The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-09-04
PLANT FOR LIGHTING
ASSEMBLY, ALBRECHTS PLAN
FOR ST. PAUL is TO DO IT'S
OWN WORK.
THINKS MONEY CAN BE SAVED.
PRESENT TO THE COMMITTEE
ON GAS.
THINKS MONEY CAN BE sAVEI
ESTIMATED COST OF THE PLANT.
He Thinks if the Water Works Can
BE Handled Successfully the
Lighting Also Can.


works in relation to the proposed
lighting of the streets of the city with
electric lights has been referred to the
committee on gas from the assembly.
Assemblyman Albrecht, who is men,
Der of this committee, has been Civ
ing the question Of street lighting a
deal of attention during the past few
months and has interested himself in
the proposition to have the city own
and operate a lighting plant of its own.
Seen yesterday by reporter for the
G o b e, Mr.. Albrecht said:
1.-THE situation is just this: The city
has now 120 arc lights, including those
in the park. 1t pays $69.50 per year for
each one. These are furnished by the
gas company and the small price
charged is due doubtless to the COM
pensation for the lighting of the
streets, which came up when the con-
tract was made. Prior to this last
contract the city was paying $120 per
arc light and Minneapolis is now pay
ing $40 for what we now get for $50. so.
The gas company has always claimed
1t lost money under the contract, and
the city will never get as low a bid
again, unless there is competition for
the work. The present report of the
board of public works, which was sent
to the assembly Thursday night, pro-
vides for an increase in the number of
electric street lights to 365. This would
affect a saving to the city at the
present low price of about $1,000 The
report as submitted provides for an
alternative proposition either to let
the contract in one or divide the city
into sections and advertise for bids for
each section, thereby giving various
companies who operate small plants Il
chance to compete. This proposed
plan has been referred to the commit
tee on gas from the assembly. who win
invite the committee on gas from the
board Of aldermen to sit with them in
considering the matte~.
W. ;ne matter is taken up I in
tend to submit a plan by which the
city is to do it's own lighting WITH
TINS plan will be submitted figures and
statistics showing that the city could
with an economical administration of
a plant. do its own lighting at aboJt
the same low figure it is now paving
10 the gas company. This will he
zone in view of the fact that possible
the bids received for doing the work.
next year will be so high that the best
interests OF the city will be subserved
10y taxing the matter of lighting the
streets and public buildings in its owl
hands," AZ 10 o"H
Numerous letters, Mr.. Albrecbt SAID
had been received by him in the Ia ST
two months from various 6Iecs
trlcal concerns volunteering to furnish
any information bearing on the mai
ter. Such a public plant as indicated
might be paid for in the first instancc
by an issue of bonds and a sinking
fund created out of the tax levy witt,
Wnlcn to pay for the same. This
schetne would nave the advantage of
making the yearly payments for the
plant so small that the rate of taxa
ton would probably not be increased
more than or 10 cents on each 81 O0O
assessed valuation. There was moth
ing in the law, Mr.. Albrecht said to
prevent this plan being adopted. and
II was simply a question whether the
public would favor it. In his estima-
ton a plant with a capacity of 400
hghts could be provided complete for
operation for 100000 in round figures.
The general sentiment wherever the
experiment of public lighting had been
tried under municipal ownership is IN
FAVOR OF that method, and the results
generally indicate that a material saw
Ing can be effected thereby. There
was no reason, he thought, why a
Eup!lc planC owned by the city of St
Paul' could not be administered as eco
nomlcally as the city water works are
now operated. Such a public plant
might be put under the control of tine
board of public works without anv
chanSe In the present city charter or
unueF the supervision of a board Gre
ated under any new charter that
might be adopted. The character of
the service necessary to operate an
electflc plant would be of an exnert
nature, and, consequently, he thought
the objection that appointments to
such service might pe made purely
from political consideration loses ali
force. There are some objections to
public lighting by plants owned and
operated by municipalities from GER
tain quarters, but Mr. Albrecht thinks
that an investigation of the particular
instance will indicate that gross mis-
management and political jobbery are
responsible for the failure. The pres
ent efficient and economical manage
ment of the city water works and sys-
tenn is convincing proof of the fact
that the municipal management Of a
lighting plant could be handled in an
equally acceptable manner.
The arguments in opposition to the
municipal ownership of public light
ing plants. the Third ward assembly
man said, were well met by Prof. Ed
ward w. Benlis in G recent arr cle
in the New York IND pes1ent in