Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-02-06
The Electrjc-Plant.

The Dispatch always said that il the city
did not propose to provide itself WITH an
electric. light plant il should allow al who
wished 10 do so 10 enter into competition
for the business Of furnishing private con-
| sumers with this illuminant.
The Common Council by very large
| majority has determined that the city
oueht to have It's own plant. To this end
| IL has voted s75,0OO, and if the Board OF
Aldermen concurs and the Mayor approves
that sum will soon become available for
the purpose indicated.
The city of Richmond is the owner OF
gas-works plant worth far more than mil
| lion Of dollars. II pays all expenses, paws
n fair rate of interest upon the investment,
and then puts a surplus into the municipai
treasury. In other words, 1t is money
making concern for Richmond.
OF late the electric-light company has
been taking away some of the gas-works'
best customers, and the greater the re-
duction in the price Of electric lights the
fewer the customers the gas-works VIII
have. Permanently TO resign the field TO
the electric-light companies would mean
loss, in whole or great part, of the city's
investment in its eas-works. mains. &C.
About the only difference between buy
ing light of the city and of a gas or cleo
trlc-light company is that the profits in the
one case 90 into the municipal treasury to
the credit of the people and in the other
into the pockets of individual stockhold-
ers and capitalists.
The price of gas here is high-too high
but the profit thus realized helps TO keep
down our tax-rate. The restiveness of
light-takers shows that the $3.50 rate will
not be stood much longer. The Commit
tee on Light has repeatedly recommended
that the rate be reduced from $3.50 to
1925. and this cannot be much longer
postponed, even If the City Council has to
add to the tax,rate to make up the deficit
in the general treasury, which would pro-
badly occur the first year at least.
Whether gas aud water-works can be
operated 10 greater public advantage in
the hands of private corporations or NUM-
cipal authorities has been often discussed
in Richmond, and has invariably been de-
cided in favor of our present system.
While competition would give us for sea-
son very low prices, in the end, here as
elsewhere, combination would succeed
competition, and the stockholders would
naturally demand fair rate of interest
upon their money. And it might happen
here, as has happened elsewhere, that in
stead of the city controlling the gas CON-
panies the gas companies would control
the city and its politics.
If we are TO have department of light,
to control both gas and electric
works, il is quite possible that we can i'm
prove our existing organization. board
of commissioners might manage the de-
partment better than committee of the
City Council. Approved modern processes
for the manufacture of gas ought TO be
adopted. and gas-consumers should be re-
heyed from the excessive tax they now
pay into the treasury, and reasonable
concession might be made TO the large
patrons Of the gas-works; those who, as it
were, buy at Wholesale rather than at re-
tail.
This subject is of vast importance. II
involves millions to the city and millions
to the citizens. Electric light has come to
stay, and Richmond has no alternative
but to sell out her gas-works or to possess
her own electric-plant, with which to sup
ply her street-lamps and all citizens who
prefer electric-lieht TO gas-light, and so by
an equalization of prices see that the one
plant does not "cut the throat" OF the
other.
If the time has not yet come to make
this large expenditure, il our finances for
bid us entering upon such an enterprise
now, why then lot us experiment with COM
peting companies and cut" rates. True,
this will make great hole in the munich
pal pocket. but the money, though lost to
the city. will be gained by the electriclight
consumers