Perth Amboy evening news., 1915-04-29
Runyon Shows Plant Can be Op-
Grated at an Expense Of
s39,213 to the City.
PROFIT WILL BE s22,382
Estimate Submitted by Albert
Buys for Board of Trade
Was $44,393.33, In
cIuding Fixed Charges.

CIuuIffH ACQ OItQi 9CSs
According to the report submitted
by Frederick 0. Runyon at the Board
of Trade mass meeting in the city
hall, last night, the proposed munich
pal lighting plant can be operated al
an expense Of $39,2r3.75, and the
approximate income will be $6f, $50
making profit for the city OF
$22,382 This report was submitted
In contrast to an estimate compiled
for the Board of Trade by Albert
Buys, who had estimated the operat-
ing expenses, including fixed charges
at $44,393.33. The estimates of the
city's engineers and the engineer re
tanned by the Board Of Trade differed
at many points, the discrepancies
making it practically impossible tc
draw a direct comparison as to the
cost of operation based on the gener-
al estimates of the two engineers.
The council chamber Of the hal
was only partially filed when John
Pfeiffer, president of the Board oi
Trade, called the meeting to order
and asked for the nomination of a
chairman. Mr.. Pfeiffer declined tc
serve upon nomination, as did G. w
Barnekov and G. F. Reynolds. j. K
Bryan was then made chairman and
Hugh Lynch secretary.
Following the reading of Engineer
Buys report, as printed In Tuesdays s
issue of the EVENING NEWS, Mr.
Pfeiffer asked for report of operat-
ing expenses as estimated for the
city by Runyon & Carey. Mr.. Run
yon, representing that firm, stated
that he was not at liberty to speak
for the Board Of Aldermen, but later,
upon the suggestion Of Alderman
william Wilson, he submitted his
s1Es7 [as u - ss';
AfIyu [ll., the report Of MI
Buys, Secretary Lynch stated tfa
the estimate of the Board of Trade
engineer had been Checked up By
other engineers of the city, who hae
declared that the report was very
conservative. We are all agreed,
said Mr.. Lynch, "that the plant car
be built at cost very close to thai
figured by Mr.. Buys and the fae'
that his estimated cost of construc
ton is In the neighborhood of the
bids received by the Board of Alder
men would seem to indicate that NJ
knows his business and that his estl
mate Of the operating expenses
would be practically correct.
Here Mr.. Lynoh submitted figures
to show the cost of electric power as
furnished by the Public Service
company would not justify the erec'
ton and maintenance of city con,
trolIed lighting plant. He stated
that power for 800 600-candlepoweI
nitrogen lamps and fifty 100-candle-
power Tungsten lamps can be bought
from the Public Service company al
s26,71O.72, including the eity's pro,
portion of white way lighting.
the city takes over the white ways
according to Mr.. Lynch's figures
s2,394.75 should be added; $2,877.S6
was submitted as the cost for puollc
building lighting, fire alarm power,
etc. For thirty-nine additional lOo-
candlepower Tungsten lamps Mr.
Lynch added $1,200, making an ap-
proximate cost for lighting from the
Public Service company of $33, 1872
AZ. as compared with 4,393.33, the
cost of operation of municipal
plant as estimated by the Board OF
Trades engineer From this amount
Mr.. Lynch deducted $4,000 as the
probable returns from commercial
lighting, giving $41,393.33 as the
estimated cost of operation.
Alderman F. William Hilker, who
has fathered the municipal lighting
proposition, introduced w. r. Hay
ME. who he stated was an expert In
the construction of oil engines, hav-
ing had fifteen years experience IN
this country and abroad.
Mr.. Haynie stated that the report
of Mr.. Buys was correct to some
extent. but he took exception to a
number OF the items as estimated by
Mr.. Buys. The latter, he said, had
estimated on the generation of $50
XIV on one unit, whereas the city's
engineers had made provisions for
the generation of 250 XIV, the diff
ference Offering a field for a big in
crease in the income from CONNER
eial lighting as compared with that
assumed by Mr.. Buys. He pointed
out that Mr.. Buys had estimated the
cost of construction at $3.50, ,078.72,
whereas the maximum cost, as CLEAN
ed from the bids received by the city
would be $4,000. The fees con-
tracted for engineering and superin-
tendence he said were at the rate of
five per cent, and not at the rate of
ten per cent.
Fuel oil can be purchased for the
plant at less than three cents gall
lon, instead of four cents, according
TO Mr.. Haynie, who also declared
that the depreciation rate of seven
per cent. was excessive He said
that he had never heard of a fly
wheel in plant OF this kind break
ing; and that Mr.. Buys item of 500
for insurance was unnecessary, since
insurance for fly wheels was not
deemed necessary in other plants.
He cited many Instances, both In the
United States and abroard, where
he declared municipal lighting
plants had proved to be seurce of
profit, and he closed by making the
assertion that st can be done in
Perth Ainboy.
{Contznaea on pase 80