Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-03-05
MI1FoRp oN TIE moYE.
A Town Meeting Approves tho Project to
Bond the Town for $4,000 for Public
IInnroyen1ants.

Town Meeting Approves the Project to
Bond the Town for 100000 for Public
improvements.
Special Correspondence OF Gazette and journal
MILFORD, Feb. 25.-Nearly 100 citizens
assembled in Dorsey's Hall, last evening
laws and constitution appointed at q recent
meeting for the organization of a board of
trade and the committee appointed at
previous meeting to investigate the cost of
the erection of an electric light plant.
DIR. George w. Marshall was made chair
man and George T. Minors secretary. The
bylaws and constitution were presented
by William 8. Humes, a. member of the
committee. They were drawn up in the
regular order and were adopted by the
meeting A committee consisting Of w.
I. Watson, G. P. Minors and w, A.
Humes was appointed to solicit the names
of the citizens and enroll them as members.
This committee will meet this evening in
the parlors of the Dorsey House and or
gani2e permanently.
The report of the committee on the in
vestigation of the propable cost of an
electric light plant was read by Theodore
Townsend, who as a member of the COM
mittee made the investigation. Mr.. Town
send said in his report that in looking up
the cost of plant he had not sought in
formation from the Edison company, as
they were interested in the present plant
located here, but had visited the Thomp-
son Houston Electric Light Company of
Philadelphia. According to the figures
given him by the company they would
erect plant of about q times the capacity
of the present one for the sum of $40, ,026. 25.
The plant now in use is good one but it
is strained by over-taxing its capacity,
which prevents it from giving the STAN
dard candle power. A boiler and engine,
Mr.. Townsend said, could be secured for
"a, 400, that would be one 1870 horse power
engine and two 80 horse power boilers or
two 70 horse power engines at 1896 more
than the cost of the one engine. The above
figures are the cost delivered at the Mil
ford depot. The company also offered
their terms for putting the engine and
boilers in position.
DIR. q. W. Marshall gave few figures as
the probable expense and revenues during
the year should the town be bonded for
$4,000 He thought the bonds could be
floated at 4 per cent and based the interest
at that rate He estimated the expenses at
81, 300 and the revenues at $1,000, or a sur
plus of $1,000, which would be placed in
the sinking fund. This estimate does not
include the rents to be derived from the
town for fire protection. Then at this rate
of calculation 81 800 would have to be
raised by taxation, which at the present
rate would increase the taxes to 40 cents on
the 800 instead of ~ cents as is now paid
and the rate of insurance will be de-
creased sufficiently to overcome this in
crease as it is now enormous. Mr.. w. r..
Cullen stated that he tried 26 companies
last year and all wanted not less than
per cent. The rate in mutual companies
would not be decreased, however, only
in foreign companies
The most important question now before
you, said DR.. Marshall, is, are You in favor
Of bonding the town for $40,000 and own
her own plants or will you submit it to
the control of a private corporation, the
latter, he said, using the language of a
gentleman who owns stock in the plant at
Salisbury would be suicdal." if the town
can own her own plant do so by all means.
Mr.. $. John Abbott joined in the discus
sion, which had become general, and said
that while he was in Salisbury on Monday
Investigating the cost of an ice plant, he
had an interview with DIR. Bell who is
also civil engineer, and lie said "that an
estimate had been made by n private COM
pnny to put in a water work plant for
$4,000, but he did not think it would cost
that amount and undertook the job him
self and it only cost So, 900, a saving of
about $4,000 for the stockholders, and he
said if Milford was in need of the same
never let private company put it in"
Several other gentlemen made estimates
on the cost and offered figures, but it was
almost a repetition of what had been said.
Dr. Pratt, however, said in his statement
that some Of the gentlemen who were OPP
posing the bonding of the town were
standing ready to take stock should
private company put them in, and it
looked to him like IA Niger in the wood
pile"
Mr. Theodore Townsend made motion
to the effect that it was the sense of the
meeting to favor the bonding of the town
for $4,000 which was seconded and easily
carried.
DIR. Marshal, as president of the town
council stated that they had decided to
rescind the special election to have been
held tomorrow, as the bill has not passed
the Legislature II was introduced by Mr.
Richards of Milford hundred, yesterday,
and will! probably be put through as soon
as possible.