The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-27
CITY GOVERNMENT.
omeiaI Proeeedings of Come

Savannah, Ga, Oct. %, 1s97.-Councu no.
this afternoon at 4:30 o'clock, purs5art
to the. call of the mayor. Present. h.
P. W. Meldrim, mayor, presiding; AIDE
man s. p. Hamilton. chairman OF com
Gil; Alderman W. W. Owens. vice chat
man Of council. and Aldermen Gucken-
heimer, Davis, Krouskoff, O'DonneII Pai3
Smith and Charlton
His honor the mayor stated that the leas.
with the Brush Electric Light Gonna NJ,
for city lighting would expire on Jan
1898 and he had called council togetha.
for the purpose Of considering the mat
and TO take such action as they nil,
see proper, the mayor submitting the III
lowing communication upon the subiecr.
Mayors Office, Savannah, Ca, Oct .
1S97.-Gentlernen of the Board of ADD
men-AIy attention has been called to 49,
fact that the lease made with the Br, n
Electric Light Company for city ligh lr,
will expire on Jan. l. 1898. Owing to ~
Importance of the subject, I have deel9et
IT proper to request your presence in ar
der that you might take such action a.
you may deem wise. There is but a sbor,
time before the expiration of the lease
and, therefore, it is necessary that prom,
and decided action be taken.
The appropriation for the present yea,
for street lighting IS $4,000. 1t appe7r,
that the city pays for every street le-t
the sum of 5000 per annum. In thu ~
tension of the city it will become necas.
sary from time to time to add new lights
and even now certain parts of the civ
are inadequately lighted. This problem
of street lighting is one of the most i'm
portant that you can be called upon 1,
solve, and l, therefore, commend the sub.
ject for your consideration, with the fol.
lowing information:
!. In addition to paying 5000 per an.
mum per light for street lighting the civ
pays for lighting of certain public bui6.
ings and offices, so that at present tia
total expenditure of the city for lighting
is, in round numbers, $4,000 per annum-
2. This sum will have to be increased
as additional lights are provided
3. As the lease expires on Jan. l. 1898
immediate and decisive action is neces,
sary.
T. In providing for lighting a private
corporation will have to acquire:
(a) A suitable location.
CD Appropriate buildings and appurte-
nances.
(c) The necessary machinery and fix
lures.
I'D Competent engineers, fremen and
employees.
(e) And the whole will be subject to
taxation.
. l find, upon investigation, that tbs
city has at its present water works
(a) A suitable location, so near to the
great body of the city as to make it de-
sirable.
Cb) Appropriate buildings, wherein there
is ample room for an electric plant
(c) Sufficient energy in the boilers now
at the works to feed the engines for the
electric plant.
I'D And a competent corps of engineers.
firemen and employees.
(e) Exemption of city property from
taxation.
1 have reached the conclusion that whis
a municipal corporation should not en-.
gage in competition with a private enter.
prise yet it should be free to do its own
work, if it can be done to its ADVANTAGE.
Thus, if it can furnish water to better
advantage than a private corporation or
if it can clean its streets more economi.
cally and satisfactorily than they can Be-
cleaned by private enterprise, then it
should furnish water and clean its streets
and engage in work of a similar corporate
character
1t is proper to observe that the water
works are now being lighted by electricity
generated at the works, and see no rea-
son why the city lighting should not be
done by power generated by the city nor
why the lighting of the city buildings ana
offices should not be done in the same
way.
l submit herewith to you certain specii-
cations for the necessary electric plant,
and beg to inform you that a representa-
tive of the General Electric Company, is
expected daily an this city, who will be
prepared to give you estimates on the cost
Of the machinery and insulation
My opinion is that by the adoption Of
the plan suggested this city may become
one of the best lighted cities In this coun-
try, and with a saving of many thousands
of dollars to the municipality After the
plant is gotten into working operation, it
seems to me that the cost of maintenance
will be exceedingly small
would advise the appointment of com.
mittee, say of three who should be author
lied to proceed at once to provide suitable
lighting for the city, the whole to be COM
pleted, and in active operation, by the LIST
of January, 1898. My information is that
the entire work can be completed in .
days.
| need not impress further upon you,
the vital necessity for immediate action as
you will bear in mind that the present
lease, expires on the LIST of January, 1898.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant
P W. MELDRIM,
Mayor City of Savannah.
Motion by Alderman Owens
That a special committee of three be
appointed, consisting of Alderman Davis,
Smith and O'DOnneu who shall renOrt at