Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1900-10-18
CITY Council Receives Offer of Alex.
Hughes to Put in Light and
.. Heating Plant.
Asks for q twenty-five Year Fran
Franchise and Agrees to Make
Numerous Concessions.
Public Meeting to be Held at Which
Proposed Ordinance May be
Discussed.

Mayor Rose, Aldermen Wonnenberg,
Klaus, Bensch, Chapman, KurtZ,
Wilder and Trimble were present at
the special meeting of the city council
Wednesday. A letter from Alexander
Hughes of Fargo stated that he was
compelled to 60 to Bismarck on urgent
business, hence could not attend the
meeting. In the communication he
referred to the proposed ordinance, re-
garding the establishment of allght-
ing and heating plant, which he had
submitted for the consideration Of the
council and said that he was prepared
to make proposition at the next
meeting regarding pumping water for
domestic purposes. He expressed the
opinion that the provisions of the pro-
posed ordinance granting him fran
chise were such that the city's inter-
ests would be amply protected.
The proposed ordinance was read.
Mr.. Hughes offered to light the city
Hall ltIlu ollISSo tIllN llOoS 1louoS IL W VI
charge as well as to pump water free
for fire protection, for which the city
is now paying $50 per month. The
franchise asked for would run twenty
five years. The company would guar
antee to charge a rate not to exceed 20
cents per thousand watts. In case the
council and the company should fail to
agree on rate at any time the matter
should be left to a committee OF three
for decision. The company should Sc
lect one member of the committee, the
council one member and the two MEM
bers should select a third. The de-
cision of this committee should in all
cases be final. The privilege of using
streets.and alley ways for poles, pipes,
wires, ETC., was asked. 1t was also
provided that anyone who should in
any way injure the lighting or heating
property should be fined not to exceed
800 or 80 days IN jail. Mr.. Hughes
agreed to signify the acceptance of the
terms of the franchise within ten
days after the passage OF the ordn-
:ance. The buildingof the plant would
be commenced within sixty days after
the passage of the ordinance.
Alderman Trimble expressed the
opinion that nothing could be done
except to refer the proposed ordinance
to the proper committee.
Alderman Wilder said the council
certainly could take no action as the
matter stood.
AS the proposed ordinance was not
read officially, not having been intro
duced by any alderman, it was referred
to the electric light committee and
will come up for consideration at the
next regular meeting.
1t was suggested that perhaps some
one would care to discuss the proposed
ordinance. Attorney Baldwin was
called upon and said he saw several
objections to the ordinance. The set
tling of differences by arbitration was
one of them. Ina case Of that kind,
Mr.. Baldwin said, the electric light
company would select shrewd man
while the council would undoubtedly
select citizen Of Jamestown. The
shrewd man selected by the company
would always get the best of the
JameStownite, Mr.. Baldwin thought,
and the company would secure higher
rates. Mr.. Baldwin recalled instances
of trouble with the old electric light
companies of jamestown and thought
there should be a definite understand
ing regarding rates, and that mas
much as there were many investors
willing to put capital in an electric
light plant competition should be in
yited before entering into an agree,
ment with any one. Mr.. Baldwin
spoke Of vast power concealed below
Jamestown which might some day
furnish electric lights and other
things-when turned loose and ad-
vised the council to 60 slowly. He
thought citizens should be heard by
the electric light committee.
John Masters of the jamestown
Electric Light Company, was called
on. He said that before action was
taken in the matter his company
would like to be considered. He said
the Hughes proposition was no better
than he had made in an ordinance We
toed by former mayor. If put on
same footing as Mr.. Hughes, the
i, Jamestown company will put in a first
J; 8. =. :.