The Portland daily press., 1896-09-10
CITY GOVERNMENT.
A Special Meeting of Both Branches
Held Last Evening.

SAAesSO A1ano oh lilo LdetcTA SlOPo IA elo
Eastern Promenade-The Population
of Portland-other Business Trans
acted.
special Meeting of thes city govern
menu was called last evening to listen to
the proposition submitted by Mr.. Jesse
Peterson of Lookpert, N. T., to light the
city and the communication was referred
to the committee on lights. The order
land to add to Deering park
passed the upper board but failed to Sc
cure passage in the lower board.
An order purchasing land on the
eastern slope of the Eastern promenade
passed both branches.
Other business of minor Importance
was transacted,
In Board of Mayor and Aldermen.
g Aldermen Howell and Mcdonald were
absent. Mayor Baxter presided. Alder
man Pagan presented the following COM
munioation to the board of aldermen.
Portland, Maine Sept. 4, 1896.
Hon. James p. Baxter, Mayor.
Dear Sir.-I have deferred submitting
any proposition looking TO the furnishing
of electricity for street lighting and other
purposes, until could obtain exact in
formation as to the cost of the erection
of the necessary plant for generating the
power at North Gorham, and also other
details bearing upon the cost OF the
maintenance Of transmission line, lamps,
etc. l am met with special difficulty
growing out of the fact that a.recent law
of your State attempts to confer monopo-
hstic privileges upon any electric COM
pany already occupying any definite ter
or extent of such occupation, and there
BY attempts to shut out competition In
this line; but assuming that this diff
Guilty can be removed on appeal to the
legislature, and understanding that in
any evont the city has the right to main
tain a system Of street lighting of its
own without reference to the law. am
prepared to submit TO you the following
proposition, looking to distribution OF
the current by the city itself; but |
would add that in case we are permitted
TO maintain q system of our own within
the city limits, / will later submit an in
dependent proposition for furnishing and
maintaining a complete system of street
lighting.
My present proposition is as follows:
To furnish all the necessary electric cur
lights required for city use, said electric
current to be delivered at or near the city
lin e, the oity to take the same at that
point and convey it on Its own poles and
wires to such points as 1T may desire, the
electric company being allowed, when
authorized, to run wires on the same
poles for conveying electricity for house
| lighting and other commercial purposes.
| The schedule of prices herewith submit
ted il based upon the following con-
ditions,
/. That all street lights may be KEPT
burning all night and every night dur
ing the year.
2. That the electric current will BIZ
furnished to the city ut such pressure al
it may desire.
8. That if this proposition Is accepted
contract will be made between the city
and the electric company for period Of
not less than ten years. This condition
seems advisabl in the interest Of both
the city and the electric company as the
city would naturally desire, before in.
vestinR In lamps and wires for distribu
of electricity tor operating these lamp
could be had at reasonable price for
definite period; and it is important TO
| the electric company before establishin,
| its plant, to know that definite demand
will exist for its current.
Ina. That the city will contract for no
less than four hundred 1900 candle
number of inoandescent lamps. tnkinI
five 80 candle power incandes
cent lapps es the equivalent of one 12o
candle power arc lamp, and proportion
ate ratio for other sizes of inoandescenl
lamps
s. That payment shall be made fo
current furnished in equal monthly pay
ments.
SCHEDULE OF PRICES.
Each 1900 @. p. arc light per an
| mum, S5l. u
Each so c. p. inoandescent light
| per Rnnum, l4.5
Each SO Q. D. incandescent light
per annum, %
Each 16 Q. p. inoandescent light
per annum. Al
For your information would say tina
arc lam psFof the most modern style an
best manufacture of 1900 candle powe
can be furnished for not more than 81
each, including hanging boards;
candle power incandescent lamps of tn
best manufacture for not more than
cents each ;32 candle power inoaudescent
for 80 cents each: and 16 candle powe
atH1S cent each The cost of maintenance
of arc lights including carbons, linemeI
l
would not exceed 50 per month. or ~
Der year; and the like maintenance of IL
oandescents from $3.50 to so cents, d.
pendent on size of lamps. These est
mates are based on figures furnished b
the General Electric company and 9th,
experts, and oans.easily be verified.
4 / submit herewith prices paid by 9th.
cities Ia Maine for electric street lighting
as a basis of comparison with my propt
sition, and furnished me by the clerks
the respective cities:
Auburn-arc, burning all
night, $ou per !igl
! Gardiner-arc 1000 Q. p., $75 per ligl
Rumf0ld Falls-arc, l,200
| G. p, 4oo per Hgl
name, but for the benefit Of a compar
| to be organized which will utilize II
North Gorham privilege. am prepare
to say that the plant will be erected al
the current delivered at the city limit
without delay after the necessary RICH
can be obtained.
Very truly yours,
JESSE PETERSON.
The communication was referred to tt
committee on lights.