The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-05-05

tried in the district court today. S..
Il. Wilson appeared for the plain
tiff and w. r. Geddes for the de-
PENDANT.
From Tuesdays DaiD
The council held an extended
meeting yesterday afternoon with
the representatives of the Consum-
ers' Power company, who were de-
sirous that the city operate the
pumps at the city pumping station
with electric power. The outcome
was that the council declined to en-
terrain the proposition made.
The representatives of the Con-
sumers' Power company, Messrs.
Gresham and Callahan, claimed that
the city would get its pumping done
a little cheaper by using electric
power than by its own steam
plant, while on the other hand the
councilmen claimed that the opera
ton of the present steam plant
would be made less expensive for
the city and that the city would
also be certain of having power
whenever wanted. Both sides pre-
scented figures to sustain their con-
tentiOns.
The Consumers Power company
was reluctant to make any PROPOSE
ton based on any other measure
ment than kilowatt hours, but the
councilmen would not consider such
proposition and insisted that if
the company had a proposition to
make it, say what it would pump
the water into the reservoir for, per
million gallons.
Company Presented Figures.
The Consumers Power company
presented figures to show that the
cost of operating the pumping sta
ton last year was $5,46S.S1 net,
while Engineer Lenz's figures were
$4,95S27.
Mr.. Gresham claimed that the
pump displacement last year was
330,000,OOO gallons, and estimated the
slippage at twenty per cent, and said
that this showed that it cost the
city $21.60 per million gallons to
pump the water, not counting inter
est, depreciation or repairs.
The councilmen suggested that the
pump would deteriorate faster il not
used than if used, and said that the
figures Of the city show that the cost
Of pumping per million gallons was
but $16.46, based on the gallons act
ually pumped and the expense of
pumping. This did not include Slip
page, but Water Commissioner Hen
line did not think that there was
much if any slippage since the pump
had been put in good shape. But
adding for the slippage estimated by
the Consumers Power company, the
cost was but $19.75 per million gal
Ions.
Mr.. Gresham said that with the
pump that they proposed to install
there would be no slippage. Mr. Hen
line said that since the city pump
has been gone over, One-third less
coal is used, and the water is
pumped with three or four hours a
day less pumping.
Supply of Electricity.
The question of the supply of cleo
tricity came up and Mr.. Gresham
said that they could not guarantee
to keep a continuous supply, but that
the times when the power would
be off would be very brief, while it
would take a day TO use up the wa
ter in the reservoir.
Mr.. Henline said that the city
would have to keep it's plant in
readiness in case of accident to the
electrical plant, as it would not do
to run chances on the fire protection.
Mayor Taylor said that what was
wanted was a rate based on the
amount of water pumped. Mr..
Gresham replied that the company
measures its power by kilowatts, and
the city could install a check meter.
Mr.. Henlino said that Minneapolis
pays for electric power per million
gallons and asked why Mankato
could not have the same kind of a
proposition. Mr.. Gresham said that
the conditions here were entirely
different.
Iovolonn1 Il, III, l;ra,,n;on a.,