La Junta tribune., 1913-10-25
NEW STREET LIGHTING SYSTEM
City Council Consisier~ Plan for In.
stallinG New Street Lighting
SysteM-S6 Posts.

At the last meeting OF the city
council a proposition that may be
the entering wedge for installing Il
municipal electric lighting system
In this city was sprung upon the city
council. The plan provides for In
stalling eiGhty-six ornamental light
posts In the business section. from
First street to Fourth street, and
from Ration avenue to San Juan ave-
nue.. with four lamp posts In each
block. The posts are ornamented
~ith what Is known as five light
clusters. the 100 watt light on top
burning all night. and the four sixty
watt lights Immediately below be-
ing turned out At midnight. The
ornamental posts are similar to those
now In use In Pueblo. Colorado
Springs and Denver. and when they
are Installed In La Junta. As they
will be sooner or later. the best lit
tie city In the U. 8. A. will have
the appearance of u real metropolis
The plan provides for installing q
twenty watt generator In the pump
house across the river and supplying
the necessary current from this
source. The cost OF maintenance will
be practically nothing. as II is nee
essary to keep up steam at the pump
house night and day the year around
whether water Is being pumped or
not. to be- ready for any emergency
In case OF fire. II Is estimated that
the cost OF supplying the necessary
current for the ornamental light
posts viii not be over 81 per post
per month. or 3s6 per month for the
entire system. II costs the city $50
per znnum. or es.ss % per month
for lighting the ornamental lamp
posts nov In use on First street -
the cost of maintenance OF each one
The city 10 nov paying for sixty
three arc lights on the streets Of IA
JantA. st . esst- of e<ls.6O per
month. and there IL no way of get
ting away from this expense until
the franchise with the Arkansas Val
ley Railway. Light and Power Com
pany expires. which will be three
years from next August.
The estimated cost of Installing
the new system Is 5000, and the
plan provides for underground wir-
ing. eishty-six ornamental light
posts. and installing twenty watt
generator at the pump house. which
is all that will be necessary. All un-
derground conduits can be made
larg. enough to provide for extra
wires when our municipal plant is
Installed later on. which II viii sure
ly be II We understand the prevail
ing sentiment In this community. At
the present time La Junta II paying
we had municipal plant. and In the
course OF few weeks We Will be
prepared To demonstrate this fact
by actual figures from the experience
OF a municipality In Kansas that In
stalled municipal light plant re-
Gently.
The Tribune always has been. is
now and forever viii bc In favor Of
u municipality owned electric light
plant In La Junta. In view Of the
fact that La Junta already owns its
water plant. and that II has always
been operated at u profit TO the city.
We are OF the opinion that water
plant and electric light plant op~rSt-
ed In conjunction. would In time do
away with the necessity Of making
4 levy for city purposes NJ all. AZ
ter the water and likht bonds have
been taken up We are convinced that
this would he the ease. The Tribune
hopes that the city council will TAKE
up this proposed nes lighting ryn-
tom at once and give II serious con
sidcrstion. and II there II any WAY
of providing the n:rcsssry funds.
only SS.0oo-th"y viii do no. even Va
increasing the city levy two mills.
which would provifc all the funds
that are necessary. A two mill levy
would Increase the tex on an indi
vidusi valuation Of $1,000 10 the
amount OF =: per ahnum. and u
would h. worth that much 10 = rca!
booster. IN municipal pride anG
satisfaction. to se~ m ornamental
light system inrtAii"0 In this city.