The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-11-18

Il
The consumers Of light are almost unani-
| nous IN favor Of municipal ownership. Boz
| lkving a. they do that this will be the
means Of furnishing them a cheaper light
This fact was pretty clearly demonstrated
| By canvass Of the business portion Of the
city Instituted by The Post some time ago
while the proposition to submit the ques-
;ion to the people was pending, the result
Of which canvass was manifested through
the medium of interviews showing the large
preponderance of public sentiment to DO
in favor Of municipal ownership.
Alderman Street. who may be regarded
as tho father OF the municipal owner
ship proposition, deserves credit for the
. tenacity With which he chung to his pet
idea until it had finally passed the coun-
ell and his faith In the efficacy OF the plan
has not been in the least shaken as the
result OF further inquiry into the prac-
disability OF municipal ownership. On the
| contrary, he contends that the city can
purchase and operate plant and pay the
interest on the bonds, which won't exceed
| $4,000 year, for the amount II now rays
for lighting the streets, besides being able
Mt the same time to furnish light TO citi-
zens at much cheaper rate than they
are now paying. "The Investment" he
says. instead of being burden would
be source Of revenue to the city. II the
experience In other cities where municipal
ownership has been adopted can be taken
as criterion"
"As far as the increase In taxes on ac-
count OF the issuance OF 300, 900 bonds,
the interest on these bonds would be 5000
per year To distribute this tax on prop
erty assessment of over s22000,000 would
be so little that 1t would not be felt. and
the saving to the city and revenue derived
from the plant would enable us to take up
these bonds in very few years"
The following cost OF an electric light
plant was furnished Alderman Street by
the Westinghouse company and may he re-
lied upon:
60o0 sixteen candle power incandescent
lights and 500 are lights, 1000 candle power
each; steam plant.
Four 200 horse power boilers.
Two $50 horse power compound condens-
ing engines.
Two 400 horse power heaters.
Two steam pumps, piping.
BrickwoFk and boilers. engine founda-
ton, freight, drayage and clutch, pulleys
erected. betting, chimneys-<33,7 TOO
Electric apparatus, 500 light capacity OF
arc dynamos with full complement of
lamps, dynamo stanl with all station in
struments SIS ,2l0-freight tabout 34,400
poundsl at $3.50 per thousand, $43o; dray-
age and hGndling. s3i5o two 100 X. W..
a. c. 300 alienation dynamos. switch
board Instruments for two machines and
four feeders. also six type &C angle iron
frames for switchboard Instruments, $5972
freight (ahout AS 900 pounds) at si2.5o per
| thousand, 5000, drayage and handling. SIS
three 5.62 X w, 1925 volt ID. 9. generator
| switchboard instruments, sio2550; freight
I (about S700 pounds) at s,2.50 per thou
sand, $45.75; drayase and handling. $500
erection OF electrical plant, $1,000; two
hundred convertors, estimating them al
| thirty-light capacity each about $500
! freight, S2l6; for 500 are lights, forty-iivt
miles OF arc circuit forty-lve miles oil
poles at forty poles per milo delivered
aud set up. with cross arms at So each
| $40 800; for,y-hve miles OF arc circuit. No
wire, at 500 per mile, $500; labor a
| $40 per nile. including hanging, 500 arr
lamp, $3.50,
The circuit for the iruandescent light
|
circuit win cost about 500 per mile 70
wire and $500 per mile fer labor, including
hanging and conyertors.
Plant complete except buildings. hous
wiring and incandescent circuit but Wit
transformers inclnded, sS0,735,25.
House wiring. including all material an
labor. lamps and socket plain open wor
for say 1000 lights. sixteen candle rowe,
J at 81 so each. 5000. This cost OF house wiz
Ing is not properly chargeable to the cos
OF plant, az It must be borne by each In
dividual consumer.
Il In making an estimate OF this plant o
| a basis OF contractors figures, It will b
we'll to add ~ per cent for incidents an
10 to l2ia per cent for profit.
The plant costing as estimated abou
i, | $50, 735. %, 1t is calculated that buildin
suitable for the purpose could be con
strneted with what would remain OF tn
500 900 after paying for the plant.
The annual operating expense OF sue
plant MS is described in the above esti
mate would be as follows: