The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1922-10-17
MUST PAY FOR
BETTER LIGHTS
If DEMANDED
Lester A. Bill Gives Views
On Subject of Street
Illumination

are to have an adequate street
lighting system, they must pay
sum, commensurate with such i'm
provements, according to Lester A.
Bill, local manager of the Twin
State Gas and Electric Co.
The question of a better street
lighting system for St. Johnsbury
became a particularly pertinent
question Thursday night last
week when a single flaw, evading
the vigilance Of the electricians,
plunged the community into dark
ness. The Vermont Association
of Teachers was in session at the
Armory and 1900 visiting teachers
had to grope their way in black
ness to their temporary homes.
Mr.. Bill quotes figures, compiled
by the National Electric Light AS
sociation, to show how the per
capita rate for street lighting here
in St. Johnsbury compares with
the per capita rate in other towns
and cities. These figures indicate
that St. Johnsbury people pay a
rate hardly in keeping with the
demand for an adequate lighting
system.
The rate paid for street illum-
ination in the United States, ac-
eording to Mr.. Bill, varies from so
cents per capita per year to $6 per
capita per year. This per capita
rate is based upon the National
Electric Light Associations statis-
tics, an organization embracing
only the largest electric light com
panies in the country.
Nh Bill asserts that in cities
where brilliant street illumlI aCion
is obtained, the rate per capita
per year varies from $4 to Sc.
This rate assures Il city or village
brand of street illumination that
can safely be characterized as a
"White Way" From $4 to Sc
per capita per year entities a com
munity to the last word in street
lighting.
st. Johnsbury's rate per capita
per year is 81 cents.
This rate is based upon an as
sumed population of 8701 divided
into $7582.32, which was the sum
paid last year by st. Johnsbury
town and village for street light
ing.
If st. Johnsbury is to have a
better lighting system, Mr.. Bill
concludes, her citizens must ex-
pend more money per capita
Where the rate is but 81 cents,
at least 81 ought to be spent to
insure more adequate system, he
suggests.
The Twin State Gas and Eiec-
trio Co., Mr., Bill informed the
Caledonian-Record representative,
is under no contract with the viii
lage or town of st. Johnsbury.
From time to time, whenever citi-
Zens protest vehementlv enough
against the illumination on par
ticular street, mazda lamps are
lamps produce 10 per cent more
effective light than the more an
tiquated arc lights.
Mr. Bill explains that an arc
light gives splendid illumination so
long as it is in good working order
Its intricate mechanism, however,
rapidly diSintegrates. The repair
crew must constantly be on the
; alert for defective arc lights.
A defective bit of mechanism in
an arc light was to blame fol-
plunging st. Johnsbury into dark
ness, last Thursday night, MI
Bill said. Reparmen inspected
eight miles of wire before happen
ing upon the fault. 1t was soor
fixed but several hours had been
spent in fruitless search for the
break.
The mazda lamps which are be-
, ing installed in place of the arc
2 lamps give a uniformity of illum-
: inatlon and can be depended upor
: regularly. Mazda lamps have been
put into use at the intersection OF
; Pearl street and Eastern Avenue
f Railroad street and Eastern
Avenue, Lafayette and Simonds
streets and Spring and intel
= streets.