The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1919-11-20
CITY CLOSES FIVE YEAR ELECTRIC POWER
CONTRACT WITH big ST. CLOUD COMPANY
Service Will Be Furnished BY the ST. Cloud Water Power
Company At Very Satisfactory Rate---system
In Effect On December 31st

The city of Sank Centre through it's
council and water and light commits
sion has closed contract with the
st. Cloud Water & Power Company of
st. Cloud to furnish electric current to
this city for a period of five years.
This matter was finally decided upon
at meeting of the council and COM
mission held at the Office of City Clerk
Cooper last Friday night.
The contract which goes into effect
on December 81 stipulates very sat
isfactory rate which according to the
figures furnished by an expert is a
saving of $1,000 per year to the city
over the present rate.
With the adoption of the present SER
vice system the local power and water
plant will be closed down and probably
used in the future as an auxiliary
plant. Then, too, the question Of the
disposal of the plant may be consid-
cred.
Persons familiar with the power sit
uation here are of the opinion that the
adoption Of the new plan will, in time,
be of great advantage to the city of
Sank Centre. The local plant, they
claim, is not large enough to meet the
growing requirements, and to con-
tinue to maintain it would eventually
lead to the installation of another unit
at a cost of several thousands of dol
lars, to say nothing Of the matter Of
issuing new bonds and the probable
moving of the plant to another site.
The present location of the plant
and the unsatisfactory results of vibra-
ton caused by the sandy soil which
forms the foundation for the building,
was an important factor in bringing
about the present change. Several
churches and other institutions stu
ated in the vicinity of the plant found
this vibration most annoying, and an
Injunction had already been consid-
cred demanding that the light plant be
removed to more solid foundation or
steps taken to do away with the TN
necessary damage caused by the vibra-
ton of the plant in operation.
Under these conditions, the main
tanning of the local power plant would
eventually have resulted in neces-
sary removal to a more satisfactory
site.
BY closing the present contract the
city is guaranteed sufficient power to
meet all requirements and will over
come the vibration troubles which now
prevail.
q. Hillerud, chairman of the COM
mittee appointed to investigate the
light situation, made the following
statement to the Herald on Tuesday:
"our investigation showed that the
city could manufacture its own power
cheaper at the present time than We
could buy it from the st. Cloud people,
but to meet the requirements, the IN
stallation of a new unit would be
necessary, and with this increase in
cost the committee became of the
opinion that it would be cheaper In
the long run to buy the current out
right than to continue to manufacture
If. providing we were obliged to in
crease the production of the local
plant.
Mayor A. J. BuBeau, in discussing
the new contract, had the following
to say:
81 am not a believer in munich
nal light plant for any city with a
population of less than 10000. / have
not been shown where any of them
ever made any money in the long run,
as the life of an oil engine is short
and repairs eat up all OF the prones
every five or ten years.
'T am one of the largest taxpayers
here and buy more light than any
other business place. so you see where
/ stand
.Our city has been held back on