The Portland daily press., 1896-10-23
Wy ICuIy yUuTb,
WILFORD 6. CHAPMAN,
City Solicitor.
PURCHASE OF LIGHT.

- -NOAA&AoAa w i4AoAA
For the purchase of light many favor
able things may be said. Yet, to pur-
chase light at prices now charged is. in
the Judgment of this committee, greatly
to the disadvantage Of the city's inter-
ests AT the present time under con-
tract made with the Consolidated Electric
Light Company of Maine for the term of
one year, the city pays S33, 10000 for $50
arc lights of 1900 O. p. (nominal) 40 series
| lnoandescent of 65 G. p. nominal, and
1l5 series inoandescent of 80 G. p. (noml-
nab. Lights are run from dusk to day.
light. For every additional arc light
OF same candle power the city must pay
$l25. 90 each per year. For 65 O. D. inoan-
descent lights, $4,000 each per year; for
| 80 @. .. inoandescent, $4,000 each per
year. This CONTRACT covers street light
ing only. The lights in City Building
| are under distinct contract. At the
present. time there are 2s arc lights for
which the city is paying $l25.00 each.
30-65 G. p. at $4,000, and $3.50 Q. .. at
$50. 90 each, making in addition to the
contract price of $33, 000. 90, the sum OF
5000. 90 per year.
| For the year ending March 81, 1896, rthe
total expenditure for lighting was $40, :.
042 So OF this amount $40, 3S1. "a was
paid for lighting the streets of the city
| (not including the Islands), S4415. 90 was
paid for lighting the oity building
S479. So for lighting the police station and
stable; $3.50. "a for lighting fire stations,
| 1892. 20 for armories $43S.01 for schools ;
1915, 90 for parks; S91. 90 for city stables
anoe OF $S02S. 40 for Lighting Peaks,
Long and Diamond Islands. etc.
The contract calls for $50 arcs. This
is the same number called for in the con-
| tracts with the Consolidated Electric Light
Company for the past four years, notwith-
standing that arcs had been added each
| year. When the yearly contracts were en-
tered into the increased and actual mum
Der of arc or incandescent lights were not
included in the contract, but the number
named in the contract of the previous
| year was inserted, consequently the aver
age paid for the past year was nearly
Sl2O. 90 per light per year. The prices
paid for arc and incandesoent lighting in
the city of Portland is much greater, in
the opinion of the committee, than is
paid by most cities whose reports have
been received and whose conditions are
similar. The similarity is in most cases
| in length Of time of lighting per night,
only, but the number OF hours OF lighting
varies greatly in various cities partly on
account of difference in latitude an partly
ON account of the schedule upon which
they are run, tor although the contracts
may state that they light from dark to
daylight" dusk to dawn" or ''all
night the exact humble of hours are not
given In most reports received. The
difference Of fifteen minutes in the start.
| ing or stopping of the current amounts in
| a year to a number of hours worthy of
| consideration. For this reason the com
mittBe has not attempted to give the COM
parative prices of one candle power per
yearln each city in the schedule which
| follows. but has grouped all cities SO
| lighting under the head of all night light
| ing and has given the yearly price with
out stating the number of hours In
conaidering the prices charged by the
different cities the cost OF GOAL plays an
| important part and should be taken Into
| consideration. In few cities Is coal so
/ high as in Portland. The price of coal
\ in sheds in Portland is So. IS per ton.
All of the cities whose reports have been
received have not given in the reports the
| prices paid for coal. but the following
cities have reported: Portsmouth, n. H.,
49, rs; Salem, Mass. $3.50; Utica, N. Y,
| $40; Stamford, Conn, 49, S. Troy, n.
| Y, 81. 20; Kingston, N Y, So. %; Law
renee Mass, SIS. GO; Newark, N. j., 81. 70;
Minneapolis, Mimi. IS. so; Oshkosh, Wis.
So so; Syracuse, N. Y, SO. so; Omaha,
Neb., S2.75; Terra Haute, Ind. S1.OO;
| Cincinnati, O., ST. 90; Atchison, Kansas,
81. So; Columbus, o., SLIGO; Bay City,
Mich, 1.90; Bloomington, ILL.,. Sl75
| Detroit, Mich, So. IL.
SCHEDULE.
| The following cities light all night and
| every night in year:
Candle Relative Price
| Name. Price. Power. for 1900 C. P.