Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1901-08-08
AMENDED
Proposed Electric Light Franchise
is Amended by Light Com.
mittee.
Company to Give $1,000 Bond to
Build Plant to Cost More
than $4,000.
Council Compliments Water Com.
missioner Moses for Eff
Cient Work.

The proposed electric light fran.
chise was submitted by the electric
light committee to the city council
Monday evening. The franchise has
been amended to the satisfaction OF
Messrs. Wilder, Kurtz and Klaus OF
the committee, at least, with the new
cOmpany'S members yet to hear from.
AS the franchise is now amended the
new company will be required to give
bond of $4,000 that the building Of a
plant will be commenced within a
year and completed and in operation
in less than IS MONTHS said plant to
cost not less than $4,000. 1t is fur
ther provided that the new plant
shall be operated as an independent
one. Some changes were also made in
the rates. The draft of the franchise
was submitted to the committee and
the city attorney, and if found salts
factory to the company the amend
ments to the franchise first proposed
will be incorporated in the document.
The following communication was
received:
Jamestown, North Dakota,
August 3, 1901.
To G. A. Klaus, Chairman of Electric
Light Committee, and to the Mayor
and City Council of Jamestown,
North Dakota:
Gentlemen:-As there has been
some question raised as to the motive
Of the Citizens Electric Light and
Power Company, the undersigned de-
sire to respectfully state that this
company was organized and all az
rangements made long before the
change in management Of the James
town Electric Light company and
that it is not a SCENE to ''freeZe out"
the old company Or to force them to
dispose of t!4eir plant to the new COM
pany. Neither is the new company a
one-man affair, and no one man owns
or controls the same.
lhe new company is formed because
we believe that Jamestown is entitled
to good, first class, modern electric
plant: it is the intention Of the COM
pany to construct, equip and operate
a modern plant: to furnish light and
power during twenty-four hours of
the day sufficient for the needs Of the
town and the inhabitants thereof.
We believe that the only way to
build up our city is to induce people
so disposed to invest capital: that
there is room in Jamestown, not only
for another electric light company,
but for numerous other enterprises,
and that every honest undertaking
willing to invest money, pay taxes,
employ labor, and generally become
identified with the interests OF the
city should be encouraged.
The company does not ask for an
exclusive privilege. 1t does not de-
sire a monopoly. All it asks or ex-
poets from the city is the simple privi-
lege of erecting poles on the streets
and alleys of the city sufficient to sup
ply lights to the inhabitants of the
town.
If the council see lit to grant them
this privilege they will at once begin
the erection Of modern, up-to-date,
first class plant, and same will be in
operation within one year from this
date.
The result will be cheapening Of
the cost of lights, better service, i'm
provements in every way: more people
will use the lights and receive the
benefits. Not only this, but about
twenty thousand dollars will be in
vested in the town, employment will
be given to several people who will
spend their money here, and in every
way the city and the inhabitants will
be benefited.
We wish to be distinctly understood
that it is not our purpose or desire to
buy out the old plant, or to have any
thing to do with the same. We be-
lieve there islplenty of room for both
and that by having the competition
in this, as in other business enter
prises, the people will be benefited,
more customers will be secured, more
business will be done, and both COM
panies will have all the business need
ed to make same success. You will
find good electric light plants in many
cities of less than 1000 inhabitants,
while jamestown has nearly 5000 peo-