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52-733: In 1901, Sacco Albanese, a former employee of the Edison Manufacturing Company , proposed the construction of a tramway in Malta . The tender was won by Macartney, McElroy & Co. Ltd, which apart from the tramway also planned to construct two lifts in Valletta, one near Marsamxett Harbour and another near the Grand Harbour . Eventually it was decided to only construct the lift on the Grand Harbour side, and

104-593: A Manhattan facility after the turn of the century, and a few years later to a studio in the Bronx . Filming locations around the United States and abroad were used. The company had the same senior executives as the more profitable National Phonograph Company , to which Edison paid more attention. Edison was also distracted by other enterprises including storage batteries, iron ore and cement, which competed for finance and led to loss of focus. In February 1911

156-408: A deeply contested general election ; he was the first prime minister in the euro area to be re-elected after introducing the euro. The Nationalist Party won this election with a majority of less than 1,200 votes, which translated in a one-seat majority. This proved to be the eventual undoing of the administration. In his first message to the nation at the beginning of this legislature, Gonzi said that

208-680: A carrying capacity of up to 800 people per hour. The journey takes approximately 23 seconds. It also includes a flight of stairs. The lift is open from 07:00 to 21:00 from November to May, and 07:00 to 00:00 from June to October. A return trip costs €1, and it is free for children under 10 years old, holders of KartaAnzjan and those holders of 3 cities ferry tickets. [REDACTED] Media related to Upper Barrakka Lift at Wikimedia Commons 35°53′39.74″N 14°30′43.21″E  /  35.8943722°N 14.5120028°E  / 35.8943722; 14.5120028 Edison Manufacturing Company The Edison Manufacturing Company , originally registered as

260-449: A no confidence vote on Home Affairs Minister, Carm Mifsud Bonnici . In early 2012, Lawrence Gonzi lost his majority when Pullicino Orlando declared himself to be an independent MP. The Nationalist Party executive condemned the three rebel MPs for their votes on the motions against Mifsud Bonnici and Cachia Caruana. However, Gonzi managed to keep his party in government right until a budget vote on 10 December 2012, when Franco Debono joined

312-400: A profit of £128.19s.8d. In February 1942, over 650 passengers were transported on an average daily basis. Political changes in the decades after the war, including Malta's independence in 1964, took their toll on the bridge. A significant number of the lift's clients were British military personnel and employees, and the reduced military activity after independence resulted in a further drop in

364-513: A voluntary EU burden-sharing agreement on illegal migration. The first priority of Gonzi's government was to move the country forward, reforming different sectors of the economy such as the restructuring of Air Malta , the Malta shipyards, the Gozo Channel shipping line, public transport and others. These became a priority following Malta's accession to the EU, economic reform became crucial to

416-697: The October 1996 general elections and was elected to Parliament on 29 October 1996. In November 1996, he was appointed as Whip for the Opposition, secretary to the Opposition Parliamentary Group, and Shadow Minister for Social Policy. The following year, he was elected Secretary General of the Nationalist Party. After the Nationalist Party won the 1998 election , Gonzi was appointed Minister for Social Policy and Leader of

468-583: The St Elmo Bridge which had been destroyed in World War II, but this was never done and the steel was abandoned at Corradino. Plans to construct a new lift at the site were initiated in 2004, with the intention being to facilitate access to the historic centre of Valletta from the Grand Harbour, where cruise liners were being berthed. A ferry service linking the Three Cities to the harbour

520-881: The United Edison Manufacturing Company and often known as simply the Edison Company , was organized by inventor and entrepreneur Thomas Edison and incorporated in New York City in May 1889. It succeeded the Edison United Manufacturing Company , founded in 1886 as a sales agency for the Edison Lamp Company , Edison Machine Works , and Bergmann & Company, which made electric lighting fixtures, sockets, and other accessories. In April 1894,

572-720: The 1980s moved him to get involved in local politics. After unsuccessfully contesting the 1987 general election with the Nationalist Party , Gonzi was appointed Speaker of the House of Representatives on 10 October 1988. In 1992, his re-appointment to the post was proposed by the Prime Minister, seconded by the Leader of the Opposition and approved unanimously by the House on 4 April 1992. During his term as Speaker of

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624-781: The Archbishop's Seminary in Floriana , continuing his studies there until sitting for his matriculation exams. Gonzi attended the University of Malta , studying law and graduating as a lawyer in 1975. After practicing law in a private firm, he worked as a company lawyer with the Mizzi Organisation, serving as group chairman between 1989 and 1997. Gonzi is very active in the voluntary sector , particularly in areas relating to disability and mental health issues. His strong commitment to his Catholic faith led him to join

676-635: The EU enlargement official ceremony which took place in Dublin , Ireland , where the Maltese flag was hoisted for the first time alongside those of the other member states. Gonzi, in his responsibility for the finance portfolio, successfully managed the process to achieve the Maastricht convergence criteria , allowing Malta to join the Eurozone on 1 January 2008. He also embarked upon a drive to improve

728-498: The EU, Richard Cachia Caruana . Jesmond Mugliett, a Nationalist MP, abstained on this motion citing concerns with Malta's reactivation of its Partnership for Peace collaboration with NATO - something he believed was pushed by Cachia Caruana. In another crisis, Franco Debono , the third rebel MP, abstained in a vote of confidence in Transport Minister Austin Gatt , and voted against the government in

780-599: The EU, were down to his cabinet's performance in the midst of a backbench rebellion. His detractors criticised his lack of resolve in confronting the three dissident backbenchers, Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, Franco Debono and Jesmond Mugliett. Additionally, Gonzi's principled unwillingness to vote in favour of the introduction of divorce in Parliament, following its approval by the electorate , proved unpopular. His conscientious vote against divorce, however, did not stop him from ensuring there were enough votes on both sides of

832-703: The Edison laboratory's Kinetoscope operation, which was about to be commercialized, was brought under the Edison Company umbrella. In 1900, the United Edison Manufacturing Company was evidently succeeded by the New Jersey–incorporated Edison Manufacturing Company. The company's assets and operations were transferred to Thomas A. Edison, Inc. in 1911. The Edison United Manufacturing Company

884-434: The House for its ultimate approval. Gonzi became Leader of the Opposition on 20 March 2013, resigning from this post on 13 May 2013. He was succeeded by Simon Busuttil . Lawrence Gonzi resigned from parliament on 17 July 2013, saying that his seat ought be occupied by someone "who can give the electorate all his energy". Gonzi has since retired from active political life. However, he attends and has given guest lectures in

936-421: The House of Representatives on 8 September 1998. He also served as deputy prime minister from May 1999 to March 2004. His negotiating skills and business acumen helped in restructuring the local economy. As Minister for Social Policy, he was driving force behind many social and economic reforms including two milestones which revolutionised social dialogue and industrial relations in Malta. With an economy which

988-424: The House of Representatives, Gonzi overhauled the methods with which Parliament operated, including the set up of its permanent committees. He also introduced new procedures with regards to the timing of debates between the two sides of the House. His tenure as Speaker of the House of Representatives exposed his modest but firm bearing, which calming fraying tempers in difficult moments for the house. Gonzi contested

1040-591: The Labour party Opposition, and voted against the budget. Debono's reasons included his belief that the government had mismanaged major privatisation initiatives, as well as dozens of perceived slights to his person. This vote brought down the Nationalist government, with parliament dissolved on 7 January 2013. An election held in March resulted in a Labour victory, by a 35,107 vote margin. Within half an hour of

1092-677: The Malta Catholic Action Movement, serving as its general president between 1976 and 1986. He was also the first chairman of the Kummissjoni Nazzjonali Persuni b’ Diżabilità (KNPD), a national commission for persons with disability. He is married to Catherine "Kate" Gonzi, née Callus. The couple have three children (David, Mikela and Paul), five grandchildren and live in Marsascala . The political and religious turmoil in Malta during

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1144-467: The Nationalist Party. He also served as speaker of the House from 1988 to 1996, and Minister of Social Policy from 1998 to 2004, as well as deputy prime minister from 1999 to 2004. He served in practically all positions in Parliament , being also Leader of the House, an MP and Leader of the Opposition. Taking over as prime minister from Eddie Fenech Adami , Lawrence Gonzi led the islands through

1196-483: The bottom of the lift shafts. Tickets for the lift initially cost ½d for military personnel and 1d for other clients. Daily profits were around £10 on weekdays and £14 on Sundays. In World War I , problems arose regarding the supply of spare parts and coal which was used to power the lift. In October 1917, the company was forced to suspend the lift due to a lack of spare parts, and operation resumed only in June 1919 after

1248-494: The company's assets were assigned to Thomas A. Edison, Inc. The Edison Manufacturing Company was formally dissolved on 9 November 1926. Lawrence Gonzi Lawrence Gonzi KUOM (born 1 July 1953) is a Maltese politician, retired Nationalist politician and lawyer , who served for twenty-five years in various critical roles in Maltese politics. Gonzi was Prime Minister of Malta from 2004 to 2013, and leader of

1300-539: The contract was signed on 24 December 1903. Macartney, McElroy & Co. Ltd hired the London-based subcontractors Joseph Richmond & Co. Ltd. The construction costing £5,000 was completed in September 1905. The official opening took place on 18 December 1905. The lift was constructed out of steel, and it was 60 m (200 ft) high while it had a weight of 75 tonnes (74 long tons; 83 short tons). Part of

1352-403: The country's development. Even if unpopular, Gonzi also pushed for a reform of the pension system, to guarantee its future sustainability. Despite the cost to his party and personal popularity, Lawrence Gonzi continued to push through these reforms, trying to ensure Malta took the best advantage of EU funding available to new member states. Gonzi was re-elected Prime Minister on 8 March 2008, in

1404-735: The crisis, Gonzi's macroeconomic focus rested on the creation of employment opportunities. His economic policies were hailed by the President of the European Council , Herman Van Rompuy and the German chancellor , Angela Merkel . Throughout his administration as prime minister, the restructuring of the Maltese economy was accelerated; Malta became an attractive location for foreign direct investment in financial services , information technology, maritime and aviation hubs and high value-added manufacturing clusters . The Libyan crisis

1456-608: The delicate first years of EU membership. He piloted crucial economic and political reforms, spearheaded Malta's adoption of the euro , and the entry into force of the Schengen agreement . His decision to privatise the Malta shipyards, and the pensions reform, proved to be unpopular. Following a razor-thin electoral victory in 2008 , perceptions of arrogance in his cabinet, fomented by the Labour Party opposition and rebel backbenchers, dented his second term of office. Following

1508-426: The first round of elections held on 28 February. Gonzi obtained 508 party delegate votes (59.3 percent), Dalli polled 219 votes (25.3 percent) and Galea received 133 (15.4 percent). Galea was eliminated after placing third, and Dalli withdrew his candidature, leaving Gonzi to face the second round of voting alone on 3 March. Lawrence Gonzi was elected leader, obtaining 808 of the 859 votes cast, securing 94.1 per cent of

1560-484: The late 1970s the decision to dismantle the lift was made. Initially this did not take place due to the significant costs involved, but the lift was eventually demolished between June and August 1983. Demolition was carried out by the General Construction and Engineering Company, which had been set up by the government specifically for dismantling the lift. It was planned to use the salvaged steel to rebuild

1612-402: The lift occurred during World War II , due to increasing ticket prices caused by increased electricity costs and irregular ferry services. Initially it was planned to increase prices by ½d, but prices were eventually increased by 1d in 1941, resulting in tickets for military employees costing 1½d and those for other clients costing 2d. In February 1941, 18,224 people were transported, resulting in

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1664-570: The local firm Architecture Project. It was inaugurated on 15 December 2012 by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and infrastructure minister Austin Gatt . The ferry service linking the Three Cities to the Grand Harbour was inaugurated a week before the lift. The lift stands at 58 m (190 ft), and it consists of a concrete structure which is surrounded by an aluminium mesh. It has two cabins which can carry up to 21 passengers each, resulting in

1716-488: The loss of a financial vote, his government lost supply in December 2012. The Nationalist party went on to lose the successive general election , leading to Gonzi's resignation and eventual retirement from politics. Gonzi stressed the need to ensure sustainable development and environmental stewardship on the islands, also focusing on strengthening the education and healthcare sectors. In international diplomacy, Gonzi

1768-454: The management of public finances, focused sharply upon improving Malta's competitiveness in the international market and accelerated the restructuring process of the public sector. Gonzi stressed the importance to attract high-value added sectors of the economy, particularly information technology , biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. His negotiating skills were crucial in Malta obtaining €2.4 billion in EU funds from 2007 onwards, and achieving

1820-435: The number of customers. Ticket prices rose by another ½d in 1958. A planned increase of fees up to 3d in 1964 was not accepted by the government. The company reported significant losses on 22 January 1973, and the lift ceased operation on 1 February 1973. It was passed to the government in 1974, and Macartney, McElroy & Co. Ltd was liquidated in 1975. Proposals to restart operation of the lift were never implemented, and in

1872-542: The pilots’ jets to the Gaddafi regime , allowing NATO jets to implement a UN -sanctioned no-fly zone to land in Malta whenever necessary, exchanging intelligence on the Libyan conflict with NATO. Gonzi also offered valuable support to other European nations, negotiating the release of two Dutch pilots held captive by Gaddafi's forces. Lawrence Gonzi also made it clear, back in March 2011, that Gaddafi's exit from Libya

1924-433: The repercussions of the financial crisis of 2007–2008 . His cabinet initiated various projects, such as SmartCity Malta and an architectural showcase project by Renzo Piano in Valletta. Gonzi's government provided financial aid and support to local industries, allowing investment to continue unimpeded and keeping unemployment low in the country. Guarantees were also provided to public-sector companies. In his response to

1976-492: The restructuring of the Malta shipyards, and the introduction of a stringent zero-tolerance policy for benefit fraud. Gonzi was re-elected in the 2003 election , and appointed as deputy prime minister and Minister for Social Policy on 15 April 2003. Following the resignation of Eddie Fenech Adami as party leader, a party leadership contest was held in March 2004. Nominations opened for a week on 9 February. Gonzi, John Dalli and Louis Galea submitted their nominations, with

2028-419: The sloping bastion wall was cut out so as to make way for the lift's tower, while steel girders were attached to the top of the lift to ensure stability. The lift had two cabins that could hold 12 passengers and were suspended on four ropes. Two 500 V motors were located in the booth at the top of the tower, allowing a maximum speed of 1.3 m/s. Hydraulic buffers designed to brake the elevator were located at

2080-453: The start of the vote counting, Gonzi conceded defeat and held a press conference in which he expressed his desire to resign from the PN leadership. Gonzi shouldered "total and complete responsibility" for the electoral defeat, later admitting that mistakes were made "in attitude, arrogance" by his second cabinet. However he insisted that the results achieved by Malta, as an exception to the rest of

2132-569: The vote. Lawrence Gonzi was appointed prime minister and Minister of Finance on 23 March 2004. George W. Bush , Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi Annan , and Pope John Paul II , and many other foreign leaders, congratulated Lawrence Gonzi on his new, important responsibilities at a critical time in Malta's history. Malta joined the European Union on 1 May 2004, and as prime minister, Gonzi attended

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2184-417: The war had ended. The Malta Tramways were abolished in 1929, and the power plant which supplied the lift stopped functioning in 1931, when the government granted the company a plot near the elevator so as to allow them to build a new power station on it. This allowed the lift to be powered by electricity from the power grid, and the new building also had a waiting room. A significant drop in customers using

2236-484: The work of his government should be based on sustainable development , putting the environment on par with education and the economy. He relinquished his post as Minister of Finance in favour of Tonio Fenech , but assumed responsibility for the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA), in particular its reform. Gonzi's second government focused on crucial aspects of the Maltese economy, dealing with

2288-512: Was "inevitable", a message he reiterated in early April. Gonzi told the visiting Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister, Abdul-Ati al-Obeidi, that Gaddafi and his family "must go", and the Libyan people's wish for democracy should be respected. Malta's support for the Libyan revolution was appreciated by the country's new rulers, and the chairman of the Transitional National Council , Mustafa Abdul Jalil , made it clear that Malta

2340-666: Was a major foreign policy challenge for Lawrence Gonzi and his government. The Prime Minister denounced the crimes against humanity being perpetrated by the Gaddafi regime at an early stage of the conflict, when the outcome was not yet clear. Throughout the crisis Malta served as a hub for the evacuation of foreign nationals from Libya. Gonzi provided humanitarian and medical assistance to Libya, granted asylum to two Libyan Air Force pilots who defected after being ordered to bomb protesters in Benghazi . Lawrence Gonzi refused to return

2392-679: Was also planned. In 2009 it was decided that the lift was to be rebuilt by the Grand Harbour Regeneration Corporation at an estimated cost of €2 million. The estimated date of completion was originally March 2011, but delays related to obtaining the required permits led to work on the project beginning in July 2011. The construction of the lift was partially financed by the European Regional Development Fund . The lift wad designed by

2444-650: Was being reformed and opened up in the run-up to Malta's accession to the European Union , the need to overhaul industrial relations legislation became pressing. Gonzi drafted and piloted a new act of parliament, the Employment and Industrial Relations Act (2002). He was also instrumental in setting up the framework for the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development , enabling social partners to make recommendations on social and economic matters. These employment and industrial relations reforms were applied to

2496-585: Was born on 1 July 1953, in Valletta , British Malta, the son of Luigi Gonzi (1919–2010) and Ines Gonzi ( née Galea) (1921–2008). He is the grandnephew of Mikiel Gonzi , Archbishop of Malta from 1944 until 1976. His younger brother, Michael Gonzi , is a Nationalist backbencher. Gonzi spent his childhood years in the youth section of the local Catholic Action organisation, the Circolo Gioventù Cattolica. He began his education at

2548-835: Was incorporated in July 1886 to consolidate the sales operations of the various Edison manufacturing concerns. The company went into liquidation—finalized October 31, 1889—and was succeeded by the United Edison Manufacturing Company, incorporated in New York City under New York State law in May 1889. On May 4, 1900, the Edison Manufacturing Company—evidently the successor to the United Edison Manufacturing Company—was incorporated in Newark, New Jersey , with its headquarters located in West Orange . From April 1894 to June 1908, William E. Gilmore

2600-491: Was lauded for his role in the Libyan Revolution , breaking Malta's long relationship with the Gaddafi regime , and siding with the rebels. Additionally, his humanitarian response to the migratory pressures enfolding around Malta led to the first voluntary European migrant burden sharing pact. He was also highly regarded by EU leaders who worked by his side during his nine years as prime minister. Lawrence Gonzi

2652-453: Was to have a "distinguished role" in the rebuilding of Libya. The weak, one seat majority of the second Gonzi administration was open to internal divisions and backbencher rebellions. These included the sabotage of plans to construct a museum beneath St. John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta by Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando , who then went on to vote against the government in a motion calling for the resignation of Malta's permanent-representative to

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2704-677: Was vice-president and general manager of the Edison Manufacturing Company. He took over from Alfred O. Tate and was succeeded by patent lawyer Frank Dyer. Edison's films were made by the Kinetograph Department of the Edison Manufacturing Company. Edison's first moviemaking studio—and the world's first—was the Black Maria in West Orange, New Jersey , where production of Kinetoscope films began in early 1893. The Edison Studios productions moved to

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