St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-01-21


from day to day. The council can
of them at any and all times as they
please. and pay only for those used.
The absurdity of the mayors propo-
sition, however. is in the number of arc
lights with which he proposes to light
the city. | am charitable enough to
attribute this to ignorance and not
malice. lie might have gone step
farther, and said that by using but 200
lights an additional saving could be
made of $4,000 year, or capped the
climax by asserting that by abolishing
all public lamps even this amount could
be saved. 1t would be just as sensible
as saying he can. won't say properly
light. but simply light. the city with 400
arc lights.
think comparison with the city OF
Minneapolis will give the whole thing
in nutshell. and is so convincing that
the dullest mind can see that either his
honor is very obtuSe in comprehension,
or has not given this subject the atten-
ton he should have done before asSum-
ins 10 instruct the council in making
iLlS WIN VI CllOi SAVING
to the city. II e has found o mayors
nest" indeed. l trust it may not, in
the future, prove to be hornets nest.
L am officially informed by the city
clerk of Minneapolis that outside of the
district covered by gasoline lights in
that city there are 4,035 gas lights, or
nearly 1000 more than in the whole city
of st. Paul. In addition to this number
of gas lamps there are $50 two thou
sand candle power arc lights, or 2S0
more arc lights. and 4,035 more gas
lights than the mayor proposes to light
the city of st. Paul with. This is so alb
surd as to be laughabe, were it not that
it takes time, and a great deal of t,from
my legitimate business to refute these
foolish and malicious statements. Be
sides, they affect our credit, involve us
in expense, and place us i'll false light
before the public. As matter of fact,
the company has never received Sl05.0j0
fot street lighting by gas, as asserted by
the mayor. We have rarely ever been
paid according to the terms of our con-
tract, and the amount received for gas
is much under Sl05, 100 for street light
ing.
1t is desirable that the public should
know that. labor and material consii
cred, the cost of lighting ST. Paul is as
low as in any city OF the United States
of similar size. l do not claim that it
is we'll lighted. do claim it is we'll
lighted for the money it costs. If the
city will authorize more lamp posts or
ny 10 my liuht if hnttnr
Lest the public get the impression that
the gas company is imposing upon it,
and that its bills are constantly increaS-
ing, let me state that the city is paying
today for 12l less lamp posts than Two
years ago, and seventeen less arc lights
than four years ago. That is to say, the
number of each has been decreased to
| the above extent. Furthermore, the
gas company has never solicited any
lights from the city; it has simply fur
nished what the council has seen fit to
order it to do.
There are Two serious objections to
electric lighting for cities: First, the
cost, which is fully so per cent more than
gas. am not prejudiced, as we are
fully equipped for lighting the whole
city with electricity. and are ready to do
| it at any time. But it is more eXpen-
sive, unless it is generated by very cheap
water power. Second, the unsightli-
ness of the poles, wires and arc lamps
in the residence part of the city is a
serious objection. 1t would be found
| that on Summit, Portland. Holly and
other beautiful residence streets the op.
position would be very strong to the dis
tigurement which lamps, poles, ETC..
ould produce. Summit avenue is
| already exempted by resolution now
pending in the council giving US
pole rights OIL the streets for
supplying the hill with incandes-
| cent lights, and l am informed
| that residents of other streets will also
ask for the same exemption. Ii this be
true of small poles and wires, what an
cutlery will be raised when large ones
| with iron arms and cables and arc lights
are to be used. We claim that a lamp
| post with a boulevard globe is all orna-
ment. particularly at night, when
| lighted. and the long rows meet in per-
spectiye. 1t is safe to say that 90 per
cent of the residents of Summit avenue
would Immediately protest against the
use of these appliances Oh that beautiful
| street, as would the residents of other
| streets. AS to the cost of lighting our
| city | will compare with Minneapolis,
since the conditions are the same as
| interest OIL deferred payments, not
| knowing the terms of their
contract in that regard. All city build
ings there are chargedS1.60 per thousand
| cubic feet for gas. as against S1.50
charge in ST. Paul. We have 800 lamp
| posts, costing this city S29.52 per year
each, total of s9l, 512, plus interest on
| cost Of posts and connections, say S., 900,
would make SOC, 512: to this add one-half
the cost of lighting and turning out the
| lamps, which amounts to 81, ITO, making
the total cost to the city for gas lamps
| per year S1O3,622 to which must be
added the cost of twenty-five arc lamps
of 2,000-candle power each, and which
| is the total number of electric lights
paid for by the city for street lighting,
at S127.75 each, which is the present
price, amounts to 50. 1875, so that the
total paid by st. Paul per year for street
lighting. including both gas and cleo
tricity, is slOG,S15.75.
In Minneapolis they have 4.035 public
gas lamps. which are lighted under what
| Is huOWH DIS VIC VI
light schedule. This schedule calls for
about 1900 hours lighting per year. In
st. Paul we light every night in the
year, or something over 1000 hours.
Minneapolis pays S15.63 per lamp per
year for 2,246 hours lighting. If her
lamps were lighted every night it would
cost about sos per year per post: 4.035
lamps at S2S each would be Sl12.9S0; to
this amount add the cost Of $50 arc
lights at the contract price of $3.50 per
year for all-night lighting, which is
SlO3,359, making the total cost of gas
and electricity for lighting the streets OF
Minneapolis the same number of hours