In the Matter of the Application of the Village of Union, a municipal corporation, for a certificate of authority to build, maintain and operate an electric lighting plant in and for the Village of Union, and to furnish lights for other than municipal purposes.

Application was made by the village of Union, Broome county, for authority to construct an electric light plant and to furnish lights for other than municipal purposes. According to the state enumeration of 1905 Union had a population of 1,453, an increase of 460 over the census of 1900. At the date of the application kerosene was being used for street lighting. A few private buildings were lighted by acetylene and gasoline gas. No franchise for gas or electric lighting had been granted. A special election, December 5, authorized the installation and equipment of a plant to cost, not to exceed $15,000, and the issue of bonds to that amount. The vote in favor was 102 to 17 opposed. Bonds were outstanding only to the amount of $8,400 as against an assessed valuation of $494,765, omitting special franchise assessments. Engineering estimates were furnished for a steam plant of 125 h. p. capacity to supply thirty-five 6.6 ampere alternating current are lamps, and one thousand 16 c. p. incandescents, to cost $15,000. A hearing was had January 18th, at the Capitol, A. Ray Humphrey appearing for the petitioner, and no one opposed.

The following was adopted:

Ordered, That said application for a certificate of authority be and the same is hereby granted, and the Commission of Gas and Electricity hereby certifies, in accordance with section 11, chapter 737, of the Laws of 1905, that the village of Union is authorized to build, maintain and operate a plant and system for the manufacture and supplying of electricity for lighting purposes and to furnish lights for other than municipal purposes.

In the Matter of the Application of the Village of Theresa, for a certificate of authority to build, maintain and operate an electric lighting plant.

The village of Theresa, Jefferson county, having a population of 900, petitioned for authority to construct, maintain and oper

ate a municipal lighting plant December 26, 1905, and later, January 17, 1906, filed an amended petition. The taxpayers at a special election March 21, 1905, voted to install an electric lighting system and appropriated three thousand dollars for the purchase of a water power site. The purchase was made and on August 7, 1905, estimates having been obtained, the further sum of twenty thousand dollars was appropriated, the vote being 102 in favor and 61 opposed. Bonds were issued, contracts let and construction was in progress. There was no street electric lighting system and the village desired to have power in the daytime for operating the pumps of its water system. The application was opposed by the owners of an individual plant established in 1895, which supplied about 600 incandescent lights on a 16 c. p. basis to private consumers only. Objection was made that the present plant was adequate and also on the ground of the insufficiency, of the water power proposed to be utilized, and further that the limit of bonded indebtedness fixed by section 130 of the village law would be exceeded. Public hearings were held at Albany, January 18 and February 16, Brown, Carlisle & McCartin appearing for the petitioner and Joseph Atwell, for Wakefield & Santway, owners of the individual plant, and at the last hearing Worth Chamberlain appeared for certain taxpayers in opposition. A five-year franchise, dated April 23, 1905, granted to H. A. Reynolds was presented by the objectors. Testimony was taken relating to the efficiency of the present system.

The charge for lighting by the owners of the individual plant was one cent per night per 16 c. p. light for residences, and two cents per night in stores and business places, wiring and supplies in the latter places being furnished by the company. A further meter rate of twelve and one-half cents per K. W. H. was charged to those having meters. The generator was rated at 45 K. W. and operated by water power. Owing to ice and accidents the plant had been shut down 75 nights during the fiscal year ending June 12, 1905, and 24 nights since. It was claimed for the petitioning village that the proposed water power would develop 175 H. P., and that a saving of $500 now paid for pumping water would be effected annually.

The following was adopted:

Ordered, That said application for a certificate of authority be and the same is hereby granted, and the Commission of Gas and Electricity hereby certifies in accordance with section 11,

chapter 737, of the Laws of 1905, that the village of Theresa is authorized to build, maintain and operate for other than municipal purposes a plant and system for the manufacture and sup plying of electricity for lighting purposes within the village of Theresa.

In the Matter of the Application of the Village of Lake Placid for a certificate of authority to construct, maintain and operate a municipal electric lighting plant in and for the village, and to furnish lights for other than municipal purposes.

The village of Lake Placid petitioned January 11, 1906, for a certificate of authority to build, maintain and operate a municipal lighting plant to light the village and private residences therein, and in certain territory outside in clection district No. 1 of the town of North Elba, the village forming part of the district. The village is a resort having a winter population of 1,600. The streets of the village are lighted with oil. A large number of summer hotels are located in the village and vicinity. This application conflicted with that of The Paul Smith's Electric Light & Power Company (heretofore reviewed), so far as the territory proposed to be supplied by the municipal plant was concerned, and both cases were heard together. The Paul Smith's Electric Light & Power Company objected, claiming to possess a franchise granted in 1901 to Paul Smith, Jr., for fifty years, and that the water power of the municipal plant was deficient and could not supply the demand. The petitioning village had issued its bonds for $45,000 for the purpose, authorized at a special election held March 21, 1905. The assessed valuation of the village, not including special franchises, amounted to $1,217,815, with an outstanding indebtedness of $35,000 sewer bonds and $110,000 water bonds. Consents had been obtained from the municipal authorities of the town of North Elba. Public hearings were had at Albany, January 18 and February 16, Frederick A. Isham appearing for the petitioner and Badger & Cantwell for The Paul Smith's Electric Light & Power Company in opposition. The village proposed to install two generators. one of 165 and one of 100 kilowatt capacity, with a water wheel of 150 horse power and another of 225 horse power, with a steam auxiliary of 225 horse power. The evidence was largely ad

dressed to the amount of power which the stream could furnish. It was proposed to supply a maximum load of 15 arcs, 70 25 c. p. incandescent street lights, and 5,000 15 c. p. commercial incandescents. The poles and wires were all up, the water power had been purchased and $3,700 paid upon the contracts. It was estimated that current could be supplied for 10 cents a kilowatt hour. A motor was also to be installed by the village to operate a power pump in connection with the water supply.

The following was adopted:

Ordered, That the application for a certificate of authority to build, maintain and operate a municipal electric lighting plant in the village of Lake Placid be and the same is hereby granted, and the Commission of Gas and Electricity hereby certifies, in accordance with section 11, chapter 737, of the Laws of 1905, that the village of Lake Placid is authorized to build, maintain and operate a plant and system for the manufacture and supplying of electricity for lighting purposes within the village of Lake Placid and to furnish lights for other than municipal purposes within the said village of Lake Placid.