Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-10-05
TO THE CITIZENS OF MARSHALL
TOWN, IOWA.

The mayor and city council Of your
city wish to explain the situation OF
our street lighting system at the present
time.
We have for some time been trying
to work out the best thing to do with
our lighting system to get the best re-
suits for the entire city at the least
cost.
The property Of our lighting system
is composed of the generator, engine,
wires. poles, 156 arc lights ,electroliers,
alley and viaduct lights.
One generator furnishes the electric
ity for the 156 arc lights only. The
generator Is old and worn and has for
some time been overloaded.
The engine is twenty-nine years
old. Our electrician says, 1T will cost
100000 to patch up the system and
then we are no better off for more
lights" ~
We have 1O2 electroliers with five
lights and fourteen single electroliers
which are sixty candle power. Ten
alley lights, sixty candle power, twenty
viaducf lights, seventy -five candle
power. The electricity to these lamps
Is furnished by the Iowa Railway and
Light Company for little over
100000 a year and the city maintains
these lamps and lines. To rebuild
and have aplant to furnish the
electricity for all these lamps and
other lights that are now needed would
put the city in debt around $50,000.OO
at present prices.
The Iowa Railway and Light Com
pany has made the city a proposition
that we think should be accepted at
this time. They offer the city $15,Oo0.O0
for the generator, engine. wires and
poles. the electroliers still remaining
the property Of the citizens. They will
put In the latest and best street light
ing system, maintain all lights ,includ-
ing electroliers and will charge for
same as follows:
ESQ candle power lamps $1,000 per
year.
100 candle power lamps, $1,000 per
year.
so candle power lamps, $1,000 per
year.
Single electrolier poles. s14.0o per
year.
Five light electrolier poles. $3.50
per year.
To thoroughly light the city. we will
..;:;. : .;.oso ;:e:.:z III
and the total yearly cost will be
ss,679.0O per year, while we are now
paying over 100000 per year and
our city is only partly lighted. This
viii! give q light at each intersection
whore lights are needed. Our tax lazy
is mills and all have to pay their
proportion but all do not get their
shore Of light.
The fifth ward has only IL lights and
no ward has us many lights as they
should have.
Now we ask all OF you to investigate
for yourselves and bear in mind that
there is no way Of telling how much
longer our generator and engine will
last: also we can not get material
promised for a new plant, II you see
fit to do so, for several months and
prices are nearly double what they
should be.
II a contract is made to hire our
lights it will be for 10 years, the city
having the right at the end Of ninth
year to ask for new contract or make
arrang ements to put in their own
plant. The contract will also be made
SO prices can be investigated every
two years and II labor and coal goes
up ten per cent, the company gets the
benefit and If labor and coal goes down
the city gets the benefit. The contract
shows price on board cars at plant at
present time ana wages per hour paid
all help at present time.
Hoping that we have made this plain
and you will investigate, we are,
Your obedient servants,
IS. III. Reilly, Mayor; John /. Bell.
Councilman; J. G. Ciellin, Councilman.