THE COUNTY AND ELECTRIC ENERGY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 98, 29 August 1913, Page 3

THE COUNTY AND ELECTRIC ENERGY.

[To The Editor Stratfoud- Po*t.] Sir,—l hope the County Council will most seriously weigh the terms of the proposed agreement before it gives the ‘ Company a right in""perpetuity over the county roads. Nothing, in my judgment,, 'oldfuid vfell bo more ■dangerous. “Not the sole right, savs the resolution adopted at last meeting. Just so; but with the telephone wires on one side and the Company’s wires on. .the other, it is not easy to see where anybody else’s are to run. And this right is to be given over all the roads in- Stratford county, although tho present Act limits the Company’s area to 3 miles from Stratford* Tost Ollice. it is, of course, quite certain that the Company will run their lines as far as they considei (W-mitable iu each direction, or as far as their power will allow, or their funds permit, and the rest of the county will be side-tracked a '.thorn hope. xiie proposed arbitiation pio caedings will prove abortive, it is safe l(j predict; the Company will show that it cannot do it profitably or even at all, and there’s an end; also, costs against the Council. I would further point out that with respect to the right of the County to take over things at an arbitration price at the end "of 21 years, the resolution discloses no safeguard as to goodwill; to put it plainly, the County is to grant an extraordinary concession to the Company, one which I believe to bp contrary to the whole spirit and p; notice of modern times, and at some future clay is to find itself faced with an enormous claim for that which it has made a free gift of. This is written in no spirit of antagonism to anybody, and certainly not to electric energy. lam persuaded that when people finally settle down and the younger generation take charge, electric energy will bo demanded to an extent which we cannot well imagine. Ail tho more reason for us to carefully safeguard their interests. If the Council is wise it will make any present concession terminate with the borough’s present concession; and then vou can start fair again. i

should have been glad if someone els; 1 . had sounded a public note of warning. but with the knowledge which came to me when on the Council of the difficult positions which have arisen between borough and company, arid of how easily tho County may fall into f.iost serious embarassments with the same concern from which it could extricate itself only at heavy cost, I feel that it is an obligation to warn the Cow - oil to walk most warily and to do nothing which has not been submitted to searching independent examination —I am, etc., G. A. MERCHANT.