Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1910-11-10
COUNCIL PASSES ORDINANCE.
city WIN Grant Franchise for Twenty
Years IT,

At special meeting last night
the city council adopted an ordinance
granting the use OF the streets and
alleys Cor poles, wires and conduits
for twenty years to the Riverside
Light and Power company, on GER
tain specified conditions. The ordi-
nance will not become effective I'M
less the company files with the city
clerk its acceptance Of the terms laid
down.
It is stipulated that the company
shall furnish electricity to the city
for lighting purposes at the rate OF
six cents per kilowatt. to be measured
through meter located at some
point designated by the mayor and
council This rate is to apply for
five years, subject to the right OF
the city to renew 1t at the expiration
of that time for another five years.
The maximum rate to private con-
sumers is established, for ten kilo-
watts or less, at ten cents per kilo-
watt; ii to so kilowatts, 8 cents;
81 to rs kilowats, cents; rs to 100
kilowatts, I, cents; lO1 to 1875 kilo-
watts, 6 cents; all over 126 kilowatts
at S cents provided that the mimi
mum charge for service shall not be
more than $1.0O per month.
The present rate paid for munich
pal lighting is $1,000 per year, flat
for twelve arc lights. For domestic
purposes there is flat rates Of ten
cents per kilowatt, on which there
is allowed discount Of ten per cent
IL the current consumed averages
two kilowatts per lamp per month,
and one OF twenty per cent where
four kilowatts or more per lamp are
used monthly. Current for power
purposes costs from three to five
cents per kilowatt.
G. L. Brown Of the Light and Pow
er company, said today: I'VE are
not seeking any favors. The citizens
committee came to us with a propo-
sition to put in conduits and con-
Meeting ducts to supply lights for the
four corners of each street crossing
in the downtown district. We fig
ured out what the expense would be,
and Offered to sell the conduit sys-
TEN to the city at cost within rea-
sonable time. All we asked was the
right to be here twenty years, SO that
we might be able to sell the bonds
, REQUIRED for all these proposed i'm
proyements. We offered to accept
as the rate the city should pay for
: municipal lighting the average pre-
vailing in any five towns about the
size of Abilene within a radius Of
100 miles. 1t seems to me that was
fair enough. know nothing about
~
this ordinance the council passed last
night and Of course do not ex-
pect to do anything about 1t. ! am
told it provides schedule OF rates
Efor private consumption based on
the total amount of power used. That
is a wrong principle, and 1t Is unfair
TO the small consumer, A man who
burns ten lamps one hour Is not as
good customer as a man who burns
one lamp ten hours. The amount
used per lamp during given time,
Ike a month. is the thing to be con-
sdered in making rates"
Poles are not to interfere with
the use Of the streets, and in the dis
trict in which paving is contracted
for. conduits are to be put in, poles
in that section being used only for
distribution.
After the passage Of the light or
dinance other minor business mat
tiers were disposed OF. The city att
torney, apropos of second attempt
on the part Of moving picture con-
Germ to get the mayors permission
to exhibit pictures Of the Jeffries7
johnson prize fight in the city, was.
instructed to draw up an ordinance
prohibiting the exhibition of prize
fight films and indecent shows. Z,
A request presented by H. L. Hum
phrey that the city undertake part
Of the expense OF building bridge
over the ditch north Of town at the
crossing OF 18th street was referred
70 the street and alley committee.
The city's contract with the Brown
Telephone company was ordered
placed on file in the office Of the
register Of deeds.
Adjournment till Thursday night.