Omaha daily bee., 1892-11-13
THE oMAHA DAILY ls2-sxrEEN PAGES

lighting can be maintained as cheap under
public as under private ownership, the light.
Ing under usual conditions can be maintained
at decidedly lower figures
Some OF tho contract rates reported
arc distinctly stated 10 be averages
OF the prices paid This does not
mean that there Is any competition in the
ordinary sense OF the word. II means sim
ply that moro than one company have Did to
light different portions OF the city at differ
ent rates. As usual thing the prices paid
each company, where several exist, are
Identical, but dfforentials are sometimes
allowed for the more distant districts The
history OF electric lighting in New York CITY
Is typical illustration of the utter lack Of
competition. The Brush company put UP
twenty-five experimental arc lights in Jan.
uary, lSSl, and soon secured a contract for
ffty lamps at 81, 400 per aunum. In
lsS2 two companies obtained contracts each
at 800 30 per light, az d this continued to be
lhe price until MAY. 1887, Notwithstanding
improvements and tho annual increase in the
NUMBER OF lamps employed. Several other
corporations then pre-emDted different dis
tricts, and tho prices paid have since varied
slightly. In DecemDer, 1890 all the bids were
rejected by the board of electrical control for
the reason that they evidenced a com bna-
tion on the part OF the companies by which
competition was completely strangled. The
new bids were accepted although tncro was
no additional show OF rivalry. There are
now six companies which receive annual
CoHuraCtS, out tne DldS are only Tor lalnOS IN
tnelr respective territories with not even
pretense at competition. The experience of
every other large city has given the same re-
sult--either actual combination or tact
agreement. Tho prices of electric lighting
are purely monopoly prices unrestraiued by
the ordinary Industrial checks.
Tendency TO Monopoly.
Another phase of the movement which has
received renewed affirmation is the tendency
OF the monopolies of service to accumulate
IN the same hands. This is, from an econ
omlc point OF view legitimate ard desirabe;
Tor II leads 10 economies in supernten 1enco
and In the use Of machinery ana buildings.
lhat 1t is best, If they are TO DO so united,
Tor tho municipality, the source of all
such franchises to unite them under its own
control is scarcely controvertble.
Ot the twenty eight municipal plants men,
toned in the table above, five are operated
In conjunction with water works, while
quite number OF private companies have
combined similar undertakings AT least
i've corporations. II not more, join electric
lighting with electric street railways. Two
cities own at the same time gas and electric
lighting plants, while paragraph went the
rounds OF the electrical journals about year
ago to the effect that more than 300 were
then operating electric lights in connection
with their gas works. This seems to be
very GOOD beginning for consolidation. If 1t
continue at the same rate it will not he
long until the various monopolies of
service in each city will De under
the control OF but one corpora
ton. The question at issue is, will it be a
public or private corporationi