The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-04-12

Chambers Trustees Tell Its Advan-
tsges-sscretaFy DodGe's Successor.
The Chamber of Commerce trustees yes
terday adopted report from tho commit
tee on sewers and city lighting, advocat-
ing the erection by the city Of its own
plant unless the contract for the next year
can DO let below certain figure. The
COMMITTEES. which 10 composed Of e. F.
Whittier. D. H. Gilman, Griffith Davies
and Samuel Ramsay, was instructed to
present the report to the city council. It
Is as follows:
Your COMMITTEES 70 whom was referred the
question OF the expediency of the city. ct this
time. Issuing bonds for the purpose of buying
An electric lighting plant. beg leave to report
that they have examined the subject to - great
extent - the limited data and time
at their disposal would permit. and their
conclusion 10 that unless the private COM
panios furnish . better service 1t lower
price than u present the city should adopt the
plan Of owning and operating it, own electric
lighting plant We dnd that during the past
six years upwards Of lbs cities In the United
States have established and operated their own
lighting plspts; that these cities have thereby
secured better service at lover cost than whore
the service has been performed By private COM
panies
In the February number OF the Re stese Of Re-
Ste,es there 10 an article on Electric street
Lighting in American Cities" In which there
appear tables Of comparative cost of municipal
and private service In IN equal number of cities
At about the zane class, using the two different
system2
These tables show that the average cost under
municipal Ownership Of . 2, 900 candle power arc
light per year 10 &5a0A II to this 10 added inter-
est on the average cost of plant and IL per cent
for depreciation, amounting to $33 90, We have .
tota n li~ht ~
The average cost per light In the cities sup
piled By private contract 10 shown to b
el0601, . saving OF about go per light
We believe that, owing to the fact that q mu-
nicipal lighting plant in this city could be run
In connection with the water works as very lit.
tic additional cost for generation. outside of
the item OF fuel, the cost in this city for arc
lights could b kept below $50 per light. includ.
ing interest on cost OF plant and depreciation.
We could get lower priced fuel than almost any
OF the cities named In the above mentioned t.
bles.
In view, however, OF the necessity Of keeping
our bonded indebtedness down to the lowest
possible limit consistent with economy ana the
public welfare, and OF the probability that in
. few years electricity generated by water
power, either In connection with the citys
gravity system or otherwise, will b cheaply
transmitted to the city, also that upon any let
tings In the future there are likely to be several
bidders, We recommend that the city advertise
for bids for lighting the streets for term OF one
year. and that il the tenders are somewhere
near the average cost OF lighting
- before referred to by private con-
tract, such bids - accepted. II, however,
the tenders are not within such reasonable
limit then We recommend that the city at once
establish its own plant and operate the same in
connection with the water works We further
recommend that bids for the future lighting tor
the ensuing year be advertised for Immediately.
90 - to give any new bidders time for wiring
and other necessary preparation before expira-
ton OF present contract or to permit city'tO in
stall its own plant prior to such expiration
The same committee presented the re-
port on the sewerage question which was
published in full in Sundays Posr-INTEL-
LIaENcER but the board added paragraph
recommending that connections to be
made hereafter with the present COM
pleted sewers should be charged for to the
abutting property owners the same AZ the
cost of . unit sewer. as recommended in
report. and the moneys resulting there
from converted into the general sewer
fund.
The proposition to run a Chamber of
Commerce special train to the Worlds
fair from Seattle to Chicago solid over the
Great Northern railway in June, vas ap-
proved. and arrangements will be made so
that parties desiring to go on this train
must make application to the chamber, so
as to make the party as select as possible.
A letter was read from a California man
wanting TO know if he could get subscrip-
tons to stock company to run q steel
plant in Seattle. which was referred to the
committee on manufactures.
The resignation of Secretary J. W.
Dodge. who is going into the hotel bust
ness was accepted. and L. Z. Thompson
was elected TO succeed him.
Troops on Way to Antlers.
PARIS Tex Anril lL-Company A