Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-06-24
OPPOSED TO EXCHANGE
OF ELECTRIC CURRENT
Tranord Advises Board Not to Enter
Contract With Power
Company.
NATTER LAID ON TABLl
superintendent OF Municipal Plant
Gives Many Reasons Why Pro-
posed Arrangement Would Prove
Unsatisfactory to City.

The Administrative Board passed
for future consideration yesterday tho
oner Of the Virginia Railway and
Power Company to sell the city electric
current, following the receipt of the
report of superintendent e. w. Traf-
ford. of the Electrical Department, who
recommended that the proposition Of
the traction be rejected. Com
missioner Folkes after Mr.. Traford's
report had been read, moved the board
TO reject the offer, but Commissioner
Hobson, as a substitute, moved the
board to table the matter for future
consideration.
The power company submitted to the
board recently a proposition by which
1t was to exchange with the city sur
plus current produced during the day
at the municipal plant. In turn the
city was to receive. at the same rate.
all the additional energy It required
to operate street lights at night. The
traction stated that it's heavy
business was during the hours Of the
day was during the hours of the day
when street railway operation and
power to manufacturing plants taxed
the capacity of it's po~wer-house. Dur
ing these hours the current produced by
the city was practically wasted. while
at night the city was short of power.
''S 'O''N ltH ~
an exchange of current was sought.
AGAINST PUBLIC POLICY,
SAYS MIR. TRAFFORD
The board at that time referred to
the offer. to superintendent Trafford
for his report. although at least two
members expressed a Willingness to
consider the proposition. Under the
company'S proposal. as submitted" Mt.
Trafford said to the board, the city
may not generate electric current In
excess of that now generated by the
machinery now Installed in the city
electric plant. Hence we are indirectly
to contract that we will not
enter the commercial field.
such a contract. II made. would he
morally binding upon the city and COM
NIT it to a policy which many would
view as undesirable The city may
not utilize its remaining water-power
for the generation of cleo
tricity, and, in effect, would permit
the p to do SO to their advan-
taEe. The city may not replace or
renew it's present machinery at the city
Electric Plant. We may not buy cleo
trio current. II available. from any
other concern. Such provisions I re-
gard AS contrary to public policy and
the, contract clause. as submitted,
should be rejected.
CAN PRODUCE CURRENT
q INCREASED PURPOSES
The City Electric Plant as at pres
ent equipped is able 10 provide for a
so per cent increase in street light
ing and pumping power, And can pro-
duce his necessary electric current for
the increase by either water or steam
power.
LAS a standard OF safe equipment.
this department desires to he so equip
ped that, assuming a total failure Of
water power at its plants. 1t shall he
bile to operate its maximum load by
steam power. and. further, that it shall
he able to do this with any one Of It's
steam-operated units temporarily out
Of commission. To this standard the
city's plants do not conform, and. for
this reason alone. additional steam
reserve machinery mot electric cur
rent) is now desired.
The plants of the Virginia Rail
way and Power Company also fail to
conform with the above standard of
safety. That is. assuming a total fail
ure of water power and any one of
their three important steam turbines TO
be out of commission. they could not
take care of their maximum load with
their remaining steam equipment. In
the event of the failure OF their larg-
est steam turbine. under the condition
stated. they would be short about 1000
kilowatts. The proposed purchase OF
power from the company gives no as
surance that they will maintain a SUI
fcient steam reserve in the future
While the might. in view OF
the Importance Of our service, agree
to give us the preference In event oil
a shortage, such n discrimination
against the other users of electricit!
should not be encouraged"
~nlr~ lrnF