Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-04-22

Let % Have Light.

not easy 70 0oe why CITY snOuiu
Isrnish its own light a. well ~ its
water. It IL . nearly universal
oe for city to erect its own water
= Tor the supply ofits people. Some
- have private corporations provid-
hem with water, but 1t seems to be
&oceptsd doctrine that the better
- d for the municipality TO furnish
necessary thing. The resMou for
policy is obviously found iE the
oity Of water and the advantage to
<1ty Of securing It at the smallest
o; ~ well also ~ the fact that the
tying oft Ii necessarilya monopoly.
Hrat b . monopoly to secure the
- oost In furnishing It and also on
INT Of the disadvantage Of having
- than one line Of pipes laid In the
~, because Of the disturbance OF the
ace which their laying and repair
osarily causes.
i NJ all these reasons prevail with
<19y equal force to recommend the
p1y Of light by the municipality. 1t
E1ndoGotedly prime necessity to the
u and citizens. 1t should be supplied
HE lowest cost and TO secure this but
= party should furnish 1t. The pipes
|1tying gas, and the poles and wires
0E1ng electricity, obviously should
be more numerous than positive
IA requires. Ttseems that city sup
ting it, own light has great advan.
over others that get 1t from one or
- corporations. Yet few cities fur
h their own light. Philadelphia
4 n it, gas, and 1t has BEEN very
.or,a and advantageous to the city
IS %. Itbuys lite electric light. New
Sk buys both gas and electricity and
~ consequence has combinations regu.
~ formed to fleece 1t by the corpora
n6 supplying both sources Of light.
y Upeeeent II II the victim Of the combi-
Ion Of the electric light companies to
~ the price Of the street lighting, and
kas been compelled to 60 back to gas
Dpgotect itself from the imposition.
he cause for the different policy Ct
~ In providing water and light Is
<1bably found In the fact that water
01D Ant In the field as necessity for a
'Wn population and the necessity
800 before the era when corporations
- mp to do everything for US. When
RI eam.s the corporations were lively
~ when electricity arrived they were
eatlre possession Of the industrial
|16. They had their lamps ready be.
~ he slow moving municipality began
ssellEe that the days Of tallow dips
Y and their energy tool
mon Of the lighting business.
~, however, city governments arr
= 70 realize the advantage of supply
r their own light, and the fact that
Z A business legitimately belonging to
W municipality. They know that an
rick that 10 necessary to every citi
~ and that can be supplied cheap.
~ and best when II 10 furnished from
- source, should have the munich
)olity a. that source, to secure protec
Nm from the imposition inherent II
inpuopoly.
Our councils have secured expert
l11nion that the power Of the old waite
Rptks may be cheaply utilized to fur
1ieh the city's electric light; and W,
|r1st that the new body Of councils will
|nke means to establish there an electric
1ant, not only for the supply of tn,
|lGht needed by the city corporation, bu
r. that required by the citizens In theil
etOries and dwellings. Let the city
epvide its own electric light and do Il
Nth view to ultimately supplying tn,
ommunity. A cheap and good light
applied by the municipality will b.
NY conducive to the interests Of th'
toWn.