The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-19
Municipal Ownership
 Discussed.
,0UNcn MEETS AGAIN TONIGHT
It Is Shown Where $5,o0o Could
 Be Saved Annually.
The Plans of the Couacflmea Include the Ownership of . Plsat to Furnish Lights for the
 City's Llghting.

ter, was the theme of discussion at the council meeting last night. Alder man Virgin. chairman ot the water committee, and the other members of the committee have been wrestling with the problem of new boilers for the wa ter works for several months and ex- pected to make report after the coun- cil meeting last Monday night. but did not decide on the make of boiler they most preferred.
 Meantime Alderman Virgin and other members of the council have been fig urinK on other matters and . sugges- ton of the chairman of the water con- mfttee to Alderman 0unter. president of the council. that the city use elect rical power instead of steam at the water works, took like wild fire when it was proposed in the council oy Mr. Gunier.
 Hardly had the electrical power been suggested. than Alderman Ruth again spoke of the city owning its plant and furnishing its own power. plan he had been advocating for the last ten years.
 | Alderman Thompson caught the en- thusiasm and proposed the city fur nishing not only its electrical power for running the water works pumps, but generating enough force at a new
  we'll
 | There was SO much for the alderman to talk about and so many phases of the situation to be discussed that the council, after working past midnight, decided to hold another session tonight to finish up the work.
 The new proposition was sprung, when Chairman Virgin of the water committee was called upon for the re- port of the committee, that has been investigating the condition of the city's facilities for fighting fire and supplying water.
 Monday night the council opened bids from several boiler manufac- tries, who wished to install the addi- tional boilers, which the council had under contemplation for the water works. Wednesday night the water works committee met to hear the prop osition of the representatives. of the several boiler manufacturies. and aft CT half a nights session, adjourned to noon Thursday. but the work was not completed then and the matter was carried over to the meeting last night.
 The council went into executive sss- sion soon after 1t was convened and President Guntcr briefly stated the proposition, that the water committee had been discussing. Stating that the city council install an S.ooo.ooo gallon pump for practically the same price | that the new boilers would cost sand that the cost of electrical power would be much less than steam. Mir. Gunter also cited other instances In the new plan, where the more modern modus operandi would be economical. and at Alderman Virgins suggestion Manag- CT Chambers of the Montgomery light and Water Power Company. was called in to make the council tentative proposition and go somewhat into bus mess detail of the new plan.
 Saving Pay for Machinery. .
 Mir. Chambers said the new appa rat us could be installed within sixty days and that the saving would pay for the machinery in few years. Y c said ap- proximat tely $5.000 would be saved an- nually and that the power would be furnished for the S,000.0O0 capacity pump, for the price 1t cost the city to produce 3,O0O,O00 gallons a day last year, setting the price as shown by the figures on the books of the water de- partment
 Mir Chambers did not propose touch- ing the present pump house, suggest ing that 1t be saved as reserve force. an auxiliary, in case of break at the contemplated new plant. He said that his company would connect wires to the new electric pump, with both the plants at Tallassee and the old steam power house. so the city would always have electrical power, for the pump If anything went wrong. Y He cited the fact that the city was growing and In the near future would have to increase the capacity of the numps and that with steam power, this meant an increased expense, but
 With an S,O00,OOo capacity pump only fnNnishing S,000,000 the city could meet the demand for more water with out extra expense. This he said would re- duce the expense to the consumers and at the same time place the waterworks at the disposal of practically all the nronerty holders of the city.
 After MT. Chambers left, the idea of A municipal plant came up. Alderman Tn hompson said that If the electric com many could do 1t and make money, the city could operate a plant and save mo- ney. not only on water but lights too. The councilmen seeming to be deeply impressed with the new plan and at the conclusion of a somewhat lengthy discussion, council adjourned the meet ing to tonight at o'clock.
 Alderman Lowe introduced and or- dinance in the city council last night
 which met general approval, being that all inspectors entering business houses and residences in the city be in uni- form, or wearing a cap that identified tn em with that class of work. The or dinances provided that light, plumbing fire, sanitary and meter inspectors who
 worked in the city should wear uni-