The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-03-16
new CITY LIGHTS.
Council Committee Votes to
Accept Proposition.
Will Be Paid For Out of Saving
Over Old.
ON THE MONTHLY PLAN
Cost of the Lamps Will Be About
81, 800.
City viii Pay Interest on De-
ferred Sewer PaYements.
ON THE MONTHLY PLAN

If the city council follow the recon-
mendation Of the ways and means COM
mittee the city Of Topeka viii have an
entire new system of arc lights of the
enclosed type
The present arc light system OF To-
pelza is said to be antiquated and eonse-
quently costly with regard to the
amount OF light furnished as against the
amount Of power consumed The en-
closed system of arc lighting it is said
is the most modern in the field. It is
this system which the Warner Electric
company of Muncie. Indiana, propose to
install and which the committee on
ways and means had under considera-
ton last night at a meeting of that
committee.
H K. Goodrich. superintendent of the
city electric light plant, has been in
communication with the company and
thinks that the Warner Electric com
pany viii accept the proposition which
the committee proposes.
The proposition which the committee
will make is as follows: In return for
the installation of 342 lamps to cost
$500 the city will make monthly pay
ments. each payment to be equal to the
saving OF the new lamp in operating ex-
penses over the old lamp, plus 10 per
cent. The payment by this method will
be effected in about sixteen months and
at the same time without any large
amount being paid out of the city treas
ury.
From estimates which have been fur
nished II is claimed that the city will
make saving of $4,000 a year under the
use or the new lamps as against the
present system of arc lights. The great
item Of saving comes in the less number
OF employees necessary to take care of
the lamps. BY the enclosed method the
lamps are only required to be given at
Te0r1Qn weeks n
stead of every several days. One man
can tend TO this and furnish the neces-
sary attention and the remaining four
cleaners can be discharged. This will
mean less expenditure Of $3.50 per month
or 81, 100 for the year. The carbons it is
estimated last longer also and this will
mean another saving of about $1,000 for
the year.
Aside from this the most important
action of the committee was the rec
ommendation by the committee of the
resolution introduced by Councilman
Green at the last council meeting
granting authority to the chief of
police for the hiring of secret service
men not to exceed SIS per month the
bills to be subject to the approval of
the mayor alone
Brooks and Gilmore, the sewer con-
tractors. appeared before the commit
tee on ways and means and presented
their statement for interest due on
back monthly estimates which the city
AAfts aS Yet ldl1E4 BIOOkS ana
Gilmore made a request for per
cent but the committee have made d
recommendation to the council of
per cent.
The city engineer was instructed to
confer with the street railway COM
pany to ascertain what proportion the
company was willing to bear of the
cost OF carrying off the surface water
at Sixth and Van Buren, street.
a new manhOle was recommended
at Fourth and Lawrence streets, the
cost will be $50. The widening of
Biddle creek from Tenth avenue TO
Fourth street was pigeOnholed.
Another communication from +he
city engineer with regard to raising
the pavement at Fourteenth and
Quincy streets was referred back to
the streets and walks committee.
The committee took the stand last
night that the hospital fees for fire.
men viii have to be paid hereafter
from the firemen's relief fund and not
out of the city treasury
The petition of Wiley & Co. for the
title to the old city coal hole was re-
1ected