Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1908-11-22
LIGHT And POWER
UNDER DISCUSSION
At Special Session of the City Council
Friday Evening.

The city fathers held a special meet
ing Friday evening for the purpose or
further considering the proposition OF
buying a current of electricity from the
reclamation service for the purpose of
supplying the town with light and pow
er This matter was first taken up
some weeks ago and the city attorney
was then instructed to make applica-
tion to the reclamation service through
L. c. Hill for a current. Mr.. Hill
wrote in reply that before the applfca-
ton could be really considered 1t would
be necessary for him to have some DEF
mite idea OF what amount OF current
the city would require and the charac-
ter OF the load-that is, whether II
would be comparatively steady or
would be greater at one time and small
Ter at another. The council held a
meeting upon the receipt OF this com
nunication and discussed the matter
but accomplished little else than the
arrival at an understanding that some
one knowing something about electrical
matters would have to be called in for
consultation on the subject Carl
Gustafson. the Tempe pumping plants
engineer was decided upon and he was
in attendance at the meeting Friday
evening.
Mr.. Gustafson has gone over the
ground carefully and has prepared an
estimate. not only Of the amount Of
current that will be required, but also
of the cost to the city if plant and
distributing system is put in. The
service. however. cares nothing about
this latter item: it is the quantity Of
current required that it is mostly con-
cerned in. The council instructed the
clerk to send Mr.. Gustafson's report to
Mr. Hill and il is expected that within
a day or two a reply will be had. 1t
is presumed that in this reply Of Mr..
Hills he will make the city PROPOSE
ton and quote a rate at which the cur
rent will be supplied. AS yet this all
important factor has not been brought
UP, the reclamation service declining to
quote any figure until the exact SIT
uation was made known
Whether or not the city takes up the
proposition depends almost entirely
upon the price at which the govern
ment viii sell the current. II a prop
osition is made that the city sees is
sufficiently low for it to take the mat
ter UP and make a success of the ven
ture. there is little doubt but that a
contract with the government will be
entered into and the city Will supply
the residents with light and power on
much the same basis that it now sup
plies water
According to Mr.. Hills letter it is
anticipated that the government viii be
prepared to furnish light and power
to the valley sometime in the spring
probably by March or April. The city
figures that if it decided to take up
the matter an enabling act may be
passed and bonds voted and sold and
the mone.- available for the construc-
ton of the distribution system by that
time. 1t is quite possible too, that If
the city concludes to go into the bust
ness, a satisfactory deal may be made
with the Tempe Light and Power COM
pany for the purchase of the COM
pany's lighting system just as 1t stands
This last. is of course all speculation,
however. and until Mr.. Hills reply Is
received the matter is pretty much at
a stand still.