Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-04-24
CITY BIEorRIo LIGHTING.
The Question oR the Municipality
Furnishing Electric Light as IL
Does Wnfer.

Furnishing Electric Light as it
Does Water.
The current number Of the Engineer
ing and Building Record gives tue fol-
lowing upon the important question OF
public retreuohment through the custom
OF cities furnishing their own electric
lighting:
II those cities which have honest and
intelligent administrative cffloers can fur
nish water aud gas to their citizens more
cheaply and OF more satisfactory quality
than individuals or private corporations
will provide suoh articles of this
there can be no doubt.-why should they
not obtain the same results in providing
electric lighting themselves instead OF
permitting it to be supplied only by pri-
waite companies? Some data for answer
ing this question will be found in the
statistics compiled by committee Of the
council of the city of Scranton, Pa,
from replies to questions addressed by
them to various cities "A to the cost Of
electric lighting In different localities.
From the hst Of cities in which iightB are
supplied by private companies, we take
.he following statement oil me number OF
lamps and annual charge per lamp, whore
tne lighting continues all night and the
| lamps are of (nominal) 1900 candle
power. Alliance, o., 8 lights at $l44;
Chattanooga, Tenn, 80 lights at 1921. 66;
| Fall River, so lights at $3.50; Portsmouth,
| N. H., CD lights at $780, Petersburg, Va,
! So fights at 90; Binghemton. SO lights ct
| $40; Indianapolis, 100 at $3.50; Atlanta,
Ga, 100 OF 1920; Boston, l05 at $3.50;
| Milwaukee, 100 at $3.50; Reaiing. 156 at
Sl46 IS; Dayton, o 200 At $50; Pongh-
keepie, 2l2 at 1923; Harrisburg, $40 at
$50; Philadelphia. 800 at S177; New
Orleans, loo st $3.50; New York City,
1857 at $40 ibid May lst).
In some OF these cities the contract has
bsen made with two or three different
companies, but in no such case is there
any differences in tho chafge-in other
words competition does not give lower
rates. Let US now give the figures OBJ
tanned from those cities which own their
own electric-iightine plants HuntinS-
ton hos 50 lights at S48 Ga; Decatur, H.,
81 at $50, Dunkirk,>N SIS at $50 so;
Madison, Ind, So at S4s; Lewiston, Me,
06 at S49; Hannibal, Mo, 90 at 1852;
Chicago, 1872 a $65 Taxing average
OF the whole OF the two tables, from
which We ve oniy qaoted port!oo we
hnd that tho avprsrt price paid to private
companies il SlO5 3 aud that the selne
ariicle 'urni he'd by the city itself costs
go l2t per light per year.
Eva ntly then these figures prove, il
proof were necessary, that cities eau fur
nish electric lighting much more cheaplV
than private parties can, or, at all events
than they do. The difference in COS;
being at least one. half in favor OF the
municipal supply.
Mr.. tsoSeb4rry, from whose article in
the Independent these figures ere taken
remarks that in many places great saving
can be effected by running the electric
light plant in conjunction with the water
works. This has beea done OF Dunklrk
N. Y, and has proved profitable TO ths
city.
There are more complaints Of tht
quality Of the lighting wnen 1t is uudei
! private msoagemert than when it is fur
! ni5hsd bS ths city; tia lights often dc
not furuiehed the oandie-power called fol
, by the son.ract, the globes are allowed Il
! become dirty, and the wires are moi
placed underground, as they should be
|. i. the company car help it. What they
can do to hinder il is shown by reoen
experience in New York City.
The Obvious moral for those citiei
which have not yet electric lighting is
be wise in time ami make no oontrac
r with private parties for your supply i
, possible to pay for plant. Where sh
contrac! has been made do not max
, another when it expires unless oompelie;
, to by local exigenciea, and then secure Al
option for purchase on reasonable terms
As to fears that improvements will sool
. be made, and new methods discoveret
/ that will do away with present syatems
we can only say that il city is to havl
electric lighting it must assume theS
risks, or else pay private parties for as
Stunning them, and that the first way
the cheapest.
8 There is nothing peculiar about electri
a lighting which makes it less fit subjec
/ than gas or water supply for a munIoi
! pality 10 furnish Its citizens.