Telegram-herald., 1890-12-04
LIGHTS
What They Would Probably Cost
Under City system.
SEEKING FOR BITTER ncHIS
The Couneil Coaatsittse On Lamps Gel.
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Clty Electric Lisht PtssG

NN-A4AsttSt UA4 Ian - - @0N~A t-tN e--N
probable cost Of a city electric light
plant. inquired the TELEGRAN-HERAlD
OF Alderman Stein yesterday.
~ don't know whai they vii do, any
more than you DO, replied the alder
man, 81 am satisfied, however, that
the city Is al a great disadvantage IA
making rs lighting contracts"
"Hos is i a disadvantage
"The principal reason j., that The
charter viii only allow US 10 make a
contract for one yea. II the council
MAS authorized 70 make a contract tor
4 period OF three 20 i've years, these
companies could afford % give us a
very much lower nguro and this would
make a remarkable difference, / be-
lieye, IN the item of electric Lighting.
An electric light plant is an expensive
concern, and 10 company Is Justned
IN putting III a large quantity OF e1-
penslye machinery Tor one year OF work
when there Is probability that
some competitor viii OutOd
II at the end of that time, leaving Il
with large amount OF dead capital Ia
its investment. ON long contract
these electric light companies would be
justified in putting IN plenty OF machln-
cry, and they could put the price down
20 a much lower figure. Tins would
result IN doubling the present number
of lights, or perhaps even quadrupllng
II. Under the present system the hgnt
Is unequally distributed. ON the busl-
ness streets and those where the
wealthicr class OF people live the city
furnishes electric lights all night ana
every night IN the year. Farther out
they have gas lights until midnight,
about two-thirds of the nights in the
year, and still farther out they have
naptha lamps on the same plan. The
citizens are all taxed IN the same pro-
portion, but all 10 not get street lamps
in front of their houses. Under the
present system the gas and naptha
lamps are very unsatisfactory. In the
early part of the night, when the streets
are tolerably well lighted form the resi-
dences, the street lamps are going full
blast, but as soon rs the lights IN the
residences go out, the street lamps fol-
low suit, ana the belated traveller must
find his way home in lnky darkness and
IS made very nervous by thinking OF
the liability of being held up by foot
pads.
''I believe that the electric arc is the
cheapest and most efficient light in the
world, and that the city ought 10 have
a much larger number of them. This
city ought 10 have at least 800 of them
in It's streets. THIS would light the city
quite etfectually, with gas and naphtha
lamps in the longer spaces. l don't
know what viii come of TINS investlga-
ton, but we are collecting data from
cities that are operating their own
light systems, and these will give us
valuable pointers. 1T the city had
water-power there would be no ques-
ton about the matter IN my mind"
Fred 5. Clark WAS seen, and the TELE-
GRAM-HERALD asked his opinion of the
cost of generating electric light. Said
he: 81 don't know whether the city
could operate its own light system
and produce the light as cheaplv SIS il
is now getting it, or not. | rather
think not, for il generally costs more to
operate government and municipal en-
terprlses than it does private ones.
quite agree with Alderman Stein, how
ever, in the matter of longtime con-
tracts, and think that the charter
should be amended so as TO permit the
council to make, say a contract for five
years"
The cost of electric arc lighting is
carefully detailed IN recent electrical
periodical, and one that Is not run IN
the interest of any particular system.
The city of Chicago Is running a
plant, and claims to be furnishing all
night lamps at a cost of 70 cents per
lamp each night. The publication,
practical Electricity" claims that the
city. IN making its estimate, does not
allow enough for wear and tear on
machinery and buildings, or for inter-
est and insurance on the invested capi-
tai. This, it claims, would bring the
cost mp to 80 or "a cents per lamp.
1t says: "Of the "a cents, perhaps 25
per cent. is outside of what can be
Justly considered as operating expenses.
BY operating expenses is meant every
thing except rent, deprecistions on
buildings, taxes, insurance, interest and
management. Perhaps 26 or = cents
will be fair estimate of the sctusl
daily running expense per lamp. This.
by careful business management, can be
considerably reduced where the lights
are generated m any considerable num-
Der. The city of ChicagOpursuesa liberal
policy IN the management OF its lnsti-
tutions, electric light stations included.
Ii Is generous without beng lavish or
wastetul. It Is handicapped by long
running hours. necessitating two separ-
ate shifts of men, with the accompany
ing heavy expense for labor"
1--WE can repeat IN our stores and
shops that which We see being done IN
our streets. The consumer can supply
/ himself win arc lights for p cents or
less, for even as httle as - cents per
day per lamp. The lights ID a large
commercial house very near 20 where
We now are cost approximately 2l cents
per day, figuring Eve pounds Of coal
per hour per horse power, With one
horse power and pr cent. over
charged 90 esch light and paying 1916
a t0n for coal. Cartons in tHls place
cost $50 per thousand dsrshiv
more than the pfce pasd ~ tae city.
yes the most rgd economy IS r7sc-
ticed Ed burning same. uot a scrap
beng wasted. efobes costa fttIe more
than sn the case of fne city. Iaoor
costs a httIs less per ight. summary
oi use items hei1g sbogt as faloWs
3 cents psr llElt for i1si. 3 cents psr
3znt foT iaciaenfsis. tTo ceats per aaat
f6r cartons. 2 cents per gat Tor lshor
Al together naslng total 81 q csats,
81 above.
Grand Bspads = usyfnz - cents psr
=. ~-t1- 49,. = sf ~