The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-01-03


financial backing for ths new company
he world be In favor Of IT. but not before
The order to empower the committee ON
lights to make this contract was then put
to vote. II was lost BY rising vote Of
8 toe.
Mr.. waldron Immediately moved an i'd
journment
This m otion was lost.
MIR. Goudy then arose and presented an
order authorisiug the committee on lights
to make q contract with the Con soldiated
company at the same prices specified In
the order Just defeated providing the
board of aldermen would pass an order
giving the Portland Electric Light COM
pany pole and conduit rights in the streets
OF Portland.
Before the order was put to vote Mr..
Philips arose to point Of order.
He SAID that all of the oouncilmen had
not voted on the previous order rs they
are required to do by the rules. He asked
II all he members shoula not be required
to vote.
Ths president at once ruled that all
should vote on this matter.
The previous question on the passage of
the original order empowering the light
committee to make contract was then
called. There were nineteen members OF
the council present and all were forced to
vote.
A rising vote was taken. The clerk
counted sight FOR the passage aud eight
against the passage. The president cast
his vote with the yeas and the order had
passage.
Mr.. Cloudy was now forced to withdraw
his order on the same subject.
He substituted for II u petition from
the new electric light company by which
1t agreed to furnish lights to the city for
sas, 600 II a contract was made with IL be-
fore March LIST. to depotit.$iO, 900 guarantee
with the city treasurer, to forfeit all
rights IL 1t did not carry out its agree
ment to give Portland electric Light ut
discount OF p5 per cent This petition was
read, ordered on file and sent up for con-
currence.
The council passed In concurrence all Of
the other orders aud communications
coming from the upper board
MIR. Cloudy called up an order which
had been tabled appointing a special COM
mittee to investigate certain bills which
had been approved by the fire committee.
The bills In question amounted to S540,
and were presented against the city by
the Portland Water company for laying
pipes to q hydrant
Mr.. Waldron speaking In favor Of the
passage of the order said that these bills
had been approved py the fire committee
in direct violation of the order of the city
council The committee had no right to
approve bills for over $500 without an
order from the council.
MIR. Josselyn speaking for the fire CON-
mittee said that the committee had ap.
proved this $50 in two bills, each under
1900 and each for different pieces of work
He recommepded.th that the council pass the
order appointing the investigating COM
nittee so as to satisfy Mr.. Waldron. The
order was then passed unanimously.
IN JOINT SESSION.
Mr.. Charles +. Tobie was elected q
public weigher.
The joint special committee on munich
pal lighting to whom was referred this
subject for investigation beg leave to re.
port as follows:
The committee deems 1t inexpedient for
the city of Portland to enter the field OF
municipal lighting at the present time.
First, because the large investment neces.
sary to equip municipal lighting plant
could not Ie made without causing the
debt of the city to far exceed the limit
prescribed by law. and second because
municipal lighting appears to be as yet
in an experimental stage and the financial
showing made by many OF the municipal
plants now in operation does not warrant
any city securin- it's lights at "a reasonable
rate from commercial company to
estaL fish a municipal plant. While the
plan OF municipal lighting has many ad
vooates the general concensus of expert
electrical opinion is against 1t. 1t Is q
fact generally admitted that municipal
plant cannot be operated as oheaply as a
commercial plant, or allowing all other
conditions to be the same the increased
cost of labor in q municipal plant Is an
item of sufficient Importance to make no
small difference In the financial showing
between a municipal and commercial
plant
A commercial plant hires Its employees
10 perform certain duties irrespective of
the hours of labor and at a rate of pay
considt rably lower than municipality
would be Obliged to pay Its employees.
The average length Of day g work In q
municipal plant Is eight hours and conse-
quently the expense of labor In such a
plant is from one-third to one half larger
than In a similar plant operated by a
private corporation.
The committee has received facts and
figures from number OF municipal
plants In all parts Of the country. but
while many OF them make a most favor
able showing according to the statements
of the superintendents and others in
charge of such plants careful scrutiny
OF the operating expenses show that in
most instances important items such as
depreciation, interest on the investment
and insurance are either omitted entirely
or are included at n much lower rate than
the circumstances would warrant. In
some plants engaged in both municipal
and commercial lighting the profits re
oeived from commercial lighting are ap-
piled to the municipal expense account,
and the difference is set forth at the
actual cost of the production of the street