The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-11-17
ZIMMERMAN GIVEN,
ANOTHER RUDE JOLT
Board of Works Checks Nav
Or's Cluster Light
Project.
MEMBERS FIGHT STEP
Commercial Club Leaders In
sist Action Be Deferred
|, Until Later.
MEMBERS FIGHT STEP

Mayor Zimmerman's sudden, post
election determination to provide the
Main street business district with a
cluster lighting system without furth er
loss OF time was given a set back this
morning when Charles Jordan and E.
NJ. Haas, representing the Commercial
club, appeared before the board of pub
lie works and pointed out that this pro-
ject could not be put through in hur-
ry because the merchants would first
have to be canvassed to see if they
were willing to subscribe TO a fund for
the purchase of the necessary orna-
mental posts.
1t also was pointed out to the board
that 1t was important to determine
whether the majority of merchants ia
vored the establishment of a cluster
lighting system or a luminous arc
lighting system.
The discussion was brought to a
close by the boards adoption of a res
olution, offered by Mayor Zimmerman,
that the board go on record as being
in favor of some ornamental post
lighting system, which could be es-
tablished in any section Of the city
where the residents were willing to
subscribe to a fund for the purchase of
posts.
Doc Explains His Stand.
Mayor Zimmerman informed the
Commercial Club committee that
when the project of providing cluster
lights for the Main street district first
came up, two years ago, he was oppos-
ed to it because the municipal plant
at that time was not prepared to fur
nish the current, but now that the
plants capacity had been enlarged he
was ready to given his consent to such
plan.
Superintendent Johnson Of the mu-
nicipal plant remarked that now he
had no objections to offer to supply
current to a cluster lighting system
for the city, after the first of the year,
for at that time the city would begin
to pay for all the current it used for
public lighting. Two years ago he
went on record against such scheme,
for the principal reason that the ad-
ministration made no provision for the
paying of it's lighting bills ana he Was
opposed to giving away any more cur
rent than he was absolutely required
to do.
Favors Luminous System.
Johnson still believes the luminous
arc lighting system is much better
than the cluster light system, because
he says, it provides splendid fllumi-
nation and does not use as much cur
rent, consequently it would be less ex-
pensive to the city. However if the
merchants desire the cluster lighting
he will have no complaint to offer.
Mr.. Haas, speaking for the CONNER
cial club, said the board of works
plan to take immediate action on the
cluster lighting system found the club
unprepared to take any action on the
matter.
He said two years ago, committee
of the Young Mems Business Club
since incorporated into the Commercial
club, canvassed the merchants on two
blocks of Main street, but since that
time he said there had been business
changes on that street, that the prices
of ornamental posts had probably
changed and other conditions had aris-
en- TO make imperative the re-opening
of the question before the Main street
business interests, through the Com
merciai Club, were prepared to submit
any plan of action to the board.