The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-04-02
LIGHTING THE STREETS
Power Company Ready to Carry
Out Its Franchise.
THE CITY NOT PREPARED TO DO
ITS PART.
Mayor Glendinning Signs the Council
Report Providing For the Pur-
chase of Wire and Lamps-A Pc
culiar Situation.

Mayor Glendinning yesterday signed
the councils report authorizing the in
itiatory steps to be taken in the mat
ter of purchasing wire and lamps for
the city for street lighting purposes.
The same document also contains a
notification TO the Utah Power COM
pany ordering it at once to proceed
with the erection of the poles as pro-
vided for in the franchise. The COM
pany, as foreshadowed. will obey the
order. but only under certain conditions.
and this is where a hitch i'm the city
ownership of street lights is liable TO
come in
The city is in no shape financially
TO buy street lamps and the necessary
wire required to outfit the streets for
lighting purposes. 1t will involve an
expenditure of something like 5000
and a majority of the council realize
that this can not be done, unless some
arrangement can be made for the pay
ment of the amount out of next years
receipts The only hope for the city
fathers then will be to have mOnev
advanced for such a purpose on con-
dition that the city will buy the wire
and lamps next year. This course,
in fact, seems to be the only one open
to the city and in hopes that this NAV
be brought about the Utah Power
company has not only been asked to
put I'D the poles, but also to furnish
the wire and put up the lamps, on con-
ditiOn, of course. that the city will
purchase the wire and lamps next year
when there will be something in the
treasury vaults besides muSty records
And the Utah Power company has
practically refused the city'S request
and there the matter stands. Now the
power company, under its franchise,
bound itself to put uD 400 poles as 4
consideration for its charter. the city
to have free use of the poles of course.
But there was another clause in the
franchise which provided that when the
poles have been put I'D and in shape
the city must enter into a contract
with the power company for a period of
three years to take 300 horsepower or
so much thereof as may ba necessary
TO light the city. at S25 per horse power.
This is where the company has got the
city in a box
If the CITY does not order the COM
pany TO put up the poles before July 1
next, the company is not obliged to put
them uD. Now if the CITY is unable to
raise the money to purchase the wire
and lamps then it follows they can not
order the poles put up. for if they do.
the city must at once enter upon it's
~ eoAC CACl SS 1AOlii bhS Cult
pany for street lighting
Thus the matter now stands. The
company is willing and ready to carry
out its part of the franchise to the let
ter, but the city is apparently unable
to raise the money so as to avail itself
of the conditions of the franchise.
The improvement committee of the
council discussed the matter last night
but no action was taken; in fact there
was nothing for the committee IN do
The notice to erect the poles has been
served on the power company and the
latter is ready to comply provided the
city will guarantee to enter into a con-
tract to take the necessary power for
street lighting.