The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-08-01
PLAN7'WOU[DH BE
.F0R |:|' i 0!|.D|[|.
Alderman Dabi,ey Makes Strong.
Argument for One One for y Mt Mt Ell
nicipal Purposes.
N INTEREST Of d ECONOMY C. 9 N y
Would Greatly Reduce the Cost.
of the City's Lights Views W
of Superintendent b olling.
~ 7I1S

Good business Judgment demands, IN
the face OF undisputed facts and confl!--
lions, that tho old pump house be used
as a light and water power plant s Tor.
municipal purposes, ~ declared alderman
Nv. L. Dabnoy. last night to a Times.
Dispatch reporter. Il. Il,
,,vrhis conclusion has been reached" Mr.,
Dabneyacontnued, after consideration
Of tie question by two Of the present pr. e
Council committees namely the Water llt'r I.
and Electricity, for nearly two years,
they having consulted nm expert electrical
engineer, the Supcrlntendentsoff the Water
Department and tho city triclnn. all
OF whom hear lily endorse the proposition
and give substantial reasons therefor.
Their statements that have been before
THO { committees for several months IN
support OF the proposition, stand uncon-
Etrovorted. The opposition OF the project
EUhe present lighting company having
Eat ,hheir'sdisposal experts the equal of
gnny$the clty.has consulted, no tWt this and
ing their Sendeavor. have completely failed
Ito materially break down any important
statement made by the electrical an
gireer the city employed. The Finance
Committee. Jointly with the Committee
on Electricity, have had before them IN
their several meetings the data on this
subject for nearly two years, the xperts'
reports having been printed and handed
to each of them !as55
Tabled by Finance Committee.
1.-THE ordinance approved ny the Com
nlittee on Electricity, drawn by the City
iAttorney,a,in consultation with the SUI
5perintendent5 OF Water Works Il and Il the
Superintendent Of Fire Alarm and Police
11nG h1y'
the Council to the Finance Committee
which committee postponed action at Its
next regular meeting. settling g date tor
further discussion. At this meeting the
member most active in en- opposition %
action was disposed not to hear, any arg,5
.ment, hut the committee upon the spe-s5
,cial plea OF e one OF the members VINO
had made a study for two years OF the g
proposition agreed to hear argument
after which a motion was made. gI think
by Mr. Blair. TO table the proposition.
which prevailed. Nine OF the eleven mem
5bers OF this committee expressed them
selves as heartily 4 favoring the PROPOSE
ton some went 80 far as to say tho
facts were irresistible: five went on
record as preferring to walt on the new
IBID from the present company .5gs hence
voted to table, notw thstandlng the pres
ent company had appeared before the
Joint Committee on Electricity and III
nance and contended Richmond was get!
ting It's lights cheaper than any other
city In the United States. Under, such con-
dttions they agreed we had no right
to expect they would reduce them, and II
they do, certainly we could not look for
but a slight reduction. We are now pay
ing s5t. Is for each light; tie city
house. in connection with the Water
Works we can get the same lights for
about s28 per lamp. Tho facts In support
OF this statement stand &uncontradictcd&
In view of this condition, ask II the
proposition should not appeal to every
representative OF the people7 The ques-
ton as to comparison OF cost with other
cities should have no bearing whatever
on this proposition. s III
Superintendent Bolling's Views.
For no matter what we save In cost
OF our lights we will not gain the adj
vantage, FIVE continue under the present
system, that would result to the city from
using its own resources az we have been
urging. Some OF the advanta to be
derived from the plan for which I have
commended are set forth in this letter
$50 O July u, 1906.
Member OF Board OF Aldermen,
". Madison Ward. Rtchmo nd, Va: HI
Dear slr,-At your request. send you
the following statement and give rea-
sons which appeal to me in regard to
the property OF the city OF Richmond at
the old pump house. sSg IS Il. ss55
estimate the value OF the old pump
house property and Its water power at
from $4,000 to 100000, and under no clr-y
cumstances do think the city should
part with this property while It can be-
advantageousy used If unused, the loss
lin; value at 4 per cent will be $4,000 per
la,,nun. The present pumping capacity
at the old pump-house is seven million
3gallons;g average daily llse four million
ggallons--often used to- full capacity,
h When the settling basins are brought
into use,s the whole supply Of water for
the city will have to DO delivered from
these basins by pumps located at the new
5pump-house. At present one-third OF the