Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-18
Municipal VS.. Private Lighting.
litor Of The Evening Star:

To the Editor of The Evening Star:
In confirmation of the feasibility and good
policy of municipalities furnishing their
own light is the fact that the practice is
growing so rapidly. both in the United
States and in Europe. In European coun-
tries the practice has long prevailed to a
large extent, and with most satisfactory
results. 1t Is but recently that any gen.
eral movement for such purpose has been
had in the United States, but so rapidly
is IL gaining in public favor that the "Elec
trical Engineer" which has opposed the
movement vigorously in favor of the pri-
vate companies. in its current number of
November Is makes the subject its leading
editorial article and says:
We must confess our surprise at the
extent to which this method of spending
public money has gained popularity"
IL would have been much more accurate
had IL designated the new movement as a
means of saving money to the public but
as IL speaks in the interests OF the monopo-
lstic companies and not of the general
public OF course 1t cannot be expected to
say or do anything against the interests
Of the companies. 1t states that the move
ment Is much more common in England
than here, and says that were IL not for
this movement electric lighting would still
languish there. No less than l2O local bod
les have applied to the board of trade for
this purpose. During 1893 fourteen towns
and cities have voted in favor of municipal
electric lights, involving an investment of
S.oOO,UO and hearings have been had in
eleven as to spending 81. 10000 while in
twenty-five the local government board ha g
autnori:At the investment of 50, 900 for
this purpose. Altogether these forty-seven
municipalities have taken action looking
TO the Investment of S7.50 900 for muntcipal
eiectrlc lighting plants, and thirty-five are
In actual operation.
The greater rapidity of this movement
IN europe. and especially in Great Britain
Is due to the greater experience which they
nave mad in this line-it long having been
common for the municipalities there to own
ana run their own gas plants. and by which
tney are able to furnish the public with
Ras at an average of from 80 to 60 cents
per thousand feet and at the same time
turn large profit into the municipal treas
ury, TO De used for other purposes or II
not needed. to proportionatey reduce the
taxes birmingham, for instance sells gas
ae 70 cents per loo feet and turns in $50 400
the profits, -O-''
Detroit is talking of investing $500 OO0 in
municipal plant for electric lighting In
tnieago. which has its own plant. LARGE
addltions are to he made and in NJinne
soon to be tabIishe1 f -
=, All or which goes to show that the nuh-
IS IS becoming educated, and the exDerianca
dHeauy mad at home as well as abroad no g
p"1en the correctness of the statements
oI EIoI: Ely or the Johns Hopkins INT
NsrSlty tnat llght and water can be sl,pnlied
cheaper by the MUNICIPALITIES thar ~. -
vate companies and that such matters 20 N
De managed honestly in this country os
Wen as in Europe. notwithstanding the
PohtcaI corruption that exists in some az
49,, 80 - cl ~ w c. DODGE.