desired to inflict. The city clerk concluded his remarks by making a most humble apology, and by stating that he would never again commit a similar offense. Taggart is popular with the members of the city council and all of them willingly voted to accept the apology. Councilmen Bartel and Deuker made a few remarks in which they stated that council bore the city clerk no ill will because he had strayed from the straight and narrow path. The hand of friendship was extended to Taggart by Councilmen Deuker and Bartel. and he was applauded for his determination to "brace up" and look his troubles squarely in the face. President Merrill, on behalf of the board of works, said Taggart had the good will of the board and that they had no disposition to hold against hita his short comings. Merrill also stated that Taggart had always proven himself a most efficient public officer, and as clerk of the board of public works, he never neglected 'the duties imposed upon him or showed a disposition to avoid extra work. Taggart was overcome by the expressions of good will extended him. A short time ago he apologized to Mayor Schllllngfor his insulting actions while Mr. Jessup was addressing council. Over 2,X men are laying track on the Southern Nigeria railway.

BE PENSIONED BY THE CITY OFJIMOND City Attorney Study Asked by Council to Frame an Ordinance Through Which Disabled Fighters Will Benefit. RILEY'S BRAVERY NOTED AND ACTION TAKEN. As a Result City Will Pay the Physician's Bill of the Plucky Fireman Who Was Injured. City Attorney T. J. Study was ordered by council Monday evening to draw up an ordinance appropriating $150 to Philip Riley, the gallant memof horses on North Eighth street. The devotion to duty shown by Riley, has reacted in favor of all his brother firemen, as council also ordered Mr. Study to prepare an ordinance providing for pension fund, from which fire laddies will receive benefits after retiring from the fire department service. At council meeting two weeks ago, the case of Philip Riley, who for five mouths has been unable to perform his duties and in consequence has drawn no pay, came to that body's attention. The matter was referred to the board of public works, which Monday evening submitted a report. In this report the fact was cited that Riley had received full pay for three months after receiving his injuries, but after that time he had been dropped from the pay roll in accordance with tne rules governing the fire department. The board said that Riley's place was still held open for him and that whenever he was able to resume his duties, the board would gladly reinstate him on the pay roll. The report also set forth the fact that Riley had never presented a claim for the amount of his physi cian's bill. After the reading of the report, Councilman Deuker said that he had recently talked with Riley and that Riley had Informed him that he did not intend to present a claim for the amount of his physician's bill, which is $152. Mr. Deuker stated that Riley had been a mose efficient member of the fire department and that he thought the city should appreciate his 6-vlces and the brave act he performed last August by meeting half the expenses Riley had incurred since being dropped from the pay roll. Council then ordered the city attorney to draw up an ordinance providing $150 for the plucky fire fighter. The National Druggist scoffs at Dr. Wiley's proposed investigation of soda fountain drinks. It does not believe as he does that any of the beverages con tain chloral hydrate, opium or cocaine,

RM

MAY

EIGHTEEN CHARRED

BODIES HAVE BEEII TAKEN FROM MINE At the First Gray Streak of Dawn Hundreds of Rescuers Began Work at Scene of Alabama Mine Explosion. OCCURRED MONDAY WITH ONE HUNDRED IN MINE. Of the Twenty-five Men Who Were Taken From the Hell Hole Alive, It Is Thought Ten Die From Injuries. Birmingham. Ala.. Dec. 17. At the first gray streak of dawn, work was resumed at the Yolande mine, from which eighteen bodies have already been taken. It is now believed that forty bodies are yet tn the shaft and little hope is entertained that any will be found alive, as hot air is still com ing from the shaft and this gas would have killed any survivors of the horrible explosion. Of the twenty-fHe men who were taken out alive all are in the hosp4tals and it is believed that ten will die of injuries received. Less than loo men went into the mine this morning and this accounts for the fact that the loss of life was not heavier. The mine has in the past been pronounced free from gas by tho state mine Inspectors, and it is supposed the explosion was caused by dust. When a mine is not properly sprinkled and the air is allowed to get filled with fine coal dust it becomes almost as explosive as gas itself. At noon it was impossible to venture even near the mouth of the mine so hot was the air that was rushing out. The explosion was below the second right sub-entry. The mines go down something like fifteen hundred feet. There was a terrific explosion, th force was seen outside, dust and timbers being blown, out in great quantities, destroying small buildings neat by and also landing on the depot some little distance away. There was a ter. rifle heat immediately after the explosion. Officials of the company immediateIy tooK steps to start a rescue party to get to the men on the inside. . Thi fans were started up and other meth ods taken to eliminate the bad air. Within an hour fourteen men had crawled out of the mine and their descrlption of the Inside was heartrending. Several of these men were badly burned. Two hours after the cx plosion it was still Impossible to ven ture even near the mouth of the mine so hot was the air rushing out. Yolande mine is but a few mlle from Virginia City, where a similar ex plosion occurred about two years ago 112 mein being killed at that time Yolande is thirty-five miles south ' Birmingham, on the Birmingham Mineral railroad. The Yolande Coa and Coke company Is headed by Dr. G B. Crowe of Birmingham. The Yolande mines were among thi model collieries of the Birmingharr district. Non-union me were worket exclusively but everything posslbli had been done to Insure the contentment of employes with their condition The village is located on a beautiful hill and the houses are all painted white, with green trimmings, giving i' an air of picturesqueness unusual it mining quarters. FRANCES WILLARD MEET Rev. S. W. Traum Will Delivei Address. The Frances E. Willard Temper ance Union will hold an open meetinf on Wednesday evening at 7:30 o'clocl in the First M. E. church. The prin, clple address will be given by Rev S. W. Traum. His subject being "J Father's Responsibility." AH members of the Mary F. Thorn as Union and the public In genera are cordially Invited to attend thii meeting. DUNCAN HEARING SOON Greenfield Murderer Will &r Tried for Life. Greenfield. Ind.. Dec. 17. Francfi 51. Duncan, who is charged with tht murder of James La Toilette on th night of Nov. 17 In thf city, will aavi a hearing on Jan. 22, the case having been set for trial on that date. Char les TIndall, prosecuting attorney, hai petitioned the court for additiona counsel to aid In prosecuting the case The petition was granted. There is no change tn Duncan's gen eral demeanor and he is confiden that he will be cleared of first degrei murder.