The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-03-21
Meeting at the Commercial Club
to Consider the Impor-
tant Question.
DIVERSE VIEWS EXPRESSED;
NO CERTAIN ACTION TAKEN
Mr.. Richter's Proposal Favored
if Property Owners
Will Agree.

The one thing that became apparent at
the meeting OF the Committee on Public
improvements and Parks at the CONNER
cial club rooms yesterday was that the
views on the future lighting system OF
Main street are almost as numerous and
diverse as there are minds in the COM
munty, and practically the only definite
action taken was the adoption OF reso-
luton favoring a uniform system. rms
resolution was proposed by A. Richter
and It's tenor was that the committee ia
vored n uniform system OF lighting MAIN
street, and that it favored having poles
with cluster lights erected by the owners
OF abuttlng property. one cluster between
every two trolley posts. which the power
company has promised to place at inter-
walls Of lis feet. The provso was made,
however that all of the property owners
In the block affected must consent to put
in similar cluster lights and that the
posts must all be uniform in height,
Since the change In the lighting system
involves so many considerations 1t ap-
pears that the matter of deciding on some
definite plan that Will be satisfactory
TO a majority OF citizens is unusually diff
cult One thing seems TO have been den-
nitely determined beforehand. and that Is
the distance that is TO intervene between
the posts. which are 70 serve as supports
for the trolleys of the street car sys-
intervals OF lis feet. and each post is to
support Il cluster of four incandescent
lights. The Utah Light and Railway
company has consented TO furnish the
cluster lights for the trolley posts with
out charge, but the city will have TO pay
for the power,
Uniformity VS.. Diversity.
Some time ago the Il. c, NJ, l petitioned
the City Council for permission TO place
cluster lights along the curblng in front
q It's BUILDINGS The posts to ne
placed AT intervals of about thirty feet
and each was 10 support cluster OF hVe
lights. The estimated cost per post was
$l0i Had the petition been made sew
eral months ago It would doubtless have
aroused but little opposition. but since
1t was submitted at a time when the
matter OF improving the appearance of
Main street was being agltated. II sug-
gested the consideration OF uniformity.
Most of the members OF the Improvement
committee seemed to think that II the
plan suggested by the Z. C. NJ. I. were
generally adopted 1t would impart 10 the
street gala appearance. whereas II
business thoroughfare. They maintained.
moreover. that property owners would not
consent TO proposition which involved
go great expense
point 1t brought up phase of the ques-
tion which will evidently be a bone OF
contention when the matter is discussed
In the City Council, namely, the question
OF how the lighting proposition is TO be
financed, Some OF the Councllmen who
attended the meeting said that the light
Client and they therefore urged that the
business districts be lighted In the fu-
ture by private enterprise. One of the
Councilmen. F S. Fernstrom argued that
the city might as well try to limit the
growth of merchants business or TO
dictate as TO the size and style OF the
merchants signs as to attempt to govern
in the matter OF lighting Though this
NOT pxa~Ily n6rTfnSnf MIR Richter
sponded by saying that the City Council
really ought to dictate in the matter OF
signs.
rescue with a method II financing the
proposition which seemed 20 be generally
commended He suggested that the city
pay half the cost Of lighting ana that The
other half be paid by assessment against
the owners Of abutting property, Con-
sidering the difficulties involved in es-
tablshing a uniform lighting system the
advantages of this suggestion are at
once apparent.
What Business Men Want.
j. e Dooly. who has for sometime
naintained a private lighting system.
caes said 10 s sG"s G %
naturally prefer 10 have cluster lights
on either side of the main entrance TO
their places of business II in setting
the posts exactly midway between the
trolley posts the lights should be placed
directly in front OF main entrances the
proprietor of the building wouli object
while his neighbor would refuse 10 pay
for the lights on the ground that he ue-
rived no benefit from them. On the 9TH
~ hand. he asserted. the poles on prop
erty lines would cause no little wrang:ing
II the property owners wero called upon
to pay the entire cost of lighting.
Col. r, G., Webber, representing the
u. c M J., said that the petition maze
by his company was not entirely selfish
since the company intended TO extend
its labors south on Main street and thus
bring about better lighting throughout
the business district. lie said that all
the property owners on the east side al
Main between South Temple and First
South streets. had already agreed 10 tn
stall lights in accordance with the plans
proposed in the petition and mat no
doubt the owners of property on the
opposite side of the block would Join in
the movement.
Those who attended the meeting were:
A Fred Wey, a. ], Davis, j.. G. kCl-
sey. w, j. Dooey, John Clark. Z. w.
Mendenhall. A, r. Carter. w. j. Hal
loran. w. Mont Ferry. Thomas lIo'iGay,
l.. G, Webher. George ID. Alder Il, u.
Wells, a. F. Barnes. Z. 6. FeIDstrom.
John Holey, E G. O'Donnell, c. j. Crab
tree, c. II. Griffin, a. Richter. 7, r.
Black. j. D. Murdoch. A. V, Taylor and
j. Il. Dooly.