Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1915-07-23
MAY DECIDE LIGHT
POLICY NEXT WEEK
PROPOSAL FOR NEW STYLE DIS
TRIBUTING SYSTEM FAVOR
ABLY RECEIVED.

What steps will be taken by the
local city administration and council
on the question of the future light
ing of the city, will likely be det.r-
mined the fore part of next week, if
Wilbur B. Foshay presents TO the
council the latter part OF this week,
as requested, sufficient assurances
that if the city should contract to
purchase enough power from him to
light the city and operate the water
works pumping station, he has the
financial backing to complete his
local plant. The council requested
these assurances after consulting
with Foshay the fore part of this
week. Final action, however, may
not be taken until the councils next
meeting, August 4.
In the meantime the city admins
tration officials are further investi-
eating the proposal of o. A. Kneen,
a state engineer, presented to the
council Wednesday night, that If the
city should decide to construct a dis
tributing system for lights, it build
an underground conduit to carry the
wires and use powerful incandescents
mounted on posts set at intervals
along the streets. This system, which
was apparently favorably received by
the city fathers, Is proposed as not
only cheaper but much more efficient
and ornamental and in line with the
lighting systems used by nearly every
large city and many smaller ones.
Under such plan, Mr.. Kneen says,
the amount of current consumed by
the arch system covering four blocks
on Main and Fourth streets. would
light Main street from Third to
Eighteenth street and Fourth from
Main to Central street, or 81 blocks.
Says 1t Would Cost Less.
Mr.. Kneen proposes that the city
use an ornamentally designed wood
en- post, which could be made at the
local mills, instead of the more ex-
pensive iron posts generally used on
such a system, and says that 1t could
be built to cover the entire city for
$4,000, or to cover the business Sec
ton and the chief portions of the
residential section for $12,500. To
construct a distributing system in
the same district of the arc style now
in use would cost $4,000. the city
engineer estimates.
II, after further consideration, the
Foshay project and the Kneen plan
are dropped by the council. the two
alternatives being considered, ac-
cording to statements made by city
officials this week, are to attempt to
obtain still cheaper rates from the
Olympia Light & Power company
than recently offered or else to buy
lights from that company until the
$1,7OO the officials say the city has
to spend for that purpose is used up
whether it lasts three months, six
months or longer, and then to turn
the lights out again. Kneen's pro-
posal and several features Of the
Foshay plan, however, are viewed
quite favorably by the officials.
Petitions Are JOlted.
The petitions signed by several
hundred property owners and pre-
sented at a previous meeting, pro-
testing to the erecting Of municipal
distributing system, received severe
jolt at the hands of the council
Wednesday night. after City Engi'
neer Weddell reported that num-
ber of property owners had signed
the petitions two or three times, that
the total number of bona fide sigma
lures represented only 26 per cent OF
the property in the entire district
and that, on the estimate that the
improvement would cost $4,000, the
signers would have to pay but $3,914
of the total. Councilmen also as
serted the petitions had been circu
lated by paid workers in violation OF
the rule recently adopted that pro
testing petitions must be signed II
the city clerks office.