The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-10-27
CITY COUNCIL.

The following petition, signed b.
W. Woodruff and us others was sub
mitted:
To the Honorable Mayor and Cit
Council Of The City Of Salt LGks:
GentLemen:-As citizens and tax payer
: Of Salt Lake City we respectfully presen
II our views 10 your honorable body con
corning the proposition which has beer
made TO you, and which you have hac
under consideration, to adopt the electric
!; light for the lighting Of the streets Of thin
city. We understand the ch eff Argu-
4 ments used in favor Of the adoption oil
! the electric light are the great saving il
will be to the city, it being stated that its
3 adoption will save S36, 200 in FIVE years,
I and that it will furnish q light with
lgreGter Illuminating power. As to the
latter advantage, great claims are made
for il in this reSpecg; but il is worthy Of
remark that from the cities where il ia
stated this light has been used with the
greatest satisfaction, no reliable inform.
alton can be obtained in reply 20 en-
quiries as to its success. There are several
systems Of producing electric light, the
Inventor OF each claiming that his Is the
best. As citizens, we think il is bat COM
mon prudence that, before the corpora
ton thall graft exclusive privileges TO
any one Of these systems, the others
should be investigated so that the best
may be selected. We understand the
gas company has EXPIRE. se1 It's willing
ness % thoroughly test these various
systems, and il it shall Prove feasible to
light the city by electricity, TO obtain an
electric machine or machines Of the best
and Htrrpf.b
the city with the electric light at as low
rates as have been already proposed to
your honorable body. Your Predeces
sors in Office had some experience in
granting exclusive privilege Of lighting
the city to one Sherry, the recollection Of
which prompts your petitioners to ask
your honorable body to not be hasty in
again giving such grants.
Upon the question OF economy,
your petitioners respectfully represent ]
that there are other views en-
tertained than those presented in the |
petition Of the 18th instant to your hon
orabls body. 1t ought to be known |
that the city oWns stock in the gas |
company which now lights our streets to |
the amount of SIS, 700. From this stock |
It derives al income Of s., 800 per annum.
The difference between this amount and |
the amount tee city pays the gas COM
psHy per annum (SI22l0) is S4.340.
Proposals are made 10 your honorable
body, we are informed, to light the city
with electricity for 81, 900 per annum, or
if the city will grant q six-inch main as
6 motive power, for $500 less. This last
proposal we respectfully but most earn
estly protest against as one not to be en-
terlained by your honorable body, for to
grant it would be to lessen the pressure Of
our water IN our mains, and in case Of
fire TO endanger the safety of our city, as
in cod weather nearly all the water
which flows down City Creek caa be
forced under pressure into main of that
size. But if 81, 900 per sBnum were paid
it would be $40 less than the amount
now paid to the gas company, in add
ton to the dividend derived from the gas
stock which the city itself owns. And
it ia claimed that this will be economy.
But your honorable body cannot in jus
iice deprive the gas company of its fran
chise without compensatiDg 1t for its loss.
] his will cost at least several thousands
Of dollars The $40 per annum above
referred to, will go but a little way to-
wards paying this compensation. But
we see it is claimed that the city will
still have its $78, 200 now invested in the
gas company, and though it may depre-
este in value somewhat, it is thought
hat investment will still yield an income
Of 7 per cent. Your petitioners respect
fully represent that this idea is fsllacioas
1ne. Already we hear of steps being |
aiken to secure the patronage of stores and
lo;els Tor the electric light, and that II is
n contemplation to ask for the exclusive
light, in addition 70 lighting the city. of
aging wires to supply them. Let this
be done, and Of what value will the gas
took Of the city be, or what will be the
amount of its dividends from that source?
Should such an IN " ise policy be adopted
It present the people who use gas in their
private residences would be compelled to
all back upon coal oil lamps for their
tights, for it is universally admitted that
,lectricity cannot be used Satisfactorily at I
present for lighting private reIidsnces; :
md if the u,e Of gas be confined to them l
he company would Of necessity be COM I
Delled to stop its manufacture, for the :
best of all reasons-it would not pay. !
Your petitioners have only spoken Of the
,.ty's investment in the gas works, but !,
exclusive Of that, others hold stock to the
amount of SI7l, 30O Certainly your hon. s
,rsble body will pause ard be sure that |
you are right, and that you have OBJ /
aimed the very best illuminator before
you strike down the honest and enter
orising investment Of our fellow citizens
As citizens, having the welfare and
prosperity Of the city at heart, We re-
IpecLfully protest against measure being l
adopted at present which will be franshL
with such consequences. We believe 1t !
10 be neither economical nor wise. 1t
would be seri US blow to private enter
Drite-an enterprise which is highly
to US IS city-And dlscour-
.ging 10 everything Of this kind ir the
future. Why should there be such hot
hnste in trying system OF lighting that
is only an experiment.
We ask your honorable body TO post
pone action upon this proposition until
more is known than at present, Do not
destroy our present system OF lighting,
which is as good as any owned
By any Of the cities eatt or
west. Let us learn more about
this electricity, and when all that
can be learned upon the subject, has been
obtained, then your honorable body can
decide upon what will be for the best in-
terest OF the city. And as the gas COM
psny is both able and willing to light this
city with electricity and also supply pTl'
vate residences with gas, as soon as evil
can be obtained that electricity can
De used successfully, we respectfully sug-
Rest that the claims Of our own citizens
and the builders up of our hcme enter
prises, should not be entirely ignored,
and that we should not throw our light
ing, the same as we have done our car
rying and the furnishing OF our Goa into
the hands of strangers and those who are |
not identified with our city and territory. |
And your petitioners will ever pray.
Tbs petition was received and re.
fired to the committee On improve
ments.
A petition from A. B. Taylor was
read, asking permission to purchase
q certain parcel Of land lying on the
north bench and belonging to the
city. Referred TO the committee on
public grounds.
G. W. Davis petitioned for the right
to use 6se feet OF the sidewalk 'front.'
ing his store on East Temple street,
for a term of ten days, or during the
period OF making alterations to his
store front. Granted under the usual
restrictions.
A communication was submitted,
lsigued by G. F. Gibbs. secretary OF
lhs University OF Deseret, stating that
ltbe chancellor aud board of regents Ct
she University bad adopted 8 resolu-
lion accantinp the tFnst IN he confer