The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-11-03
Street Lighting.

Mr.. EdjtOr:-We wish to say few words
through the columns of your paper, to the
voters of the village of Montpelier in order
that they may vote Understandings at the
coming village meeting. In the spring of
this year our streets were in darkness for
something like three months The report on
the street was that the gas company had
been requested to change the hours of light
ing and putting out the lamps, which they
declined to do. saying that they made no
money out of the street-lighting and that it
was nuisance to them. About this time
Rutland and Burlington adopted the electric
light on their streets, which attracted
the attention of goodly number of our
citizens, some of whom commenced making
Investigations into the matter Agents of the
different sytems-cam6 here to explain their
merits and three of them made exhibits of
what they were able to do, showing that it
was practical to run the machinery by our
water system. The result was the forming of
the Standard Light and Power Manufacture
ing Company, the stock of which is all owned
and held by Montpelier resident taxpayers,
with the exception of that held by the
superintendent who lives in Berlin. The
Gas Company pay no tdreS in Montpelier nor
is their stock tored. Before any steps were
taken towards purchasing machinery the
Electric Light Company talked the question
of power over with the water commits
sioners and one of the board made
practical tests as to the quantity of water
required to see If they could put on the adj
ditional streams and still keep the pressure
up to where the running of machinery would
require il. The result of the test was such
as to warrant the Electric Light Company
to engage il and also to warrant the water
commissioners to let it, and a tive-year con-
tract was made for the running of the neces-
sary number of motors up to ten. The con-
ditions of the contract were such that the
Electric Light Company were to offer to the
bailiffs each year twenty-five arc lights for
the sum of $500 per year and on that basis the
bailitfs made contract with the Standard
Light and Power Manufacturing Company for
one year. When the machinery was start
ed up, the power with six motors was
found to be insufficient to run the whole
number of arc lights to say nothing of the
large number of incandescent lights that
had been engaged There had been twenty
six lights hung on the streets, but the com
pany found themselves able to run only
twenty-five of them, in addition to the lights
already contracted for to outside parties
and when the bailffs called on the COM
pany to hang some additional lights that
We're needed, the company told them that
they were prepared to carry out their con-
tract for furnishing the twenty-five lights
but We're unable to furnish more lights with
the present power and machinery and did
not feel warranted in putting in steam
power with only one years use of it
| guaranteed, but if the village would give
!
years, they-the company-would put in
! what machinery was necessary and furnish
such additional lights as might be required.
! The result is the call for the village meeting
| to be held Thursday evening The Electric
| Light Company do not ask you to bond your
! village (as has been stated) for a term of
years at fixed rate. They ask that the
village contract with them for a term of
| years for the lighting of the streets of the
village, and that each board of bailiffs
elected shall have the right to negotiate
with the Electric Light Company for the
number of lights to be used and the price to
be paid for the same (Which shall not ex-
ceed the price paid in other towns SINH
| larly situated) during the year for which
said bailffs are elected, thus enabling
the village to reap the advantage of
any reduction there may be in the cost of
producing the light. All the company ask
is fair commercial rate. Should the viii
lage vote to accept the company's PROPOSE
ton they will put in steam plant sufficient
to run the whole station; they will make
and carry out a new contract with the
water commissioners; they will relinquish
all rights under the present contract and
! agree not to draw the water down below an
agreed pressure, and, when they have the
water to spare in the night, to use and pay
! for the same and thus furnish the village a
revenue from the water that would other
wise run to waste through the sewers or
overflow.
All of which is respectfully submitted.
STANDARD LIGHT AND POWER MFG. Co.
! November lSt. 1856,