The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-04-13

! carried by vote vi iV"i w '''N' ." N'"N'
words. il barely shaved through these COM
mittees The proposition, as recommended.
cano before the Board OF Aldermen Monday
night and was laid on the table. Mr.. Har
grove, chairman OF the Finance Committee.
earnestly opposing It upon the ground that
the citys finances wero in no condition 10
Justify her cmbarkng in the expenditure OF
money necessary TO erect such plant.
We may, therefore, look upon the electric
light plant proposition as killed temporarily,
but by 10 means rs finally put to death. II
is certain TO reappear. and 1t is most fitting
just now while the public mind is in meas
ure engaged with tho subject, and therefore,
more attentive to il than usual. that the
arguments for It should he answered, and the
arguments against it stated.
The Dispatch is the especial champion Of
the cause Of the electric plant proposition. II
contained an editorial article IN favor OF the
plant in its Sunday issue. and another in its
( issue of tuesday No shall notice the afgu-
ments advanced in each.
Ia its Sunday article. the Dispatch insists
that the city Will be compelled sooner or
! later. to build rs own electric plant. and If 1t
does not do SO now, but allows city lighting to
/ be commenced by private concern. 1t Will
/ thereby secure hold upon the business so
strong tha5 the city will be unable to break
that hold when It does resolve to erect its Own
plant This is nbout the substance of tho
argument as stated on Sunday and enforced
on Tuesday.
| We take issue with our contemporary az
ioip. We insist that the city viii not be
| compelled sooner or later t. erect It's own
electric plant We insist that if it has regard
to the true laws of economy. it VIII encourage
rival private electric plants in tho city, and
that il Will buy its electricity from that one
which viii sell TO it cheapest. If this policy
is pursued. 10 Will always secure It's electricity
much cheaper than i can possibly manu-
facture it. and there ore. 1t Will never lie
compelled to erect is own plant.
But, supposing the city should at some time
in tie future, resolve TO erect its own plant. We
cannot perceive how buying electricity from
this tine until that time arrives from pri-
va;e company will IN any waywEateyer em-
barrass !. u such a move IL tic contracts
which the city makes with the private COM
psnies provide that they shall terminate at "a
particular time, the private companies VIII
have no power whatever 20 interfere with tie
city's building rs own plant, or ceasng TO
deal with them at the end of the contract
We cannot perceive, therefore. any possible
force in this suggestion of tae Dispatch 10
may mean that the electric companies
may acquire control over the politics of the
city, and, in that way. stihe the voice # those
WHO may want T. erect an electric plant. Ii
thus is tie suggestion, we put It on one side as
not worth moments consideration. We
have no sort of fear that an electric light COM
pany can control tho politics OF this city. If
the people make up their minds that they
want their own electric plant. the electric
lighting companies will have TO stand from
under
The Dispatch says that the argument in
favor of tie city buying her electricity from
private concern rests upon the assumption
that private corporation can furnish as good
/ light as the city furnishes. pocket q large
/ profit and still charge us no more for light
ing our streets and houses than we now pay
II then says that light spectators have no
more soul than other spectators. and will
deal no more considerably with the city than
/ spectators ID other products. The latter
suggestion is undoubtedly true. and the
managers of the private concern would GER
tainly not furnish the city cheap light from
any motives whatever of that sort But if
electric light is bought from q
private concern it is done with full know
ledge before the eyes of that private concern.
that unless it sells its light reasonably. the
city viii buy it from some other private con-
Germ, and this fact brings the price down TO
! the lowest point that the company is justified
IN selling 1t at consistently with a proper
profit 10 itself. And since private company
buys everything it uses at the lowest possible
price, and hires its labor at tie lowest price
al which that labor can be obtained. and gets
ont Of its employees all the work that
their contracts call for. it is able To-
supply light, and make a profit for
Itself. much cheaper than the city can make
and supply the Same light. for the reason that
/ tho city plant is erected by politics. and
therefore viii cost too much. the city's SUD
plies are bought by politics, and therefore Will
cost too much. aud the ci,ys employees are
paid by politics, and therefore will be too
highly paid. That profit which goes INTO the
private manufacturers pocket is dissipated in
the city's case by extrayagant expenditures
connected with the manufacture of the
product
The Dispatch says Some Of tho best
manufacturing companies in this country will
enter into bond with Us to erect plant such
as we need-builiing and ALREADY for use
for less than sl25 900. and viii undertake to
run It for s3O0 600 or $4,000 year"
We do not exactly understand our neiob-
boris drift here We thought it was uncon-
ditonally for the city owning and operating
its own electric plant. But the foregoing
suggestion is. In effect. for n private plant
operated by private parties. and if we are to
have plant at all. lot us, by all means. accept
the offer suggested above.
There are three sound grounds Of objection
10 the city erecting plant at this time. any
OF which Is a good ground against its erecting
one at any time
First The manufacture and furnishing Of
electricity IS properly private matter thar
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