The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-03-13
CITY MAY own PLANT
PLAN FOR MUNICIPAL LIGHTING OF
STREETS DISCUSSED BY CON-
FERENCE COMMITTEE
SPECIAL REPORT ADOPTED
Claimed That 500, 900 Cam BE Saved
to the City by Installing "a
New Illuminating
Service.

At the meeting of the conference com
mittee yesterday the special committee
appointed TO consider the advisability AMI
feasibility of establishing a municipal
electric lighting plant submitted report.
The report was adopted. and will be re-
ferred to the council to consider the adj
visibility of installing the plant other
than on paper. 1t was admitted by sew
eral of tho officials that the report would
make good campaign material, if nothing
else. President Dix, of the assembly,
stated that the plan was to put $125.000
in the tax budget for 1901, and in the
meantime have the engineer draw detail
ed plans OF the plant. AS 1t would take
a year to build the station and install
the apparatus. work might be commenced
or the plan of doing the work discussed
by the council. The report signed by City
Comptroller McCardy, City Engineer
Claussen, Electrical Inspector Varnum
and President Dix is a lengthy and de-
tailed one, and advises that the plant be
built, and outlines a plan by which sec, 600
yearly can be saved in the present figures
paid for street lighting.
The report gives the cost Of street light
ing for 1900 as $3.50. AT, of when $56, 725
is for arc lights, $6O42l for gas lamps,
$45, 73S. 70 for gasoline lamps, s., 500 interest
on live gas posts and 81, 261.7O FOR removal
of gas. gasoline and electric lights. The
proposed plant is to have a capacity Of
1850 arc and 700 incandescent lamps. The
cost of the plant Is given at $3.50, 900, di-
Vided as follows: Pole lines and con-
duit system equipped complete $146, $50;
electrical station equipment, $56, 041, steam
plant 500. 499; building and smoke stacks,
S22,O OO Real estate is not included In the
estimate, 1t being recommended that If a
location cannot be found on the river
bank at the foot of ST. Peter street, the
plant can be located on the West side
leVee. The operating expenses are esti-
mated at $90.1S0, divided as follows: Coal
oil, waste, carbons, repairs and general
supplies. $37. 100; wages, $27.0S0; interest.
31s per cent on cost, $1,000; insurance,
1890; depreciation, 6 per cent on $c60.0C0
SIS, 600
This total. deducted from the cost OF
present lighting, makes a saving Of SEQ, 500
per year.
The total cost per lamp, per year. in
Detroit was given as $46.46, and In Allie
gheny as $47.70, on which basis it was
estimated that the cost per lamp in ST..
Paul would be SAG. In figuring deprecia-
ton on plant per cent was allowed on
total cost. or $15,600 per year. This. the
report stated, included items amounting
to $4,000 on which there would be no
depreciation leaving $3.50 as the correct
figure on which to figure depreciation.
The entire electrical and steam equip
ment at the station. the report stated,
could be given away at the end of six
years and new equipment put in with
the amount charged to depreciation dur
ing the six years. The plant, it was
stated would give about three times as
much candle power as now furnished to
the city. The Edison company In New
York, the report said, charged large con-
sumers six cents per kIlowatt hour,
including incandescent lamps. carbons
and the trimming of arc lamps. Apply
ing this rate to what is furnished In St.
Paul the cost would be 100000, while the
city is paying $4,000 per year. A ma
terlal saving, 1t was claimed, could be
effected If the city owned it's own plant
by turning off the. arc lamps during
moonlight nights.
City Engineer Claussen explained after
the report had been read that those OBJ
raised the point that the cost of fuel
was too large. This was, he said, not
true. as the figures from Detroit showed
that tWo-thirds of the cost of the plant
there was wages and the balance of the
expenses, including fuel and supplies,
was the other third. At Allegheny but
$4,000 out of the $4,000 expended yearly
was for fuel.