The Mankato free press., 1903-02-27
SELL LIGHTING BONDS.
Council Decides to Avail Itself of the
Special Law.
Will Receive Bids for $4,000 Bonds
for Lighting Plant.
Aldermen Vote Unanimously to Build
a Complete Plant.
Committee Goes to Winona Today to
Pick Up Information.

From Tuesdays Daily.
If the plans of the mayor and council
are carried out, Mankato will own its
own municipal lighting plant before
another year rolls around, and besides
lighting the streets and fur
nishing electricity to private parties for
illumination or power. The council has
gone at the matter in an earnest and
seemingly practical way.
When the special meeting of the coun-
Gil was called to order last night, Mayor
Petersen said that he had called the
meeting to consult in regard to the plans
of Prof. j. j. Flather of the state uni
versity, who year OF two ago prepared
plans and estimates on several lighting
plants suitable for Mankato.
Aid. Deebach wanted to find out
whether the council could get the money
necessary to put up Lighting plant.
City Attorney Daley answered this
by saying that the legislature of 1901
passed an act authorizing cities of from
10000 to $4,000 population to issue
bonds to the amount of not exceeding
$40,00e, regardless Of their bonded in
debtedness, to erect electric lighting
plants. He did not know any reason
why this law is not good one, as light
is public necessity.
Aid. Taylor said that he had been
asked the last few. days, by several peo-
pie, as to his position on the question
Of municipal ownership of a lighting
plant. He wanted to say right here
that he was in favor of it, not alone for
street lighting but for commercial light
ing as we'll. He wanted a plant large
enough. to furnish day current for mo-
tors,. fans, etc. If it could be legally
done,, he was In favor of carrying the
present move through to a completion.
Mayor Petersen said that he might as
well state his position, also. He had been
of the same way of thinking as Aid.
Taylor for the past ten years, or as
long as he had been on the council. He
had seen all of the ups and downs of the
move, and they had been downs all the
time. He hoped that this time the mat
ter would go through, and he could not
see why it should not. The council does
not need to worry about the $4,000 limit,
The cost of the plant could be confined to
that sum, but the plant could be added
to at any time. It would be advisable,
$4,000 will do very well. A year ago,
a $4,000 plant was talked of, and had it
been built it would have been added to
before this. The mayor said that he was
not in favor of stopping at street lights,
but would have the city do commercial
lighting This would tighten the bur-
den of lighting our houses, which is
very desirable, as we all expect to remain
in Mankato for many years, if not die
here. Electricity makes the most con-
venient light that can possibly be had.
There is nothing to equal it. The city
went through hard fight before it was
able to take over the waterworks. The
city finally succeeded, and today there is
not a citizen of Mankato who is not
pleased with it. There has never been
any politics in the management of the
waterworks system. Employees have re-
manned there through all sorts of admin
istrations. 1t will be the same way with
the electric light plant. A good man
will have a permanent job, and poor
one will be thrown out, no matter what
his politics.
Aid. Eichstaedt said that Prof. Flather
had estimated the cost of his largest
plant at $44,l30, to do the street light
ing and large amount of commercial
lighting. The actual bids would cut down
this figure, he was sure. He was in
favor of going ahead and meaning busi-
ness.
AID Deebach did not think that there
was any time to spare. 1t would be well
to advertise in the electrical journals for
bids on lighting plant. He believed
that the bids would be low enough to