The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-07-22
.AldormanD abnoy I Points 81 | IS
Outthe Evil Of Delay
to Committee.
OLD CONF N TWILL
NOT REDU ICE FRI E:
Estimate Shows That City Should
Be Furnished Better Light at
Half the. ID Present Price.
Il Cost of Whole Plant n.
! Saved In Twelve
Years. 5i.5

Alderman w. r. Dabney on being asked
I yesterday whether the FINANCE Commit
Tee Of the Council acted wisely In tabling
the proposition, to install q city electric
light and power plant, replied: n
..rhe public WITH the facts before
them, Fl as were presented 81 TO the
Fnance Committee, would D likel y con-
Fclude they did not. a m easure OF
such Importance should be clearly pre-
scented to the people y ! frougll tho press
and their epresen tatiyes, bu tlle hctloh
opportunity for the people TO be inform
ed on the subject, BY re- tuslng to res
turn tho ord finance to the Council where
the entire Council could discuss q and
consider the sumo, assigning as their
reason they think we had better wait tl!t
and ascertain what the present company
would light theScityS for after the present
contract expires. 4s5} u 8S
Why did they not return tho ordinance
5wlth8the endorsement Of the proposition.S
recommending the Council wait until +
the present company made new BIDS
thereby permitting the Council to say
whether this was a wise course In vie W
ftof al the existing conditions
They were asked to do this, In view
OF the fact that all tho members pres
ant but one (who was Mr.. Blair) stated
Water COMMITTEES. after a careful ~ con-
sidera ton, unanimously endorsed the pro-
position, and Electricity Committee. az
ter carefully examining the electric ex-5
5pcrt's report, unanimously reco m men ded
the adoption by the Council OF the pro-
posed ordinance. iSs5
84 +. s# Further. the Finance Committee was ',
aware that liz action would likely q efeat
Tho proposition. as the Council and Board
4 Ia f ~ "
for the present session In the next lew!
days which NEAR II at The very least, no
Action could be taken on this proposit ton:
3 Tor several months. It having TO be In
4 troduced into the new CO uneil.
What may this result IN si3l
Suppose the present company, did not
make a satisfactory offer TO do he city
lighting. 1t would then be too late TO-
Install the plant by The time the pre- sent
contract terminates. which would place
4 the city at the mercy OF the present COM
pany as to S price for at n least several
yea rs, as they, could refuse to contract
for a shorter period than five years, the
term OF the presen contract.
Delay is Fatal. III
The public should i know the facts IN.
this proposition, ii and with them they
would doubtlesa econ clude that the pos.
2sibility Of a. reduction OF light does not
Justify for one moment 4 turtle delay
and. II In my opinion would dlsapprove the
recent action ofEtle Finance Committee
and urge the Council TO act t ..g$s
ask the careful consideration OF the
following conditions and the proposition
to meet them with the end IN view o.
tho peoples interest: 5,. S#
The water department has asked H the
Council for additional pumping capacity
Tor supplying the entire City with water
from the settling basin. which can only
he provided byt mourning an expense o.
$50. 900 TO Install essary pumps ana
laying OF water mains to Old Reservoir
from new pun,p-house,g hereny n q!
ing the old pump-hou Sc. &S such additional
mower at the new pump-house would
exhaust our water power at that point.
allowing nothing for future demands
caused by the growth Of the city.
II the city does not provide the above.
and continues to use the old pump-house.
about half Of the Richmond people VIII
drink the surface water from the river,
while the other half would drink from the
purified water from the settling basina.55
Would our people tolerate such condt-.
lions III Il S53i # 81, Z, "a
department. saHj5
The street lighting is the next condt-i
ton I wish TO call attention TO-. which
we could materially Improve BY the propo-
sition under consideration. a.
High Price Of Light.
The present cost OF each street lights
s64 Is for what is termed a 200 candle
power. rs S4 s5sf !.
d Few cities, sif any, our size use less
than 1000 candle powerful our cItiznps
have any doubt OF the pressh1t lights
being too small they will be convinced on
5!he subject by Elancing around the limited
! distance up and down our streets that ara
lighted and observe how made to. they
are for the purpose they are used
; The present company has persistently