Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1914-05-11
ALDERMEN FAVOR
C|TYL|GHT PLANT
Unlikely That Perth AmboY Will
Get Municipal Works
at Present.
CITY CANNOT AFFORD If
Aldermen Visited Orange Sat-
urday to See Plant There;
Were Highly Impressed.
CITY CANNOT AFFORD If

Although majority of members
OF the Board of Aldermen seem to
favor the installation of municipal
electric plant, 1t is declared unlikely
that this city will secure one at this
time Alderman F. William Hilker,
one of the two Republican members
or the council, was instrumental in
having the city fathers AS a commit
tee of the whole inspect the munich
pal electric works in Orange on Sat-
urday afternoon. Most Of them
stated they would favor the estab-
lishment of such works here, If it
could be operated under such superb
management as the Orange plant
seemed to have. Facts and figures
propounded to the visitors showed
that the Orange works plant was a
nfshed better light than individual
companies were supplying to places
about Orange.
Mr.. Hilker, who has been backing
the subject since 1t came before the
present council few months ago,
is enthusiastic concerning 1t and con-
cludes that it should be installed at
once. He advocates the use of the
former water works property in Up
per Smith street, which he declares
would be Ideal for the purpose. Fig
ures obtained on Saturday showed
that Orange installed complete
equipment, including wire and poles
Tor $87 900; that the community op-
Grated 420 lamps at a total cost of
$15, l59 year, as against 296
lamps In this city, for which 1t pays
$4,000 to the Public Service Elec-
trio Company. Mr.. Hilker declared
today that the inspection demon
strated beyond a doubt that the cur
rent furnished by the Orange plant
produced better light than did Public
Service current in neighboring
places
In additions to this, Mr. Hilker has
letters and statements from engineers
In large and small cities which show
In every instance that municipal
plants have been a success and that
they have paid for themselves in a
few years. Some Of the plants are
earning large sums a year, he states,
whereas the most liberally operated
works give current to arcs for at least
$20 less year than this city is now
paying to a private corporation.
Alderman John j. Clark, one of the
Democratic member of the board,
stated today as did Mr.. Hilker that
majority of the city fathers seemed
to be impressed with the result of the
fospection trip. He stated however,
that there was question as to
whether the city could proceed to
finance such proposition at this
time, or would have to wait until the
demand for funds in the city had
diminished. There were several other
reasons, which the fifth ward mem
Der would not give for publication.
He said the Orange plant seemed to
be A No. l in every particular and
seemed to be under the same kind of
a management, limiting at the same
time that mismanagement OF such a
Plant here would mean no gain, and
perhaps a loss. The alderman did
not deny that municipal works was a
good thing, but he declared there was
room for much thinking before one
was installed here. He referred to
the city's municipal water works and
said he thought deeply when he look
ed at it and considered 1t as a public
institution in use the past several
years.