The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-05-22
CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
Mayor Jennings Collecting Informa-
ton OH Cost of Lighting System.

! Al a regular meeting of City Coun-
Gil held May 14th there were present
Mayor Jennings and Councilmen
Rowland and Booth.
! The minutes of April 23rd, May
Ind and May 9Th were read and ap-
proved.
The police report for the month of
April was read and ordered filed
This report showed the following:
Number of arrests, SO.
Convict days, 14O.
Cash fines, $369.25.
Total cash and equivalent, $397.25.
A letter was received from P. b.
Noyes, Director Of Conservation. u.
>. Fuel Administration advising the
turning on of lights late and tho ont
tlng OIL early, the adoption of
moonlight schedule for street light
ing and the modification possibly of
existing contract requirements as a
means toward fuel conservation. The
matter was held over and the clerk
was directed to write Manager Mo-
ses of the Sumter Lighting Company
telling him that such a communica.
ton had been received and was be-
in6 considered by Council and asking
him to confer with council to the
most effective ways of putting such
| recommendations in force.
Mayor Jennings presented letters
received from electrical engineers in
answer to letters he had written ask
ing for their prices and terms for
furnishing the city with a complete
estimate of the cost of an electric
lighting plant for furnishing street
and domestic lighting and power.
The matter was held open pending
| further correspondence by Council
man Rowland with Engineer White
of Durham, N. c. The clerk in the
meantime, at the suggestion of Mr..
+. E. Austin of the local gas company,
was directed to write the United Gas
md Electric Engineering Corpora
ton of 61 Broadway, New York and
get their prices on the work.
Manager Austin of the. Sumter
Gas and Power Company appeared
before council relative to the service
charge of twenty-five cents per
month which his company had put on
in December last. He showed coun-
Gil that with the exception of one
month the receipts of his company
had never met the operating ex-
penses of the plant and that moth
ing had ever been paid in the way of
dividends or interest on bonded in
iebtedness. After giving the facts
full consideration council agreed to
allow this service charge to be con-
| tinued for the present and until con-
ditions relative to the high cost of ma
terial and labor entering into the cost
Of gas improved. Manager Austin
admitted that his company had no
right under it's franchise to make
this charge and council granted the
concession with the express provis-
ion that none Of the rights of the
| contracting parties under the fran
elise would be affected thereby.
Council again took UP the matter
of gasoline supply stations on Main
street. Councilman Rowland stated
that he wished to change his former
vote and cut out all of these stations
on Main street from Hampton Ave
nue. on the north to Caldwell street
on the east side of Main street and
Dugan street on the west side of Main
Street on the South. Councilman
Booth concurred in this and it was
so ordered. The mayor reiterated
his former position, voting to allow
DuRant Hardware Company to install
a station or if this were not done to
cut out all ON Main street from Ca
nal Street to Bartlett Street.
Manager Shuler reported adversely
on petition for a street light at the
corner of Bartlett street and Walker
Avenue
Council continued it's inspection of
the license returns made by parties
and firms for the year 1918 and in a
number of instances directed the
clerk to call on the parties concerned
| for more definite returns.