The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1895-10-18
THE CITY LIGHTING PLANT.

The matter of securing an electric
light plant is proving considerable
more of a job than the city council
seems to have bargained for, and Sat-
urday night the members Thereon
wisely concluded to go somewhat slow
in the matter and carefully consider
the various points in the case before
closing a deal, and their action will
meet the general approval of the pub
lie.
The fact is an independent plant is
costing considerably more money than
the advocates thereof figured on, just
as the FREE PRESS at the time said it
would, and gave figures to prove. Inc
excuse now given is that the price or
all material has advanced and so ad-
ded greatly to the cost. This does
very well to help them out OF a hard
place, but does not change the sltua-
ton materially. The fact is the in
crease in the price of material does
not account in the total difference be-
tween the claims at the time OF the
bond election and the result of the
bids. Again the plant bio on is not
what the people were led to be-
lieve would be obtained for the
amount of the bond issue or the
trife more it was said a plant
would cost. Then the talk
was Of an one hundred arc
lamp plant. Now the number has
sunk to sixty and incandescent are
used to help out. This may do as
well. the FREE PRESS does not say it
will not but it makes different plant
than was talked about at that time,
and costs less money. OF course if it
answers the purpose just as we'll, all
right, the FREE PRESS simply desires
to call public attention to the fact
and remind it that the difference in
price is not all due to the increase in
price of material.
Besides this anyone who was at all
Conversant with the affairs during the
early part of the summer knew that
the low prices at that time were
merely temporary, and al persons
contemplating building, etc, were
warned on all sides that prices would
soon advance, so that any one who
ave the matter any consideration at
all, knew that contracts closed this
fall must be closed at considerable
higher rate, than at that time.
The question of where the extra
funds are coming from is serious
one. The city will not have them in
it's treasury, for after meeting all its
present obligations and for the inter
est fund for which no levy was made,
it will not have sufficient funds to
carry 1T any where near through to
the end of the fiscal year. So, if the
funds are obtained it must be by
plunging the city still further into
debt, for which the council has no
authority.
Another matter which deserves the
special attention of the council is the
offer of the local electric light COM
pany to sell the city the use of it's
pole system, and it's lamps. The offer
is eminently fair one and it's accept
ance would help considerably in reduc-
ing the final cost of a plant. Then
the twOplants could'be just as we'll &C
commodated from one set of poles as
two, and the cluttering up of the
streets would be done away with to
that extent, which is one of the i'm
portant factors to be considered. The
company has given the city practical
iy its own way say as to how to arrive
at fair return for the same, and it's
proposition is entitled to the consider
ate treatment which we believe the
council will give it.
On the whole it might be just as
well for the council to delay closing
the contract for plant until the
bond deal is closed and it is sure of a
portion Of the money, at least, to pay
for the same.