Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-04-04
NEW CITY
ADMINISTRATION,
Continued from sth pngeD

for commercial lighting. sl6.7se.7s; total
cost outside the plant, $3S 36GO6. This
makes the total cost of the power and
lighting equipment s9So1446. The total
amount appropriated for the plant and
equipment up to that date is 100000 but
the difference between this sum and the
total cost given above is fully explained
In the report. there being at that time an
unexpended balance of 81, 697 &c. and tools
and office fixtures which cost s27S.SS. It
would hardly seem fair to ask tho present
administration to take this plant and
equipment at its cost price. The plant and
outside equipment are not worth to-day
what they cost and think can fairly be
charged annually with 10 per cent. depre-
citation Figuring two years depreciation
on the original cost of the plant 1853, els 30)
ana one years depreciation on the prop
erty Installed the past year (s21.27s.4D the
total depreciation would be $12S5l so That
would make the present value of the
plant sS5.l5296, which | think all will agree
Is very liberal one. Accepting these fig
ures the plant for the first two years Of is
existence has been operated at a loss of
SS.9l953 instead of at a profit as has been
claimed
| 1t is proper toeN SIX at this time which
mas proved the better investment municipal
lighting of the streets or municipal CONNER
clal lighting. Up to January l. 1906. the cost
or buildings, machinery and equipment at
the electric light plant, an outfit supposed
10 ne capable of producing all the street
Ights necessary for the city, had cost ac-
cordng to the report on that date.
$"S'5oeW The outside equipment for
street lighting on January 1. 1907, had been
81 .b12 2T r1altipo
street lighting of s5s.a3996 The gross in
come from the street lights for the last
fiscal year has been s161C8.33 If the addi-
tonal equipment at the plant be charged
10 commercial lighting it would make
mis- cost S2l,27S.41, add to this the
cost OF the outside wiring. etc
Tor the commercial lighting (slG.79G io) (
ana the total outlay for tho COM
mercial system is s3SO7590 The
income from commercial. lighting for the
past hscal year has been s76127S Put in
us briefest form, when the city had an |
equipment costing s59.93 " we were able
to earn gross income OF s237l6oo This !
shows the results of commercial lighting |
TO he much less profitable than lighting
Of streets alone. However. we are not |
without remedy for this for understand |
mat the equipment at the plant at the |
present fs able to safely carry 300 more !
incandescent lights. If this additional |
service can be secured in a way that will |
Increase the net income of the plant IT |
VIII aid us in rectifyinG any mistaken !
policy that has been followed of paying
700 dearly for the privilege of doing
commercial lighting
FILTER AND PUBLIC WHARF.
me EFFORT OF the closing administration
10 install mechanical filter for the city's
water supply and to purchase or con-
struct public wharf has not been Sue
cessrul and to the present administration
comes the responsibility of these two i'm
portant undertakings. have not studied
these questions thoroughly enough to
give advice, but ask you to remember
that so long as the citys water SUNNY.
comes from the lake II must he purified
before 1t is safe for domestic use. So II
VIII not be the part of wisdom to attemnt
any makeshift but we should install n
Hi'ratlon plant that will give satisfactory
and permanent results, something that
Will not be perish with us, but remain n
monument TO our good sense long after
We are gone.
The public wharf probably will never
give reasonable returns on the money that
is put INTO 1t, but the people have voted
Tor 1t and we should take the rnatterup for
ourselves and give them a wharf we'll
located az soon as 1t can be consistently
done.
NIGHT TRADE SCHOOLS
Allow me at his time to suggest to
your honorable body and the citizens of
burlington generally the desirah!lity of
me establishment of a night trades or
hdustrIal school in this city The nuhlic
SCHOOLS are supported by funds contribut
sd by every tax payer without regard to
financial social or religious conditions
snd 1t should be the aim TO expend these !
FUNDS In way that the benefits of pub
Nc schools shall be as widespread and
uniform as the source from which they
rome. The higher grades of the public e.
hcHoolS or TINS city are of inestimable
value 10 IT and furnish to those able to
fend their children to them great oppor
unity for mental training and intellectual
development. Their efficient preparation
Of pupils for college education adds
much 10 the success of our university .
and for these reasons they should not be {
neglected or allowed in any way to de- ! ,
teriorate. But 1t should also be remem- (
oered that very large proportion Of the
eltys Families cannot afford to send I
their children to these excellent free !
schools placed almost at their doors In :
stead OF receiving the mental training