The Portland daily press., 1898-02-08

To reconsider, Aldermen Ilsley, Kehoe
and Rounds; not to reconsider, "A lderIuen
Moore, Fagan. Mcdonald and leighton.
Alderman Kehoe-"You have slapped
the face of every old soldier in the State
of Maine by this vote"
IN COMMON COUNCIL.
All of the counoilmen were present
with the exception OF Councilmen York
and Woodbury..
President Virgin was in the chair.
When the original order, authorizing
the overseers of the poor to go ahead and
test the law regarding the keeping of old
soldiers in the almshouse came up for
discussion, it provoked lively debate.
There were many frey speeches made
by nearly all the councilmen, and finally,
after long discussion, motion was
made to lay on the table and this was
carried by a vote of is to /, Councilman
May berry alone voting against.
Other orders and bills which came to
the lower board were given q passage in
concurrence, excepting the order for the
sewer on Avon street, which was laid
on the table.
LIGHT COMMITTEES REPORT.
Alderman Pagan presented the follow
ing report of the committee on lights
which was read and placed on file.
The report first mentioned the matter
OF lighting City hail. The expense of
lighting has been for several years at the
rate of S13 per night, even though the
hall was lighted but for a single hour.
The hirer of the hall paid this amount to
the city treasurer who in turn paid it to
the Electric Light company. There was
no discount to the CITY. When the oity
used the hall the same rate was charged
and paid. This system WAS unsatisfactory
to the hirers of the hall as we'll as to the
committee, and is now remedied by putt
ting City hall light on meter and paying
for the number of Watts consumed. The
charge for other lighting in the building
has been regulated by meter rate with
the exception of the three arcs (1200 C. p.)
which cost 800 each per year. as shown by
the last report OF this COMMITTEES. Last
year the city, through the committee, re-
ceived great reduction for meter rates in
all public city buildings, viz, from l5 1-2
cents to 10 cents per thousand Watts.
The cost OF lighting the city building
for the year ending March 81, 1894, was
81, ,921 so, and is made up as follows, viz:
For lighting City hall, corridors and all
station) $3,299. II; police station, 1922. II.
For the year ending March 81, 1895, as
above, $s, s9s 95; sa,4l7. 50 for City hall
and corridors, ETC., $48l. 81 for police
st alton.
For the year ending March 81, 1896, $4,-
895. .22; City hall and corridors, etc., 81
AIS 26 police station, S479. 96.
For year ending March 81, 1897, 81, O77.2l
City hall, etc., So, 564, % police station,
S51269
For nine months ending January /,
1898, So, ,52S. %, City hall, ETC., 50, 109.75,
police station S41S50. The approximate
cost for lights for January, February and
March will be 81 ,O81.72, making total
for year ending March 3lst, 1898, OF SS,
191.47.
The committee first considered the use
of engines having as motive power gaso-
lene, gas and steam to generate electricity
the lighting apparatus to be placed in the
baseme MT of City building.
BY the use of gasolene engines the ex-
pense would be probably not over one
fhird of the present cost. but as the use
of easolene seems to cause apprehension
of danger to life and property by reason
of it's careless use, the committee has not
given to this form of power, the consider
alton it rightfully deserves
The cost of maintaining steam plant
was shown to be as great If not greater,
than the present cost, SO was considered
but little.
The establishing of lighting plant
operated by gas impresses the committee
very avorably. The committee received
COMMUNICATIONS FROM and met many
representatives of gas engines and cleo
trioal companies and heard and read
their various claim of superiority. While
ccnnsidering the claims of superiority of
onaines and dynamos of the many makers
tbe committee met with Mr.. e. a. Yorke,
Continued on Fourth Page.