El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-01-24

incandescent lighting and supply of th'
electric energy for power purposes ant
q complete gas plant.
"Second-The city to regulate by
law the maximum charges for cleo
tricity and gas under these conditions
with the privilege to purchase on ar
eouable basis at any time. Grant
franchise to private corporation 1of
the purpose of building. maintaining
and operating on commercial oasis
complete electric plant, gas plant, OF
both, the franchise being given to the
company offering the lowest prices.
PLAN THE ENGINEER LIKES.
"Tbird-The city to allow a compa-
nv Offering the most satisfactory terms
| to erect and operate for term OF ten
wears a complete system of outside cir
cults including poles, wires and lamps,
the same to be- constructed and
operated in accordance with the ap-
proval of properly chosen cleo
trical commission. AT the end of ten
wears these circuits to become the
property of and operated by the city.
The city accepting lowest bids for the
supply of power from private corpora
tions for period of ten years at q
time The company receiving the con :
tract for erecting and operating the
circuits for the fret ten years should
also be granted franchise to operate
and exist as a commercial company
with the privilege to furnish electri-
city for all purposes.
"Of these three alternatives I be-
lieve the last offers the greatest ad-
vantages to the city for the following
reasons: If affords an immediate re-
duction in price to both the city in the
matter of street lighting and to private
~ oil fnit a n
purpose. At the end OF the ten years
the municipality becomes the owner of
all the outside circuits. and is In posi-
ton to receive the advantage OF the
lowest bids for electrical power.
"a word as to what may be ex-
pected in relation to the low cost OF
electrical energy in Denver in the
near future may not be out OF place
here. Within a radius of twenty
miles are located abundant water
power and extensive coal mines. A
large amount of power is daily required
by the tram~ay and electric light
companies, and numerous manufacture
ing concerns. An ideal condition
would be that the maj lrity of this
power be furnished from one central
plant in the form of electricity and
distributed to the various points of
consumption. Whether this should be
canyon or at the coal fields, or by
steam plant here in Denver is a COM
plicated engineering problem. In
either case the cost of the power will
be reduced.
"A consequent reduction would fol-
low in the matter of street lighting,
which would not be possible if the city
owned and operated it's own power
house.
SIN the matter of under
ground conduits the requir-
ing of overhead wires to be placed
therein 1 believe is wise step. The
city should be divided into subway dis
tricts, and the change required only
in the downtown portion of the city,
as it is very expensive, and the plac-
ing of wires under ground should be
done gradually. Under no condition
should the city grant an exclusive sub
way franchise, for the ownership of
this by a private corporation can effec
tually exclude all competition in any
business requiring the1lse of wires as
electric cable. These conduits should
be the property of the city, and their
rental, on an equable basis, made the
source of municipal income.
ANY company bidding for these
should be required to furn-
ish u bond of not less tn an 500. 600.
EUGENE Y. SAYRE.
City Electrician"