Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1904-12-08
TURN ON THE
STREET LIGHTS

The matter of street lights is now
attracting general attention and caus-
iny considerable talk throughout Dan
vile, these short winter days when
the sun is on duty few hours out OF
every 24.
! It is the result of the arc lights not
being turned on until after dark IN the
evening and shut off before dawn.
These hours of darkness exist at a
| time when the majority of the people
! in town need light the worst. Persons
on their way to and from work or
business, are compelled to feel their
way through the surrounding black
ness of the night or morning, at the
| risk of life and limb by tripping on
dilapidated sidewalks or falling over
an embankment. This unpleasant con-
dition of affairs follows the steps tax
en- by the city authorities some time
ago. when they. in order to econo-
mize, decreased the hours Of lighting
| the streets from l3 and IA hours to IL.
The city contract with the Stand
ard Electric Light Company for street
! lights. closed on November /. At
that time the municipal light plant
was expected to be in operation by
December Is The Standard ElectIi ic
Light Company for the short interven-
ing period refused to renew the con-
tract with the city for the same price
that the contract for year called for.
Consequently the city was obliged to
pay a higher rate, or be without any
light at all during the following month
and a half So, in order to equalize
things, or rather economize, the city
authorities adopted the plan OF short
eniug the hours OF burning the light
Orders were issued TO start them at 8
CLOCK in the evening and to turn
them out at 6 i'll the morning, doubt
less not taking into consideration the
long period of darkness the streets
would be engulfed in before and after
Ol anu OLl tilO
Had the question at issue been neces
sary earlier in the season, when the
days were longer and the nights short
er, it would have worked all right.
Now the situation is vastly different,
and there is too much risk at stake to
permit the present condition of affairs
to continue. Danville citizens are
placed under great Inconvenience.
While the method taken to save the
city a little expense may be a COM
mendable one on the part of those who
brought it about,i il is looked upon and
referred to as false economy. pure and
simple. Change the order of things.
1t may save trouble and untold ex-
pense. The little extra it will cost the
city for the few hours more light de-
manded. would be small in comparison
to suit for damages. That wo1ld be
an expensive luxury. win or lose.
Another reason .why.the lights should
burn longer, is because of the uncer
tainty Of the length OF time that must
elapse before the municipal plant can
be put in operation. One thing is sure.
1t will not be ready on December 10.
The Light Committee is having trou-
bic of its own. 1t is relative to poles
being delivered that do not measure
up to the standard the specifications
call for. They are being condemned
right along, and many were in position
that will have to be removed from the
holes and replaced with others. Then,
until that obstacle is overcome, there
will be no municipal electric light
plant in Danville
That leaves but one way out OF the
present difficulty. Arrange for the
present light to burn from the first
shadow of darkness. to the first CLEAN
of light the next morning.