The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-05-15
FAVOR MAKING
CITY Plan 0. K.
That is Sense of City Coun-
Gil as Expressed at the
Meeting Last Night
NEW COMMITTEE
WAS APPOINTED
Will Inspect Equipment and
Determine What is Need
ed in Repairs.

ed IN Repairs.
It Is the sense of the city councli
that the municipal water and light
that 1t Il he operated in the flu.
ture as In the past by the city.
No definite action as to municipal
private ownership was taken. and
definite conclusion was arrived al
as to whether the city should operate
!ts W plant permanently or not.
alderman squircs moved that the
above action be taken putting the mo-
ton as follows:
Moved that it be the sense Of this
council that the city should take
at oncc to put the plant in
first class condition with IL view OF
running its w waterworks and elec-
trio light plant"
Not Permanent.
Alderman Sanders declared that he
thought that the motion if carried
would Dlnd the city to a settled policy
of municipal ownership and operation
at a time when facts n figures bear
ing on the situation We're very meager
1t was pointed out that such was not
the Intention of the motion. Alder
men Dinnie and Sanders said they
thought that the city ought to pur-
its power from some private
company If experience showed that
the city could not produce electricity
as cheaply as a private. concern.
The motion was reStated with the
explanation that it was not to COM
NIT the city Indefinitely and the roll
was called. The following voted aye:
Aldermen Squires. Smith. Salisbury,
sannes. Grifitls. Reed, Eikhoff. Bry-
son, Turner. Valley. Ellestad ana
Salstad. Alderman Dinnie voted no"
and Alderman Sanders passed his
vote. Alderman Dinnie later asked
permission to change his vote to aye
but Mayor Murphy ruled that thai
order of business had been passed.
Appoints Committee.
Upon authorization by the council
Mayor Murphy appointed a committee
of five members of the council to i'm
Nestieate the situation at the munici-
pal plant and TO report to the coun
en- the improvements necessary. the
citN's use, tho advisability of using
stokers and other matters connected
with the plant. The committee con-
sists of Alderman Snuires, Sannes,
Dinnie. Smith and Eikhoff. They
We're empowered to call in outside OK
perts.
Other Committee Reports.
The first matter taken up in the
matter of the water plant proposition
was che report of the special commit
tee appointed at'the last meeting to
make tests. The Committee. consist
ing of Dean Crouch Of the university,
Engineer Junea&s6f the city plant and
Weberg of the Diamond mill. report
ed that owing to the bad condition
OF the plant any tests made would
be vaiueless. The committee esti-
mated. however, that the cost of run
ming the plant ought not to exceed
S15,337 annually as compared with
$4,000. the cost Of running it in the
past. The committee was of the opin-
ion that it could be run for much less
than $15.337.
City Engineer INkken's figures on
running cost submitted later in the
evening put the cost at $4,000 IA year,
Or $4,000 below the present cost. He
estimated that the city is losing from
SIS to $50 a day at present running
the plant in it's poor condition.
Willing to Withdraw.
Mayor Murphy then called upon w.
Fl. Brown Of the Red River Power
company. Mr.. Brown stated that he
would not have submitted his PROPOSE
ton of furnishing the city with power
had he known that it would have hao
him into a controversy. He felt that
under present conditions ne did not
care to go further with the PROPOSE
ton. When the city has placed its
plant in good running order and HAD
found out just what it costs to oper-
ate it, If it is decided hat it is
advisable to purchase the light. he
would then be glad to talk business
Any further discussion or considera-
ton of the Red River Power com
pany proposition at this time would.
in all probability. prove unsatisfactory
to all concerned was Mr.. Browns
opinion.
James McCleary, representing the
Westinghouse Machine company when
called upon for a few comments on
the situation stated that a shaker
crate would be better than a chain
crate stoker. the latter not working
well under 4 luctuating load. A seri-
Gus fault to be found with the city
plant is the fact thai the boilers are
not 'looped' so that any one of them
can be isolated for repairs. The steam
line must be changed before any re.
pairs can be made at all. Several
other matters We're informally dis
crssed by Mr.. McCleary. There would
he no saving in labor or coal by the
use OF StokefS, SAID Mr. McCleary, but
the life of the boiler would be pro-
longed and smokeless combustion
would be secured.
Other matters approved by the
council were the extension Of the city
water main and city sewer to the
property Of the Northwestern FLAX
and Fiber company, and the remod-
cling of the city pump house.
After the business Of the evening
DR.. Gillette was called upon to make
a few remarks on the question OF
municipal plants. He argued that i,
would be bad policy to abandon the
policy of municipal ownership and
operation.
Campbell Here.
Tom Campbell, q we'll known for
mer resident Of Grand Forks, is here
on a visit.
Contract is Awarded.