The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-03-13
ON LIGHTS
Council Commute Confer With Electric
Light Representatives on Future !.
Situation,
State Pirsnnsn are to Receive $1,000 !or.
Their Future Tournaments $500
From Towns.
Alderman KOth ard Wits Celebrated
Their Silver Wedding at thsir Home
Last Sunday.
CONFERRED ON LIGHT MATTER
City Council Committee Had Confer
ence With Representatives of
Electric Light Plant.


Thursday evening Messrs. Stout,
Curtis, Perry and Miller had a confer
ence with Messrs. =. T.. Hannett and
VIM. N: Smith concerning what is.
to be done about the electric light
question. The four gentlemen form
a committee appointed at the council
meeting to talk the light question
over For their part the committee.
had little to say, but listened to the
statements Of the light company's
representatives. Touching on the
matter of cheapness of lights in
Mitchell with reference to other To-
calities Mr.. Hannett showed the
gentlemen a statement from the lead
ing cities Of the state for the year
1902, which demonstrated that Mitch
ell was paying no more, ana in many
cases much less, than other towns,
where the circumstances were any
thing similar. AS an instance:
Aberdeen pays 1925 per light per year
for an all night service, on a moon
light schedule; Canton pays S84 per
light per year on a moonlight sched-
ule, and'it pays so per cent less for
Its coal than the plant in. Mitchell;
Sioux Falls pays 1929 per light per
year for an all night service and its
coal bill is 80 per cent less than here.
These are a few Of the cases. Mitch
ell pays 800 per light per year for
midnight schedule.
The members Of the committee,
from their talk, were seemingly
better satisfied with the working Of
the lighting plant than before, the
improvements having made an APP
preciable difference in the lights be-
ing furnished. The disposition did
not seem to be strong to press the re-
pealing Of the electric light franz
chise. The committee will make a
leport of its conference with what
recommendations it sees fit.
Messrs. Hannett and Smith made
the committee proposition to sell
the city the electric light plant for
the sum Of $4,000, the city to pay
$1,000 in warrants, and assume the
mortgage Of 81, 900 on the plant. The
city is given the privilege to make
monthly payments on the Indebted
ness Of the amount that..it would pay
the electric company for the usual
service. The city pays the company
1882 a year for lights, and in the
course OF seven years, which time
the exclusive franchise runs, the city
will more than pay the Indebtedness.
The income of the plant is $4,000 per.
year and taking out the amount the
city pays the representatives main
tain that there is good profit in the
Iincandescent lights that are used by
the citizens, more than enough to
pay the interest on the warrants and
the mortgage and leave at least $1,000
year to pay on the principal.
II these plans can be carried out,
and it looks reasonable that they
should, it would be no burden for
the city to assume the ownership Of
the plant. Objections have been
raised on the point that the ma
chinery is old and out OF date, and
that If the city is going into the
municipal ownership business it
would be better to have a plant that
is equipped with modern machinery.
At the next meeting Of the council
it is very likely that some disposition
Of the light question will be made on
the report Of the committee.