The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-11-01
Beard Of Works Commits
siOuerS Put Figures
Before the Public.
$22 LESS PER ARC LAMP
Newark Pays SIS, With $40 Rate
Coming, but Point Out That
Municipality Visited Cut Cost
tOS52.87-.Question Before
Voters Tuesday.

The municipal lighting question,
which has ain dormant since the
awarding of a five-year contract to the
Public Service Corporation during the
summer, was revived again yesterday
afternoon at the meeting of the Board
OF Works, when the Democratic mem,
bers, Commissioners Halpin inc Lam
bert, called the attention of the board
To the fact that the people of the city
VIII vote on them municipal lighting ref
erendum on Tuesday next.
Members of the board last month
visited Detroit. where a municipal light
ing plant has been in successful opera
ton for twelve years. The members of
the lighting commission of that city
took pleasure in showing the visitors
from New Jersey through the plant
and explaining its workings. They also
gave the commissioners copies of their
last annual report.
it Ia for the purpose of getting the
figures contained in this report before
the public hat Commissioner Halpin
brought the matter up at the meeting
yesterday. His motion to the effect
that the engineering department. COM
piib III lSu OIlpIcllCtlSlNCly Ill
that they be given to the
( seconded by Commissioner Lambert,
was carried with the aid of Commits
sioner Eggers's vote. Commissioners
Denman and Book remained silent on
the subject.
The matter came up Immediately after
Commissioner Book spoke on the Owen
dock project. There is another mat
ter that will come before the public
on election day-the municipal electric
lighting project" he said. 1T is true
that We have q five-year contract with
the Public Service Corporation, but it
is also true that we will be compelled
to provide for lighting the streets at
the expiration of that contract.
Last month the members of the
board visited Detroit, where a plant
has been in operation for years. At first,
according to the report gotten out by
the commission, each arc lamp cost he
city $S4.70 but last year this cost was
reduced to $52.S7 per lamp, despite the
fact that the cost of fuel increased dur
ing that time.
81 think this matter should be prop
'erly brought before the people of New
ark, in order that they may vote with
intelligence on the question on election
day"
Mr.. Halpin then made the motion
mentioned above, which was promptly
seconded by Commissioner Lambert,
who said: This matter has been I'M
der investigation by this body and by
the Aldermen for some time, and it is
only due to the agitation of the public
that the present contract with the Pub
lie Service Corporation was secured.
This contract is comparatively low, but
this agitation, n nothing else, is re-
sponsible for the reductions secured by
this board.
Now. then, the question as to whether
h is wise to build a plant SHOULD be de-
lermined by the people. This act is per-
nj 3sive only. If the voters decide that
We may build the plant it does not neces-
Iarily mean that the city is obligated to
10 so. The city may find itself In this
position-it is bound by contract with the
P. S. C. and there may be a decided
change in the production of electricity,
and the city may want very much to
build its plant, or 1t may want the project
Is a club to swing over the head of the
?. S. c.. and the corporation may want
mother contract at the end of the present
ne. / cannot see what objection any
foter may have to the project, and we can