Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1919-05-24
KElTn'S GOOD WORK
Commissioner of Gas and Elec-
tricity Has Made a Good
Record.

One of the very best officials in the
city government is William G. Keith,
head of the Department Of Gas and
Electricity.
Commissioner Keith. who was APP
pointed by Mayor Thompson immedi.
ately upon his assumption of the Of
flee, surveyed the entire city, with a
view to extending the electric light.
ing system to territories which had
been recently developed. A bond Is
sue to provide for the installation Of
approximately $4,000 new street
lamps was obtained. Plans, in the
meantime, were prepared and the
work was started at once. This i'm
provement alone lighted over 400
miles OF streets which had previously
been in darkness. To put It more
concretely. the street lighting system
was extended more than 20 per cent.
Incident to this Improvement, the an.
nual cost of operation was 1915 900.
The same service, were II supplied by
public service corporation, would
have cost s1,9i5,000 per year, repre-
senting saving to the taxpayers of
nearly one million dollars annually
BY replacing old and inefficient
equipment flame arc lamps) which
were in use, with the modern and
economically operated Type "C'
Mazda incandescent gas filled 600
candle power units, an additional saw.
ing Of s150,000 annually was made.
In addition to the economies insti'
tuted by Commissioner Keith, an in
novation in street lighting methods
was developed. which removes the ele-
ment Of danger from the recently
installed residential lighting system.
This method is known as the Group
System of Distribution" and reduces
the voltage at the lamp terminals to a
point where the probability of fatal
accidents to trimmers and repair men
will be obvated. This system has the
further merit OF reducing the initial
cost of construction by approximately
l3 per cent and the operating and
maintenance cost In like proper.
ton.
AS a tribute 10 the engineering
force, under Mr.. Keiths direction, II
should be stated that plans and esti-
mates for all this work were made
prior to the unprecedented rise in
prices. Notwithstanding these condi.
lions, the almost impossible task OF
completing the work in hand with the
funds provided Is being brought TO
successful conclusion.
The department has in hand plans
for the further extension OF the cleo.
trio light system 10 ultimately dis
place all lamps rented by the city and
thus institute a further saving In
operating costs. At the present time
the different public service com.
panies are furnishing the city with:
/ G5l 600 c. p. electric lights,
G,593 gas lamps,
4,4S3 gasoline lamps, and
1870 incandescent electric lamps
in subways.
The plans referred TO above are
made 10 cover the necessities OF the
next five years and provide for the
installation OF approximately $4,000
l00-candle power lamps on orna.
mental cast iron posts 10 feet high;
these lamps TO serve areas now in
process Of development, or already
developed, and not served by the pres.
ent system. The plan also cOntem.
plates simplifying the 500 C. p sys.
TEN by an addition Of approximately
1000 new units, in streets where
there are car lines, or on streets
principally given over 10 business
II Is estimated that with the consum.
nation ~ these plans and completion
Of the work total reduction of near.
ly half million dollars may be made
I'm the annual appropriation for the
iye-year period under consideration.
The maintenance Of the fire and
police signal systems is also a funC-
ton Of this department In this con.