The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1909-10-29
Leavenworth, Wash, Friday, October %, 1909.
REGULAR MEETING OF COUNCIL
Let There Be Light, Said the COunciI-Ihere
Shall Be Light, Replied the Tum-
water Lighting Company

ization OF desired purpose. The caus
was that the city lighting propositio
would come up for final hearing befor
the council in the evening. A majorit
of the taxpayers seemed to want lights
and to want them quick.
Nearly 100 men assembled in tn
council chamber, besides the regula
attendants and a full house of council
men. No time was wasted. AS soon a
the reading of the journal Of the las
meeting was finished Councilman WoI
denberg brought up the pending con
tract with the Tumwater Light an
Water Company for lighting the street
of Leavenworth, and submitted the FOL
lowing report of results Of investigation
into the subject:
The undersigned members OF Lea
venworth council, having given the
matter OF street lighting considera-
ton and made investigation since
last meeting, make the following re-
port and suggestions:
The undersigned favor municipal
ownership of light and water, and
from information received as to what
has been done in other towns, we
believe the town Of Leavenworth
could be bonded for light and water
purposes in approximately $35, 900.
From reports already in possession
of the council, both light and water
system can be constructed for the
said sum of $35, 900. The bonds
could be sold at premium, so that
the interest would equal not to ex-
ceed 5 per cent, which would amount
to $3.50 per annum.
The proposed lighting contract
calls for an expenditure of about
$500 per annum, and with addi-
tional lights that would have to be
added from time to time the annual
expenditure would soon exceed $2,-
900. Under the municipal owner
ship plan we would save more than
enough to pay the interest on the
bonds for both water and light by
having our own lights.
In addition to the lighting propo-
sition the Tumwater Light and Water
Company offered to install hydrants
at places to be indicated by the coun-
Gil at a cost of $40 for each hydrant,
the town to pay the cost OF hydrant
and installation. Assuming that the
town would need about thirty fire
hydrants, it would save $500 per
annum by owning its water system.
Assuming that the income OF the
Tumwater Light and Water Company
for both water and light is approx
mately $1,000 per month, which rev.
enue the town would expect to get
should it own its own plant, shows an
income of $12, 900 per year. Further
assuming that the expense. OF main
tenance and labor would be $4,000 a
year-which is considered a high
estimate-there would be left to put
into sinking fund to pay the $685.
900 bonds the sum Of $1,000, there
by paying for the plant in five years.
1t is the opinion of the under
signed that it would be advisable for
the town to incorporate as a third
class city as soon after January /,
1910, as steps could reasonably be
taken in that direction, and thereby
extend the territory, giving plated
districts outside OF present corporate
limits an opportunity to get benefits
from a light and water system, and at
the same time increase revenue Of
municipal water and light plant.
L. J. Nelson,
E. A. King,
S. c. Woldenberg.
Councilman Woldenberg then ad
dressed the council, saying substantial
in part as follows:
I want to call your attention to the
fact that the company offers US 1880
candlepower, or as much as one COM
mon arc light, to light an area OF about
FIVE miles. No man could stretch
his imagination to such an extent as
to believe that this could be possible.
For this amount Of light the company
offers to charge US the exorbitant
price of $50 per month. Think Of
that, while I talk on the benefits Of
municipal ownership.
1t is not denied that the town, by
owning and operating its own water
and light plant, could save enough
money TO pay interest on bonded
indebtedness OF $35, 900 by not sign
ing the contract offered. If the town
owned its light it could place two
electric search lights on the side hills
at each end of the town, Of 5000
candlepower each, which would light
the town as light as day; and if there
we've still any dark places smaller
lights could be placed where they
would do the most good.
Two of our commercial clubs died