The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-12-17
CITIZENS HAVE A
JUST COMPLAINT
Commercial Club Governing
Board Reports on Lighting.
NEEDS NEW APPLIANCES
MANAGER CAMPBELL PROMISES
10 REMEDY CONDITIONS.
T HE governing board Of the CONNER
1 81 ILL -...--....-l L. 49,. . -

= RE governing board Of the CONNER
ciaI club received last night a -uu
report from its special committee
appointed TO investigate the complaints
preferred against the Utah Light a.
Power company by citizens petition.
The report read, i'm part as follows.
our Investigations lead uS to- believe
tnat the citizens have cause for come
pldlnt we have found Lndl the voltage
runs very high during the day. varying
from 1Z0 to lsO volts. and an hours when
lights are most needed from o clock on.
the voltage, according 20 tests we have
made with a. volt meter In several BUSH
ness houses. goes down as low as ll2.
while 1918 normal The voltage has also
I. been considerably above normal az times
after business houses are closed. Where
lights have 10 De burned during the day,
ana late az night, ms hlsh voltage, es-
peCially with the iuCaudescent FEhrs
OvertaNes the carbons TO such am extent
as to materially lessen the glow, thereby
the voltage ls az the minimum Dc does not
give as much light as q should. and when
. DC goes below the l15 volts ir naturally
makes much poorer light
High Voltage Is Expensive.
'The high voltage is great source OF
. expense TO merchants and all consumers,
through the burning out of coils iu llat-
. irons. and because the meters iu use gem
orally are supposed TO measure accurate
. ~ normal voltage out when The Votl-
age is above normal the efficiency is not
equal to the current consumed.
"A siXteen-candle power lamp in use
under a normal current of ll5 volts would
not Increase the lighting power in pro-
portion TO the increased voltage and COR
[ responding meter record the loss increas-
lH6 with every ao0iIoHai excessive FolL
The life OF the lamp would be cut short
+ I'm the same proportion For instance,
with a slNteen-candle power lamp under
Z voltage supposed TO give normal glow
for loo hours would be reduced t0 halt
with q per cent increased voltage. and
/ twO-third with "a per cent increase.
Manager Campbell states that ln many
instances where complaints have been
made OF insufficient current 20 furnish
satisfactory lights. it has been because
+ of Door wiring. Your committee. how
ever. find very little difference I'm the
voltage in the various houses where tests
| have been made. all of them registering
up 10 tWenty-uine volts. and an OF these
| houses were signers Of the petition OF
complaints.
Attempts to Remedy Trouble.
The Utah Light g. Power company app
I pears to have been trying to remedy the
been spent some $4,000 during this year
Tor betterments to it's plant. $4,000 oE
/ which we understand has been used FOR
\ new wiring, Transformers and electric
machinery in Salt Lake city alone. It ia
a well known fact tnat the various
sources of supply from which the lighting
/ company gets us energy have been es
! taolshec az a very great expense sncl
as The ogden canyon plant, two plants in
Z
! lurlde Power company, both from Logan
ana Provo, and three steam stations in
} Salt Lake City.
They have also contracted Tor the
I Bear River power plant. which, it is ala
: legged. will furnish energy 10 the amount
I OF 2.Jl9-horseDoWer and which the COM
/ pany states wiz meet all requirements.
Z This has been promised for some time
( and is now sixty DAYS over due and has
\ Deen promised 70 Pc aFa-iapIe this Weet-
I Mr. Campbell further states that the
/ company is making plans for an eEpeud-
/ iture of $4,000 per anuum for improve
ments on its system. He also states that
I the emergency plant near the Jordan
! river started Aug. is at a cost of $4,000,
I contemplated 2-5O0-hOTse power lr Sept
/ !, only 1900 OF which are now on, and
1000 sixty days overdue All this was
| planned a year ago I'm contemplation Of
/ present needs
Normal Voltage Is Promised.
Mr.. Campbell states that the company
/ is now I'm 20 per cent better condition 10
furnish light than 1t was this time last
I year, and viii DEE 80 per cent better before
the first of the year IL Is probable.
1 however. that this additional supply IS
! at present entirely used mp by increased
TT is conceded BY the lighting COMPANY
that the fact that the energy furnished
for the power and lighting coming from
! the same source Of supply, and through
the same transmitters. causes the light
ling current to flUctuate. as herein stated
! A remedy for this difficulty is promised
OF meter generators and transformers.
that the company is now putting in at q
cost of some $4,000. which &c is believed
win keep the voltage nearer normal
Statement Not Consistent
Mr.. CampbelTs inference I'm his letter
that his company is now giving normal
/ service is not consistent with the admi 3D.
siOus he has made TO your committee
that the company has expended "a large
. amount Of money In anticipation OF the
present needs and expected 90 have in
use as early as sept I some 40l9-h0rSe
I power more than 10 now has.
I'VE are of the opinion that the main
I trouble has been the lack of modern cleo
trio appliances for regulating the various
. currents coming from different points
which have to be used through the same
. transformer 90 make up the requisite
/ amount Of energy to meet the demInos
I 'Our Investigations lead us To believe
that the Utah Light & Power company IS
doing an IN can TO meet and remedy
these conditions Respectfully submitted
COMMITTEE s. " Shelp. j. =. DoolE-
r. W. Francis. J. j. Judson. Henry u