The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1905-12-16
Council Committees Report
Ready and Sent Out to Members
TO TAKE EFFECT JANUARY 1ST
Price Is 10 Be Lower Than Now. and After
Three Years VIII Be Further
Reduced.

In a voluminous report the committee
on lights has made known 10 the mem
bers Of the city council the situation, as
the committee construes it regarding the
new lighting contracts with the Nara
gansett Electric Lighting company which
will be considered next Monday night By
the commoun council.
In part. the report says:
THE present contract between the city
and said company expires on June Is.
1905 Under this contract the company is
furnishing the city 1905 arc lamps at slO9.
30 each per year and PISS incandescent
lamps at s24 each per year. The reduced
price named by the lighting company
means an immediate saving OF s755.25 per
month, or s4l537 up to the expiration
Of the present contract. The saving per
year ov er the present price on arc lights
isNs9063 for he first period and SlS,l26 per
year for the second period. Under the
new price named by the lighting COM
pany I'm this proposal the cost OF arc
lamps to the city for the first period will
be $l04 70 per lamp per year. and for the
second period OF three years the price
for arc lamps will be 800 per lamp per
year
mo reduction was made by the com
pany I'm the price charged for incandes-
cent electric lamps. II being stated that
these lights were now being supplied TO
the city practically at the cost OF produc-
tion According TO these terms the city
Will receive the advantage of this annual
reduction In price at once. and IL is only
fair TO add that the increased revenues
OF the company every year will also In
crease the city's revenue from the fran
chise tax paid by the company which has
grown from s26.S13.72 In 1889. the first
year OF the last contract. to $3s. 81 dur
ing the present year. so that the NEE cost
OF lights TO the city will be decreased
proportionately.
NEW LIGHTS NEEDED.
This matter is submitted TO the city
Council at this time because OF the in
sistept demand from various sections OF
the city for additional street lights. At
every meeting new petitions are presented
and referred to your committee.
Before being acted on these petitions
are investigated by the commissioner OF
public works and the necessity for the
lights asked for is determined after care
ful inquiry in each case.
"All OF the electric lights contracted for
having been placed. and 80 new lights
having been recommended on "a different
tiretlS, WTlle Some 81 dppDcatlOnS nave
not been acted upon. II became necessary.
in order to comply with the request OF
these petitioners, for your committee TO
ask for authority TO contract for "A suffi-
cient number OF lights TO meet the pres
ent requirements.
NO MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP.
while IL may he claimed that munich
pal ownership or city lighting plant is
profitable undertaking. yet your com
mittee has failed 10 discover I'm the
course OF It's Investigations any evidence
which will Justify 1t I'm recommending
that the city OF Providence go into the
business OF electric lighting
There are two reasons that lead your
committee to this conclusion. The first
one is the evidence furnished I'm the com
monwealth OF Massachusetts. In addition
there is manifest absence Of full and ac-
curate accounting such as would be re-
quired Of private business corporation
in the bookkeeping connected
There is also the enormous increase I'm
the Indebtedness OF cities and towns own
Ing municipal lighting plants, both In this
country and in Europe. where the cities
have gone into all sorts of municipal
trading.
Mr.. James Dalrympe the Glasgow
Manager OF Municipal Tramways, whom
Mavor Dunno invited over here 10 show
Chicago how TO acquire and operate the
Chicago railways. made n report 10 Mayor
Dunno on this question OF municipal own
ership. which the Major has never seen 1T
TO publish.
"Mr Dalrymple on returning home,
however, said, among other things: If
any municipal undertaking Is to be sue
cessfully managed i'm Chicago, or any
other American municipality. the city
must adopt a very different system from
that permitting political considerations to
influence the municipal administration
"He also pointed out that greater evils
than now exist under state franchises
must arise under city ownership OF rail
ways or lighting plants with this manage
ment I'm the hands Of politicians
COMPANY PAYS THE CITY
''The second reason which has compell-
ed your committee To reach this decision
is that under the franchise act OF the
Narragansett Electric Lighting company
the city would he obliged To buy the
plant OF the electric lighting company In
case IL decided 10 establish n city lighting
plant during the period OF this franchise.
"As this exclusive franchise expires I'm
six years. the city may then establish It's
own lighting plant, ~ II sees At to do So
without buying any OF the equipment of
the electric lighting company. IT is esti-
mated that IL the city went into the light
ing business at this time IL would mean
an expenditure Of about $4,000 for the
plant and appurtenances used for street
lighting by the Narragansett Electric
Lighting company.
1T also appears that the Narragansett
Electric Lighting company will pay the
city OF Providence s72. .46S. Sc.
'If per cent OF the price OF lncandes-
cent street light 1924 per year, was re
Quoted from the above amount paid the
city. and applying an equitable amount Of
the real estate and personal taxes and the
cost OF water TO the arc lighting and the
lighting OF public buildings, based on tho
new prices for arc lighting. the Narragan-
sett Electric Lighting company would re-
ceive:
AT sici75 per year for an al-nlght
lamp. 1904.
at 500 per year for an an-nght lamp.
f7s- Te
without investing n dollar the city
now has An interest I'm the Narragansett
Electric Lighting company which Is equal
10 over $1,000 worth OF preferred stock.
on which tho city II receiving an Income
~ per cent and this income Is increas-