The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-11-19

the recent statements of the city engineer
that something like $61 900 per year could
be saved the city by owning its own cleo
trio light plant. has furnished each of
the members Of the council with COM
parattve statement showing the cost OF
lighting in Detroit and what a similar
plant would cost here.
The tables show that the cost of each
arc light in Detroit is $75.56, when every
thing connected with the plant and its
operation is considered. To put in like
plant in St. Paul would, according to the
companys figures, make the cost per
light per year $4,000. The increase, it Is
claimed, would be in the price of coal,
which in Detroit is s1.97 per ton, as
against $3.50 per ton here, and as 1t takes
five tons Of coal to produce one arc light
per year this would make the st. Paul
lights cost $765 more than those in De-
troit. Additional freight charges on ma
terials would further increase the cost of
each light $1.14 and fire and boiler in
surance, which are not maintained in De-
troit would add $2.88 more. Water fur
nished to the Detroit plant costs nothing,
and neither does the removal of ashes,
which would add 81 cents per lamp to the
cost Of the ST. Paul lights. The rate
of taxation in Detroit Is also less than in
st. Paul and this would add SLOT to the
cost of the st. Paul lights. The total
for maintaining each arc light in st.
Paul, according to the figures prepared
by the company, would be $1,000.
=HzaA
Some Of the members Of the board of
aldermen contend that Health Commits
sioner Ohage will have his hands full in
managing the public baths, enforcing the
milk ordinance and attending to the du-
ties of his Office next year and that 1t
would be too much work for him and his
HaYo 70 toll oh Of %1,n
moval and disposition of garbage.
Commissioner Sandell, of the board of
public works, prepared statement for
the council committee on streets Friday
night which was presented, but not con-
sidered by the committee. The commits
sioner holds that the city can be lighted
by incandescent gasoline lamps in the
districts now lighted by gas and electric
lights for $7S,000 as against $102,61S now
paid the gas company. AT present the
gas company has 1884 gas lamps at $23
each, costing $50, 582; 1874 arc light at $94,
costing $37 036; interest on posts, $1,000;
total. S102,618
The plan of Mr. Sandell is to have
1913 incandescent gaslone lamps displace
the gas lamps; 1872 incandescent gasoline
lamps take the place Of the arc lights,
and put in an additional 200 for the CEN
trail part Of the city. The inoandescent
lamps cost $29 per year and total of
2,700, which would displace all the gas
and electric lights, would cost SIS, 800. Mr..
Sandeu allows the present style of gaso-
line lamps to remain in service in the
outskirts in his plan and as these cost
$16.56 each per year the cost of these
would be $45 606. This would make the
total cost of lighting the city $12S.906. in
stead of $14S, 224, which is about the price
to be paid under the present bid for gaso4
line lighting and the proposition Of the
gas company for gas and electric light
Ing.
A majority Of the board of aldermen
and assembly, however, contend that the
gasoline incandescent lamps are in the
nature of an experiment and 1t would
not do to replace the arc and gas lamps
with any such lighting.
In view of this contention little If any
attention was paid to the scheme Of Mr..
SandeH, the argument being advanced
that it was q good thing in theory. but
not at all practicable.
The recent decision Of the supreme court
in which Justice Canty held that the city
need not pay to the gas company interest
on gas posts not in service has caused
the city officials to examine very closely
into the bills presented by the company.
Under the contract for this year the
company Is allowed 81 for each lamp post
removed from one location to another A
| claim of S2,0A is now before the board of
| public works for removals and the matter
| will be thoroughly investigated before the
| claim Is allow ed.
| 1t Is claimed by the legal department