The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1892-08-04
The Citizens Electric Light Go.

n company unuer Une aoOV
b, named title has been incorporate
under the laws of Ohio for the pul
! pose of furnishing Electric Light i
Logan.
The incorporators are Henr
; Lutz, George Hartman, Lafe Wal
ner, VIM. Hartman and w. .Lut7
Capital stock, $4,000.
The company ask a franchise o
the city. This the council cal
grant, hut preierring the approva
of the pubic before acting, an elec
ton has been called for August 9
The proposition which The com
pany submits is substantially this
| eve quote from the Valley Journa
of August 2d.):
"The com pany agrees to erect an electric
light plant, to furnish light at SS5 per light
! lighting every night in the year, the light t.
be 2OOO-candle power. Thirty lights will
light our city, and cost $500 per year less than
gas. Incandescent lights will be furnish ed
| to business houses and private dwellings al
cost of 55 centes per month. Should this
| company secure the contract they will put
| in n lG0-horse power boiler and a 75-horse
| power engine. Mr.. LutZ being skilled me-
Chanic would insure first class machinery
and also proper construction. This COM
pany agrees TO turn this plant over to the
corporation at an advance of per cent If
take n after the first two years, after that at
cOSt.'
1t is no longer a matter OF argu-
ment as to whether or not we shall
continue the use of gas or have
electric light. The people at two
seperate elections on this issue,
have declared by overwhelming
majorities in favor of electric light.
The council elected last spring
were chosen on this issue with
snch an emphatic majority as to
tolerate no halt nor hesitancy.
Prompt steps were taken to Sc
cure an enabling act as the Iawre-
qulres when the cost of an enter
prise of this character comes from
the tax on all the citizens. The
legislature failed TO comply with
the request of tho voters, and fur
their proce eedings in that line were
necessarily abandoned.
The contract of the town with
the gas company for lighting the
streets expires in about a month.
This situation contronts the peo
pie of Logan: Shall a contract be
renewed with the gas companys
Shall we revert 10 oil lamps2 Shall
we have electric light? or. shall
the town be let in darkness?
1t is manifest that the people
want electric light. A company. a
private corporation with ample
means, comes forward and submits
a proposition. Other propositions
have been made by private indi-
viduals but at the time presented
were not considered for the reason
that it was the popular wish and
expectation that The town would
own and operate the plant. These
propositions have not since been
presented TO The council, and, so
far as the public knows, have been
abandoned.
No propositions other than the
one before rs has been presented
to The council.
1t is this for the people to do
Accept the offer Of this company,
with an ironclad contract, so plain |
in language that it will admit of
but one Interpretation, and with |
penalties attaching for any eva
sion, negligence or noncompliance
with The letter and spirit OF the
agreement.
BY the terms of the contract. if
It proves the rates asked are too
nigh. the city can take the plant,
paying for it as soon as the leglsIa-
ure allows US to do so. Ii it Is
good bargain TO The company, and
We wish every enterprise in our
own to be payed well for the cash
md risk invested. The town can,
~ taking up he plant, become the
beneficiary of the franchise II
grants.
The incorporators are known
itizens Of our town, men Of jnieg-
ity, capable and responsible. They
propose to give us what we all de-
nand, BETTER LIGHT AND CHEAPER
IGHT.
If they don't do so we can can
el the contract, and impose pen
lty besides.
In the gloom of this very near !
pproach 10 utter darkness in our
itv, certainly 1t seems that no
1orse condition of affairs than the
resent affairs can result from max
ng the contract, and there are j
nany, if not every reason 10 be- !
eve that by granting The franchise
he wants of the public will be ,
airly, fully satisfied.
The incorporatOrs authorize us j
D state that each is willing to step !
side and give place TO any other t
IAN or men the people may prefer {
D 90 ahead IN this enterprise.