Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1910-10-08
CITY LIGHTING
PLANT SCHEME
IS FURTHEREO
To Use Excess Power from City
Hall DynamOs for Market
and FirehOnses.


ment was advanced another step last
night, when the Common Council al
most unanimously adopted a resolu-
tion calling for the extension of the
City Hall lighting plant so that the
excess power may be used in lighting
Centre Market and cuch flrehouses and
other public buildings as can be sup
piled by the city's plant.
This proposition, which has been be-
fore the council n one form or an
other for some years. and which has
been repeatedly sidetracked and tabled,
was brought to life last night when
Alderman Whitfield presented the fol-
lowing resolution:
Resolved, That the city Hall light
ing plant be extended and used to its
full capacity in lighting the Public
Market and such engine houses and
other public buildings as can be light
ed by said plant"
City Has Surplus Power.
In offering the resolution, Alderman
Whitfield said it was only fair to the
public and the municipal lighting COM
3
in the matter
I'VE have enough surplus power at
the City Hall plant to light more of
the public buildings, and l present this
resolution in order TO get the sense
of the council on the project" said
Alderman Whitfield.
The introduction of the resolution
precipitated discussion that lasted
tmp nd
nington was finally forced to cut the
controversy short after every possible
phase of the subject had been gone
+ over time and again.
Alderman Congleton opposed the plan
as vigorously as he has upon every
occasion in the past when it has been
considered
This is {. very serious matter" he
said, "and involves more than merely
lighting a few public buildings. It as
sumes the larger proposition of our
going into the municipal ownership of
public utilities, and : am opposed to
any such plan, not only in the matter
of lighting, but in all other similar
matters.
Many cities Failed in Project.
Il maintain that members who are
elected TO this body for two years can't
afford to give the time necessary to
properly carry out the work, and ex-
perience has shown that city officials
who have no money at stake do not
show the same initiative and interest
in such undertakings as they give to
private enterprise. More than 120 cities
have tried to conduct municipal light
ing plants, and they have all become
defunct. 1t Is costing us more to light
this very building than IL we had en-
tered into a contract. Moreover, ! am
opposed to any plan involving more
appointments OF a political nature. For
these reasons / shall vote against the
resolution"
Alderman Biertuempfel, chairman of
the municipal lighting committee. said
the idea did not take the shape of
municipal lighting plant, but merely
aimed to get the subject in proper con-
dition for more intelligent handling.
He submitted a written statement of
his views, which was in part as fol-
lows:
I'm order to bring the question of
municipal lighting to a final and prac-
tical conclusion, l believe it is neces-
sary to give authority to someone, as
a superintendent or commissioner of
lighting, who shall take , the matter
of lighting with all heads of depart
1nents who are users of currents or
lights, such as the police and fire de-
partments, Board of Health, hospitals,
School Board and others, and to put
the entire control and responsibility of
all questions concerning lighting with
such a head 1t will not reoccur, as
happened few years ago. that a COM
pany was willing to give us current
for one-half the price which we were
paying, and no department above men,
toned has taken advantage of this
half-price offer. l consider this poor
business from both an economical and
business standpoint.
Responsibility Divided.
"All the blame is to be laid TO our
bad system and of not having the re-
sponsibility placed where it belongs.
Instead of this, the responsibility is too
much divided, with too many heads of
departments, some of whom have
never read the article of the offer
made. and the only department which
took advantage of 1t was the Board of
Works 1t is clean business and COM
mon sense which leads me to make
this request, and 1 sincerely hope that
it will meet with your approval"
Alderman MCGOWAN said that the City
Hall plant has been success f1nan-
cially and otherwise, and no doubt
remained but that the excess power
could be used to advantage in the man.
ner proposed. He said municipal own
ership had proved eminently successful
in the case of the watershed matter, and
this project had the same objections
made to 1t when 1t was first proposed.
Alderman Whitfield said he did not
intend to make the question one of
municipal ownership. as he was not yet
prepared to vote on such plan, but he
merely wanted to put to some use the
excess power at the City Hall plant.
Confer with Public Service.
Alderman McGowan's suggestion that
the committee confer with the Public
Service Corporation with view to Sc
curing a uniform rate for the city did
not meet with the Councils approval
Alderman Homer said that IL tha