The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-04-18
CITY MAY HAVE
CHEAPER LIGHTS
Birmingham Traction Company Will En-
ter Field.
AGAINST THE CONSOLIDATED
Company Looking for Fight on Con, oil
dated This Fall.
COULD EASILY ENLARGE PLANT
Which Runs Cans-Expect to Offer Low
Enough Rates to Keep Out a
Plant Being Built BY
The City.
COULD EASILY ENLARGE PLANT

That the city of Birmingham and the cit
liens who use electric lights will have
cheaper electricity this fall seems a GER
tainty. Just who is going to furnish it re-
mains to be seen.
1t is learned from the very best authority
that the Birmingham Traction company is
having estimates made for doubling or
tripping, if necessary, the capacity of their
power plant at East Birmingham, and will
put in bid for lighting the city next Sep
TENDER, in case there is any change in the
city's present contract or if not, then in
September 1900, when the contract expires.
This contract was entered into in Septem-
Der, 1890, during Mayor Thompson's admin
istration, between the city and the Consol-
idated Electric Light company, and was to
continue for period of ten years. Ac-
cording to the contract, the company fur
nishes electric light at the rate of 50 per
month for each are light the city uses All
lights over $50 are furnished at the rate of
$3.50 each per month.
More Expensive Than Then.
Electricity was much more expensive then
than it is now, and consequently the price
is higher than electricity could be furnished
by the most modern machinery. Alderman
altman has been working on plan for
some months past whereby the city should
own an electric plant of its own, claiming
that the price the city is now paying is ex-
orbitant. He says that the interest on the
bonds which would have to be issued to
get control of an electric plant would be far
less than tho price the city is now paying.
In addition, he argues that so many of the
citizens would use this cheap electricity
that it would be a good source of revenue
for the city. Largely through the efforts
of Mr.. Altman and Alderman Kerr a bill
was gotten through the last general assem-
bly, authorizing the city of Birmingham to
issue bonds for the purpose of buying or
erecting an electric light plant.
VIII Furnish Lights Cheap.
Those who assert that the Traction COM
pany intends bidding for the city lighting
claim that the company has to operate
large plant anyhow in order to run their
cars, and that it would be a comparatively
easy matter to supply lights for the city.
Inc plant is of the most modern type, and
it is said that the company can furnish the
city with electricity cheaply that the al
dermen will not care to undertake to erect
a plant at the city's expense.
What the Consolidated Electric Light
company will do at the prospect of a COM
petitor in Birmingham remains to be seen.
This companys plant is a tremendous one.
I1,,tlE
dynamoes have for some time past been
supplying all the electricity used in the
city for lighting purposes, as we'll as all
of the current used by the Birmingham
Railway and Electric company. 1t is not
supposed that they will sit idly by and see
all of their business taken away, and for
this reason it is predicted that Brming-
ham will have cheaper lights this fall.