The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-03-07
ELECTRIC PLAN 7
CAUSE OF DISPUTE
Councilmcn Puzzled by Many
Conflicting Statements Re
garding Its Operation.

reconcile conflicting statements that
are being made in the Water and
hiectricity Committees in regard to
the new electric plant That there is
acute friction in tho Council between
inc Water Electricity and Light Dc
partmcnts is conceded, but just where
the blame should lie 40 one seems ablc
10 say with certainty
chairman Mills, of the Water Com
mitt"e, had the ordinance regulating
the electric plant refcrred to his com
mittec, where II is now pending. on
the ground that the Water Depart
in"nt was guaranteed under contract
current for pumping 100000 gallons
nnily, and that since the Water De-
partmcat was 10 be tho user of two
thirds OF the output OF the power sta
ton 1t was vitality Interested In the
cost of production. Mr.. Mills said nc
had been informed but did nor know
whether II was true or not. that the
| electric plant was already CARRYING
an overload of approximately 20 per
| cent; TINT tho Electricity Committee
| had gone on installing ornamental ana
arc lights haphaznrd for political pur-
poses regardless Of the need ana OF
the available supply Of current: thnt
the electric plant was erected pri-
marty To provide an auxiliary or
encrsencT power station for water
pumping. and that like the horses of
the Fire Department, that mower
should always. night or day. be ready
/ to render this service when called
upon as for instance in the event of
q DIE IRE, and that the Electricity
committee had no right to divert this
portion Of it's current 10 servo ,hc no
iltical ends Of Councilmen
Denies pInnt Is Overloaded.
chairman Lynch OF tbs EicctrIcItv
; Committee. tolls different story 40.
hNinT that tn" plant l.. overloaded
/ claiming that II can carry at least
! onc-ihlrd moro than It's present nor
NAL load and that tho new water
wheel reccntl, Installed Is usually held
III reserve Mr.. Lynch docs not seek
to defend tho action of his committee
in using its expense fund las, year
10 install ornamental lights on Jencr.
son avenue. in his own ward but as
serts that tho city is not We; MS well
lighted as I; should be. and chat adj.
ditional lights should he placed whcr-
ever needed up 10 tho capacity OF tho
! plant. suggesting thn, II pump watcr
( only in tine daytime aud devote i,s
entire current TO street lights nj might
The Electricity Committee Is Inclined
to resent charges OF political influence
In placing lights. and In return has
attacked the good faith OF tho Water
Committee, declarins that it merely
seeks delay and has no intention Of
making report on the ordinance. and
( mas recommended that the Water Com
mittcc be discharged from further con
sideration
Meanwhile Councilman Sa;on has
! brought forth tn, charge titat tho old
wstar power punps At tho upper mower
station have IN the main oeen LET; 20
stand Idle. while the electric plant
has pumped most OF the water. at
times having TO burn coal IN it's aux-
] ili1r,- m nj NJ. IN JnT ~.
rent.
40 Need for Two supcrirtendcnn,.
some .Councilmcn have announced
that thay q o not sec the need for hsv-
ms two separate superintendent. each
with office n tho City Hall merely
because the City owns two power sta
lions on the river. each with water,
steam and electric connections. 70. Il
may not ba generally known that
electric generators have been operated
for scvera: years at the Nen Pump
House for the stand pipe service.
As an alternate to the pending ordl-
nance, 1t has been suggested 70 put
both power stations under the Water
Department, and turn over the light
ting or the city to the CdsQmittee on
Light thus avoiding tho duplication
OF electric and gas lamps. which has
been fruitful source Of waste IN the
past few ycars.
great deal has been said abou,
the loss 10 the city through delay In
clccting a permonan, superintendent
Of the electric plant on the ground
that the city Is now paying Consulting
Engineer r. w. Trattord 5000 a month
as acting superintendent and in add
t!un pays him par cent. for design
Ing and supervising new construction.
The Finance Committee has cfectuaily
stopped this leak however, by pro-
viding in the new budget no funds for
new machinery or new construction
on which such commissions would APP
ply. save possibly IN the installation
OF few new arc lights from the eX.
pensc fund on which such commits
sions would be nominal.
The affair: OF the electric pla~ will
no doubt be warmly debated in the
Council Monday night. 1t has been
published that Councilman George NJ.
Cease would offer a resolution locking
TO a special committee OF investiga-
ton Mr. Cease said yesterday that
he had not considered such course
or authorized the statement that he
would offer any such resolution. and
had no resolution prepared, but that
IL there were no other way of getting
to a solution OF tho tangle, such
course might be the outcome.
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