The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-08-29
Look Well Into Cost
Advice Of the Mayor
From Saturdays Daily.

From Saturdays Daily.
Mayor A. G. Meyer returned last
night from Minneapolis, where after
a consultation with Charles L. Pills
bury, consulting electrical and me-
chanical engineer, he has evolved a
plan, which If it is put into effect
will go long way toward settling
the lighting Question for Mankato,
so he believes Mayor Meyer will
recommend to the council Monday
that an engineer be hired who can
make preliminary set of plans and
estimates by Which it will be pos.
sible to find out just what electrici-
ty will cost If produced by municipal
plant. The estimates will close figures
on the cost of the plant, the cost of
the cost of the plant, the cost of
operation, and the cost of the finish
ed product, to fraction of cent.
In this manner the mayor figures
that there will be no guesswork what
ever. The proposition will be re-
duced to problem in mathematics,
and figures cannot lie. If the re-
suit reached by the engineers in
vestigations give a lower rate than
the one offered by the Consumers
Power company, then it will be ad-
visable to build municipal plant,
land if not, terms may be reached
with this company.
Strongly Impressed With PilIsbury.
I Mayor Meyer is strongly impress
ed With Mr.. Pillsbury, he will prob
ably receive strong recommends
ton from the mayor to the council
He is an expert in just this line of
work, and the mayor says he knows
| his business. He is at present en-.
gagged in finding the cost of opera
ton, upkeep, and cost of the out
put Of all the public utilities in
| Minneapolis. He made plans for
Duluth such as the mayor advises
for this city, but Duluth did not build
| municipal light plant. He is doing
/ the same kind of work for Buffalo,
N. Y, at present. He is state
engineer, and in holding this position,
he cannot afford to do any but the
square thing. He has force of
about thirty engineers. working for
him, and all are specialists in their
line of work.
The question of whether, the plans
will be a llant to furnish Juice"
| for the city alone, or for the city and
the private consumers also, is a
matter which will be decided by the
council, but Mr.. Pillsbury suggests
that plantA be built for the city
alone at present, and constructed so
that 1t may be enlarged later. The
price charged by Mr.. Pillsbury for
his work WIS not given, because
! the engineer said that he would
have to know more about what he
! would be expected to do before he
could name his figure. If the plant
is built, his pay will be a percent
age on the cost of the plant, and if
not, the city Is to pay him by the
day or a lum, sum for the job.
Taking Right Course.
When R. E. Brown, the local man
ager of the consumers Power COM
/ pany heard Of Mr.. Meyers plan, he
/ said, 81 thing that the city is be-
ginning in tie right place at last.
There will BE- no guess work if this
plan is followed up. Mr.. Pillsbury
is state engineer, and can't afford
to do things wrong. There will be
no doubt but that the figures he will
give will bid correct. ".azs
1 Mayor Meier also visited the plant
of the Minneapolis Electrical Ma.