The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1912-08-10
To nODERN|zE POWER PLANT.
Movement Started 70 Expend s4o,-
600 in improvements, with View
OF Placing Electric Light System
: on Manipulating Basis Com.
Omission to Manage Plant.


'" on Money-Mating Basis Com.
Emission to Manage Plant.
. meeting Of citizens was held Tues
10y afternoon in the general lodge
room of the Masonic Temple to de-
wise ways and means for moderniz-
ing the equipment Of the municipal
power plant by the installation of
Diesel engines and Sother improved
machinery for the economical manu-
facture of electric current. Under
present conditions the plant is being
operated at loss ofzfrom $50 to s35
"a day, and it is claimed that with
ae new system a saving of as much
$4,000 8 year can be effected.
AZ "a full discussion of the matter,
it ~ decided to select commits
sion five citizens to arrange for
securing the funds needed, estimat-
ed at approximately s40, 900, and to
turn oyeMato this commission the en-
tire management OF. the pla1g until
the cost of the improvements and
the present debt shall have been
| liquidated in full, when control will
again be vested in the municipality.
AS it will require several years to ac-
complish this project, the question
arose as to whether the present city
administration has the authority le-
gally to vest the management OF the
power plant in a commission of citi-
zens, other than members Of the
council, who shall serve without
change or interruption during sue
ceeding administrations. A commit
tee composed of DR.. John S. Thi-
baut, Alex Bloomenstiel and DR.. e.
K. Sims were appointed to confer
with the city attorney on this phase
of the matter, and lit was agreed
that as soon as they were ready to
report a special meeting of the coun-
Gil would be held to take definite
action in the premises.
In the absence of City Attorney E.
N. Pugh, the committee above named
requested Mr.. Pugh's law partner,
Walter Lemann, for an opinion on
the point at issue, and Mr.. Lemann
gave it as his belief that under the
terms of an act adopted at the recent
session Of the general assembly, and
which will become operative through
out the state Aug. 20, the city coun-
Gil has the authority to vest the
management of the power plant in a
commission of citizens, to serve for
any number of years. In accord
ance with this opinion, a special
meeting of the council will be held
at O'Clock this evening to name
the five citizens who are to consti-
tute the commission.
j. Edward Megsan, representing
the Diesel Engine Co, of st. Louis,
Mo-, was in attendance at the meet
ing of citizens last Monday, and ex-
planned in detail the principle of the
Diesel engines, Whichar in success
full operation in many 81. the largest
and most modern power plants
throughout the country Mr.. Megson
showed that with the saving in the
cost of fuel alone effected through
the installation Of Diesel engines, the
contemplated Improvements to the
power plant could be fully paid for
in the course of few years, and
the plant placed on a revenue-pro-
ducing basis, instead of costing the
city some $4,000 per ,annum for main
CeudnCes DIS at present MI. WeS-
son has visited Donaldsonyille on
several occasions in the past with a
view to having the Diesel engines
installed in the local powerhouse,
and it is largely due to his persistent |
ard well-directed efforts, supplement-
ed by the assistance and eo-opera-
ton of E. A. Thibodeaux, city cleo
tlician and superintendent of the.
plane, that the much-needed i'm
are about to be made.
It is expected that the necessary
funds will be supplied by local in
yestors.