Brookings register. (Brookings, S.D.) 1890-1894, 1893-03-31
Municipal Lighting Plants.
EDITORS REGISTER

The subject of street lighting for
the city of BrOokings is brought on the
tapis by communication i'm your is
sue Of last week and as one interested
| have the following to offer for the
consideration OF the city council. and
the general public.
The question of good lights is one
that has bothered our citizens for some
time past and the price we have been
paying has been one of the main
causes of dissenslOn.
When the Electric Light company
first established the plant their con-
tract with the city called for poles
thirty feet high from which the lights
were TO be suspended. The poles have
never been the required height and
this has been one principal cause of
dissatisfaction.
Again, the price per month paid for
these lights. The price has never
been exorbitant and has been rather
cheap when considered with the price
in other towns where the lights are
furnished by private concern. But
when we come to compare the cost
with that of cities that own their plant
and furnish light both for municipal
purposes and private use, the cost is
far greater.
The furnishing of water and gas has
been municipal duty for many years
in our larger cities and many of the
smaller ones are now supplying water
to the residents. And. as it is the
cheapest way 10 get water in cities. SO
| believe that the cheapest way to get
light in cities is by the same plan, to-
wit: Municipal control or ownership.
The cities throughout the United
States who own their plants can sup
ply light at almost One-tenth of the
cost compared with cities who hire it
done. Several of the smaller cities of
Michigan are live examples of the
cheapncss of electric lighting and have
found it good business venture.
In 1891 Bay City, Michigan was
operating plant with l65 arc lamps
at an annual cost of Sal per lamp or
at a monthly cost of $3.42 per light.
Last December the city Of Lansing
the capital of the same state, pur-
chased the light plant of the private
corporation then owning it, at cost
of $4,000, they then expended the fur
ther sum Of $4,000 in extending the
plant and in one month after taking
control, the city council lowered the
price on lights supplied to the citizens
10 per cent.
The city of Coldwater, Mich, pur-
chased its electric plant in 1891 for
$26, 1896. 1t has 20 street arc lights,
Al commercial arc lights, 2,3OO incOn-
decent lamps and SO miles of wire.
The street lamps formerly cost $3.50
per month and are now being furnished
for the sum of 1886 per month.
The city Of Ypsilanti is the best
lighted city in the western part of
these United States and the city owns
the plant and runs it at a cost of $3.OS
per month for each lamp. The eX-
cessive cheapness Of the last mentioned
case is owing to their splendid water
power
OF course this city could not be
lighted or lights furnished for COM
mercial purposes at such a low figure
as those stated: but there is no doubt
that the cost of lighting our streets
would never exceed $500 per lamp per
month if the city owned the plant.
Then again if the city owned the plant
1t could supply light to citizens at the
cost Of running this department.
And, as suggested by Taxpayer" in
last weeks REGISTER, the demand
would be greater and, as the number
of lights furnished increases, the cost
per light will proportonately decrease.
If reliable lights can be furnished at
nominal cost, the demand will far eX-
ceed the expectations of anyone not
posted on electric lighting.
The superiority of electricity over
oil and gas is everywhere admitted.
If the cost is not too great everyone
will gladly dispense with filling lamps,
cleaning chimneys and other dirty
chores connected Herewith. They
will welcome with delight the clean,
brilliant and never smoky electric