The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-04-22
Board of Works Favors an
Increased Levy So the City
Can Pay for the Current 1t
Is Using.
CLUSTER LIGHTING
NOT FAVORED NOW
This System of Illuminating
Main Street, Board Decides
Would Be One More Bur-
den for the Plant.

An increase of the city taxes is
planned as means of relieving the
municipal light plant of the unfair
burden placed upon it, of supplying
the city $1,400 worth of free current
every month for lighting the streets
and public buildings.
1t is planned to have the city pay
for the lights out of general fund,
The money to be raised by an increase
in the taxes. This proposal will be
taken to the city council, stated the
mayor this morning, after the above
tOutlined action was decided upon fol-
lowing hearing on the cluster light
proposition.
The board decided that the addition
lRl burden on the city light plant OF
supplying free about 5000 worth of
current yearly for the proposed clus-
ter lights on Main street, from Fourth
to Eleventh, would be too great.
Cluster lights must wait, the board
decided, until the new unit is install
ed at the plant, and the plant is able
TO manufacture more current. With
the new unit installed, the plants ca
pacity will be nearly doubled.
Objections Are Raised.
Very vigorous objection was raised
no the action of the city government
1orcing the municipal plant to fur
n1ish free current for lighting streets
and public buildings. This practice
icompels the city light plant patrons to
meet the expense of public lighting.
Superintendent Johnson of the city
plant also entered a very vigorous OBJ
iJection to this practice. ''It is mani
testify unfair to the plant and it's con-
tsumers," stated Johnson, to the men,
}bers of the Commercial club and the
board of works. The members of the
club committee admitted this fact, and
sthe mayor in speech warmly endors-
led the stand taken by Johnson.
The proposition was then made that
Ithe merchants buy the cluster light
ing system, install it, and pay for the
current the first year, the current to
be secured for one year from the
Light, Heat & Power company. The
board took this under advisement
Superintendent Johnson pointed out
that the plant would be unable to sup
lply free current for cluster lights this
year, and still be able to make enough
money to build the new addition
which is planned for next year. This
addition will cost about $4,000. 1t
will double the capacity of the plant.
About $31 900 has been saved for this
improvement. BY the middle of next
tyear the plant will have sufficient
sum to pay for the addition.
Other districts of the city now need
lights more than Main street was also
pointed out. 1t was also said in re-
iply to the statements of the commit
tee that the cluster lights would ad-
vertise the city, that the city light
plant advertises the city more than
the cluster lights would be able to-
Mr.. Johnson in his argument stated
that many of the principal manufac-
lturers in the city wanted cheap cur
rents.
That the Light, Heat & Power COM
Ipany, by reason of the millions back
ing it, has been and still is. supplying
light to some of the big corporations
and consumers at cut rates to try to
put the city plant out of business, was
also charged
Mayor Zimmerman stated that as
the Light, Heat & Power company's
franchise ran out in four years, may
be this condition would be altered by
the citys refusal to grant the COM
pany a new electric lighting and pow
er franchise.
Superintendent Johnson was given
much credit for his management of
the plant by the members of the club
committee.
The matter as it now stands, is that
the cluster lights will not be put in
now, if the light plant has to fur
nish free current If the merchants
are agreeable. the board will consider
soon, and report in about week, on
the advisability of the merchants in
stalling the cluster light system, and
paying for the current to be secured
from the Light, Heat & Power COM
pany, until the city plant can furnish
the current free.
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