La Junta tribune., 1914-11-07
MUNICIPAL LIGHT PLANT.
Report Of CoaamIttee Seat 70 Inves-
tigste Alsnleipally Owned Plants
Z h Kassas Towns.

council held last Monday night. the
committee recently appointed by the
city council 70 make a tour Of West
ern Kansas and Investigate munich
paliy owned plants in that state.
made preliminary report OF their
observations as follows:
( To the Hon. Mayor and City Council
4 OF the City OF La Junta. Colo.
Gentlemen. Your committe con-
sisting OF the undersigned, appointed
to Investigate and report on Munich
pal Light Plants in the state Of Kan
sas. beg leave to submit the follow
ing preliminary report:
/ We left La Junta on the morning
OF October goth and returned about
noon on the 2Sth Of the same month.
1914. during which time We investi-
gated the following plants and OBJ
tained the information hereafter CIV
en-.
Syracuse--Munlcipai water and
electric light plant operated in COM
bination. Power furnished by 4
Fairbanks-Morse so horse power en-
gine belted TO so X. W. three phase
1900 volt generator. Engine cost
$500. Fuel distiliate. costing an
cents per gallon. Charge for cleo
trio current. 12h cents per X. W..
for the first so X. w. Gross earn
inEs per month s3s9.oo Operating
expenses per month OF water and
light plant. $4,000. Cost OF electric
plant 10000. Population OF city
about 1000. Has 104 meters. City
pays electric department $40 per year
for each 120 watt incandescent street
lamp. OF which there are o2. Every
body we'll pleased with the plant. In
reply to inquiries about oil engines.
the comment was that Il was entirely
satisfactory. but that q DIESEL en-
Eine using crude oil would be more
economical to operate.
Garden City-HAd originally n pri-
vate plant. but the city has built one
In competition. Private plant oper-
ated by DE Ia vergne engine using
crude oil. The city plant uses two
direct connected high speed Russell
condenSing steam engines. One gen.
Gator Of 75 X. W. and one $50 X. w.
three phase 33o0 volt. Monthly out
put 27oe X. W. Coal at .t3.3s per
ton. Has 50. three light ornamental
lamp posts. cost about $50 each. also
iao one hundred candle power SER
les incandescent Tampa. for street
lighting. Rates before municipal
plant vas built. is cents per X. WI
Present rates cents by city and &
cents BY the private plant. The city
furnishes about s6 per cent Of the
consumers. and Is gaining In number.
There Is litigation between the city
and the private plant which Is not
yet at an end. Municipal plant has
been In operation less than year and
II T. doubtful n II is earning enough
TO provide for depreciation. VIII
send Us complete repors the first OF
the year
cimarron- Combined water and
light plant Power furnished by a
Munioc oil engine using crude oil:
20 hos. power: cost OF engine 81.
$50. Has 35 X W three phase
machine belt driven 23oo volts.
Street lighting consists OF i:g incan.
descent lamps Rates Is cents no u
90 X W: i2is cents To 10 x. W;
10 cents above 30 X. " All bills
snbiect TO an Increase of 10 per cent
U not paid In ten days. Grnss earn.
inEs t:to per month. Expense. one
man. and oil costing abou, 90 cents
per twcnty-four hours. cii'scss very
enthusiastic over q municipal plant.
Comment on oil engine ny mayor
Would not accept a steam piant u
u were built and donated 10 the -ity.'
Dodge cisy-Munieipai water work,
but private light plant Has been
some talk Of municipal plant. bu,
nothing has been done as yet. Pres.
ent company IL placing all wires un'
der ground IN the business section
and installing ornamental lamp post,
In the same section. They are "a
use the nitrogen filled lamp. which
IL the latest improvement In Tampa
Fuel IL oil burned under steam bolt.
en-.
nurkiin-M Municipai Dlast. eusiae1
and general conditions the same q
II Syracuse. Oii easines entirely
satisfactory. Prefer u to steam.
0reensbuPe-llss municipal pisat
Faishanks- More oil engines usial
distiiiate. Has $50 - canide povss
lafRuoe 1asnma Maass eS,e ~ssep-ae 4 ~