The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-05-15
SPECIAL MEETING
OF The COUNCIL
TOCONSIDER LIGHT QUESTION
Meeting WIN Be Public, and The Water Com
mission is Expected 10 Participate CHI.
rens Against The West Shore BID.


meeting OF the city council for O'Clock.
Wednesday afternoon. May 10th. 10 dis
cuss and decide upon the matter Of
lighting the public streets.
This meeting will be open 10 the pub
Tic and every taxpayer and citizen is
AZ liberty 70 attend and ascertain
where each councilman stands on this
important question and hear his rea-
sons. II he has any TO give. as to why
he takes such position.
While no especial invitation has been
extended to the water commission to
meet with the council. lt Is hoped. aud
the people have a right 10 expect, that
IL VIII do So II II ls possible. and
II is, the public lighting question
should be finally settled on wednes-
day afternoon
II the taxpayers Of Astoria are 70
again be compelled TO place upon their
nechs the yoke Of extortion OF the
West Shore Mills Company. the SOON
er they know II the better.
IT. on the other hand. the men whom
they have placed in positions to guard
their Interests and protect them from
the rapacity Of grasping monopolies,
intend to stand fast. be true TO their
trust and the people. then let the peo-
pie know it that honest men in Of
fee may be honored.
II only portion Of the publlc's SER
wants are brave enough to do their
duty. TO do right. by all means the
sooner the people know whom they can
trust. the better
The West Shore Mills Company wants
SiOO per month for serving the city
with forty arc lights. Of no guaranteed
candle power. The lights may be ten
candle power n the company so chooses
and the people win be helpless 10 rem
edy the evil until the contract expires.
The rent Of the lights. poor as they
are now or even worse. viii be A,SOO
per year. But this is by no means
all the cost Of the public lighting to
the city. exhorbitant as II is. In ad-
ditlon there is the yearly interest on
the $4,000 OF the peoples money. be-
cause II was borrowed on their bonds.
locked up at the water-works. and there
is the loss by deterioration Of the
unused buildings and machinery. which
expert machinists and engineers say
aim ..arh ft,ttv eqOn a N,anr
In other words. the public lighting Of
Astoria's streets will cost the taxpay-
per year. But this is by no means
Shore Mills Company's bid is accepted. |
II viii cost them over a $1,000 wasted
money In excess OF the cost Of any
system OF lighting, unless the water
commission utilities the partially built
lighting plant, but there is a chance
to save money by cutting down the
tax for the lights.
II the council and the water COM
mission think 1t would be unwise for
the city to furnish public lighting, or
private and public lighting. and can
figure out where such action would re-
suit in loss to the taxpayers, then let
them take up other systems Of lighting
than that of the West Shore Mills
Company's arc lights. There are other
systems equally as good as the arc
electric light for street lighting-and
far superior TO the street electric lights
the West Shore Mills Company has
been furnishing-that cost much less
than electric lights at $40 per month
each 1t is the duty Of the council and
the water commission, II they viii not
allow the people to themselves light the
streets and their houses, or Will not
lease the city's idle water power to a
company that will give the city and its
inhabitants good lights at equitable
rates, to adopt some other means of
public lighting than the West Shore
Mills company's $50 per month each"
unguaranteed lights, If suitable lights at
a less cost can be found.
Such lights have been found to serve
the purpose elsewhere and should be
found to do equally as good service in
Astoria.
But what the taxpayers want Is mu-
nicipal lighting, not only for the streets
but for the factories, stores and homes. |
They willingly consented to build an
electric light plant for that purpose,
after working hard to get law pass
ed that would give them the right to
supply themselves with light. They |
complain that they are paying interest
for nothing, They complain that in
short time longer, unless put to use, |
the machinery, etc, which cost them
$40, OOO, will be worthless because of the
rust and rot of idleness. They COM
plain that they are forced to pay for
what they do not get by the West Shore
Mills Company and they ask that they
be given the opportunity to furnish
themselves with one of the necessities
Of life.
The West Shore Mills Company is 60
ing to try and have the council accept |
its latest bid, the bid that major
ity OF the council has already reject
cd as unjust and extortionate, and the
only argument they advance as a rea-
son for the council stultifying itself
and robbing the people for light is that,
unless 1t does so, the West Shore Mills
Company will leave the streets in dark
ness,
II vote of the citizens of Astoria
could be taken today upon the public
lighting matter ninety-five out Of
every hundred taxpayers would vote
In favor Of dark streets as against pay
ing $500 per month fer arc lights Of no
ert,o m ,ntaod roov-a~