The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1895-06-14
MR.. STEWART TALKS.
OUTLINES THE PROPOSED ELEC'
TRIO POWER DEAL.
He Would Organize Company to
Furnish Lighting, Heating and
Power From One Plant Citizens to
Take One Third or Half the Capital
Stock.

Stock.
Mr.. w. n. Stewart, of Minneapolis,
who represents the Siemens & Halske
Electric company, of America, was
seen at The Saulpaugh Saturday
by FREE PRESS reporter, and con-
sented to make statement of what
he desires to bring about. His state
ment was substantially as follows:
"We desire the citizens of Mankato
to take one-third or one-half of the
capital stock, and we will furnish the
balance by floating six per cent. bonds
in Europe. While we will retain the
controlling interest, there will be a
sliding scale of rates which will secure
the municipality from unjust charges.
We will ask for a longtime exclusive
franchise, as we would not want to
place ourselves in position to be af-
fected by the whims Of any alderman
who in the future might want to put
his peculiar views into effect,
sit would require capital of $780,
600 to 100000 to carry the plan
through, and all the conflicting in
terests must be harmonized, for if
everybody is going to pull in different
directions we will have nothing to do
with it. We would be willing to take
the property of the Mankato Gas and
Electric Light company and the Street
Railway company at fair valuation
and give stock in the new company in
return. OF course, these plants would
be utterly useless and would have to
be torn out and sold for what we could
get, which would be but small per-
centage on the original cost.
'"The principle upon which we act
is that a very large consumption of
power will pay far more at low rates
than a limited use at high prices, and
we would endeavor to put the prices
within the reach of everybody. 1t
takes no more help to run large
plant than small one. We would
furnish incandescent lights at an
average, probably, of 30cents month
each for sixteen candle power, which
would equal 80 to 70 cents per 1000
feet for gas. We would start in
lighting the city at $40 per year per
1000 candle power arc light, and $40
per 1900 candle power arc light. We
would furnish hot water heating any
where within radius of mile for
from $40 to S75 per year per house.
Everything would be sold by measure.
The rate for heating would be half
cent per cubic foot of the space to be
heated, per year. We would put
meter in every house and store where
light or power was used, and the
man who used little would not pay
as much as the man who used much.
SIN regard to the street car line, we
would put in about four miles of line,
making circuit covering the most
important parts of the city, and using
la single track. An electric street
car line would not pay, but with band
concerts at the park two or three
times week, we could work up quite
trade.
eff we secure the franchises, and
everything goes smoothly, we will be
able to commence work at once and
have everything in working order by
October. / shall remain in the city
until Tuesday or Wednesday, and if
everything is all right l will return
and stay three or four weeks to get
things started / will meet the direc-
tors of the street car company and
the electric light company Monday or
Tuesday.
''If the city puts in it's own plant
for city lighting nothing will be done.
This city would make mistake to do
that. In most cases of this kind
there is Doodle somewhere, while a
municipal plant cannot be conduct
ed as cheaply as private plant. 1
can demonstrate this to the satisfac-
tion of anybody, and will refer to any
city in the country. If our proposed
company lights the city, we would
have provision that every year that
the company makes ten per cent. the
rates should be reduced five per cent.
We ought to make that much every
year. would have the company
popular one, with stock owned by
number of citizens. Our company
would only furnish the dynamo, and
the lowest bidder will supply the
rest"
Hon. Jno f, Meagher was seen by
the FREE PRESS reporter, and stated
that nothing that Mr.. Stewart pro-
poses was not contemplated by the
present company last winter, includ-
ing power, heating and lighting. "We
did not say anything about it at the
time," said he, 'as we were not ready