The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-15
CITY ELECTRIC LIGHT PLANT.
CARYT. HUTCHINSON APPOINTED
TO REPORT on THE COST.
Comptroller Grout Says IT'S . First step
Toward Private Lighting by tho city
Lighting Companies Are to Reply
to Commissioner MOnroe's Report.


Toward Private Lighting by the city
Lighting Companies Are to Reply
to Commissioner Monroe's Report.
With the possible exception Of Borough
President Cantor, the Board OF Estimate
is in favor OF a municipal electric light
ing plant for public lighting. Mr.. Cantor
Is as yet non-commttal, but Mayor
Low, Comptroller Grout and other mem
bers Of the board are anxious to have the
preliminary details OF the scheme COM
pleted as soon az possible. 10 that the neces-
sary legislation can be obtained before the
Legislature adjourns. Commissioner Mon
roe of the Department OF Water Supply. Gas
and Electricity has appointed Cary T Hutch
inson, an electrical engineer Of 50 Pine street,
to report to the Board Of Estimate on the
feasibility and cost OF the undertaking.
Commenting on the project yesterday
Comptroller Circuit said:
II the suggestion that the city should
light its own streets can be put into opera
ton. it will undoubtedly lead to the munic-
ipal ownership Of all the lighting plants
of the city. / believe that the city should
supply illumination to the people a. well
as o itself. Ohy in that way can the pres
ent combination be broken. and the people
be supplied with gas and electricity at
fair price. or course it Is too early yet to
go into details, but II may be found posi-
bic TO Use the spillwall. the overflow OF the
Croton Dam, for the generating Of power
for city plant.
when the Charter Comm iseion was
sitting sent a letter to the members urging
municipal ownership Of the city's gas and
electric plants. l pointed out that 30 long
ago as 1859 Glasgow took over the gas COM
pany in that city. 1t paid 100000 for
the property and has since spent q, 700 900
in improving it. The result has been that
the price Of gas in Glasgow has been re-
duced from 81 70 to 90 cents thousand.
while the capacity Of the plant has been in
creased threefold Let the people OF this
city once understa and that under municipal
control the cost Of gas will be only about
half what is charged now and then the only
Commissioner Monroe said that when
he had demonstrated with the gas and
electric companies at the high bids they
sent in for public, lighting, the officials OF
to the big rentals they had to pay for laying
pipes and conduits In the streets.
but - added ,iol Monroe, this conten-
ton lost it's force when / discovered that
the bids sent in nv the companies IN the
OUTLYING boroughs. where the rentals are
small, we're almost as high as the prices
charged for Manhattan. / think that the
bill 10 be sent TO Albany will pass despite
the objections OF the corporations. How.
ever, I am not concerned with municipal
ownership as a principle. II is my duty to
see that the city il illuminated at a rea-
sonable cost. and not at the eytortionate
price oemanued by the corporations. !
think that Blackwell's Island would be
good place for city plant. \ power house
could be bull; there without beina an annoy
ance TO any one and the cables foi carrying
the electricity to Manhattan and Queens
and Brooklyn coulo be suspendeI from
the res bridge"
President II. f. Cavity Of the Consoli-
dated Gas Company and A. \. Brady OF
the New York Edison Company would say
nothing yesterday in reply TO Commits
sioner Monroes report Both said that they
would probably issue statements next
week.
A representative Of the Consolidated
Gas Company denied the statement OF
Col. Monroe. that the gas company charges
the city exorbitant rates in comparison
with what other cities pay for lighting.
There are two sides TO this story he said,
-and the company will tell it's side soon"
Asked about the chances of a municipal
lighting plant being successfully run in New
York. The gas company man said he didn't
see whv this city should have any more
success in running a plant than the other
cities that have tried il and that in his
opinion the municipal plants in Chicago
and Detroit have not come up to expecta-