New Britain herald., 1917-03-08
|Plainvme News AGREE TO IMPROVE
 LIGHTING SERVICE United Electric Officials Promise to Keep Up Candle Power MAY COMPETE WITH PRIOR New Order May Force Postmaster to
 Lead Other Aspirsnts in Examina-
 ton to Get Re.appointment- -Ex-.
 plosaon of Gas Wrccls Furnace.
MAY COMPETE WITH PRIOR

!. r plosion of Gas Wrccls Furnace.
 Improvement in the lighting, ser-
 vice given the town, which has been a source of considerable complaint for number of years. has been promised
 by tho United Electric Light and Wa ter company by midsummer at the latest in letters sent to the Business and Improvement association, which
 has been working for a uniform volt age for a number of months. Dtrec-, tors of that body at their March meet ing last evening had occasion to fee. greatly encouraged over tho progress
 made in the matter by their commit tee and the members expressed the opinion today that changes proposed by the lighting people will make the service more satisfactory.
 Since the town changed its system Of lighting from the antiquated Wels-
 bach lamp to incandescents. supplied with electric current, there has been dissatisfaction because of the fact that the candle power called for in the contract is not always furnished. Some nights the lamps throw their ef- fulgence on the streets to such an ex- tent that the highways arc well Hum mated while at other times the incan- descents arc 10 dimmed that the town would be almost as we'll of with out any lighting service whatever.
 The persistency of the committee from the Business and Improvement association to which this matter was assigned for investigation in getting after the lighting company officialS has finally brought a promise of im- proved service that appears to be gen. uine. In tho letters read At tho di- rectors' meeting last evening the com pany expressed its intention of nlak- ing certain connections with the New Haven and waterbGFy systems which will keep 8 uniform current in the wires through which the lights are supplied and will keep the highways we'll illuminated. An improvement of this character will be greatly appre- ciated. It Is nothing more than the town Is entitled to under its contract and had 1t not been for the repeated promises of the company to do better the matter would have found it's way months ago to the Connecticut public utilities commission.
 The directors also considered last evening the matter of tho towns CO., operating with the state highway corn- missioner and the Connecticut com pany in the extension of the perman- ent pavement through Whiting street. It Is proposed to lay a strip of amie- site from center to a point on Whit ing street where the trolley tracks turn from the highway to the Connec- ticut company's property. The expense Is to be borne entirely by the state and the trolley people. Tho highway com- mission wanted tho town to contribute towards the cost of the improvement to make 1t possible to have the pave- ment extended from curb to curb. in- stead of having but . comparatively narrow strip. The voters at the annu- al town meeting rejected the sugges- tion because of the large expense in- volved. Since that time the idea has been entertained that q pavement the full width of the street should be laid at least as far as Broad street corner. the narrow strip to continue tho bal- ance of the stretch to be improved. Last night the Business Mems direc- tors instructed their public utilities commission to inquire as to the prob- able expense of the town cooperating to this extent, reporting back at the next meeting. The permanent pave rnent area is to be extended this spring and if the cost of having the amiesite reach from curb to curb is not too great. the association will probably ask for a special town meeting to con- sider the matter of making the nece6- sary appropriation.
 While 1t will not be possible to def initelv set date until the speakers indicate their preference the associa- tion's annual banquet will probably Dc held some time next month. The dt- rectors left the matter of making the with President J. H. at last nights meeting. He will appoint sub-committees and will at once start a search for orators to take part in the post prandial exer- cises.
 The directors also went on record as being in favor of military prepared ness as recommended by the general stan of the U. s. army. Their action was taken at the suggestion of the National Chamber of Commerce.
 Other matters were informally dis cussed during the session which was held in the club rooms in Odd Eel lows block.
 Emy1aace Bl0yvn Cu.