Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-04-24
Municipal VS.. Private Electric Lighting.

To the Editor Of The Evening star.
In your issue of April 20 you give brief
statement of how Peabody, Mass provides its
own electric lights and the cost thereof. and
then you ask. "How does that compare with
prices paid in cities where the illumination is
furnished by corporations whose only object is
proft?'' A very pertinent question, indeed.
and one not difficult to answer.
According to that statement the lamps in
Peabody are 1900 candle power. and will cost
for the entire year. everything included SIS. ~,
or SO cents per candle power. per annuu.
Washington PAYS 80 cents per night for a
lamp of Loco candle power, and which for the
entire year. therefore. costs S1S2. 50. or 49,
cents per candle power, per annum, supposlng
both to be run the entire year.
The answer to your problem. therefore. is
that in Washington. where the electric light is
furnished by a corporation whose only object
II profit" the cost to the public Is three and
One-tifth times as much as 1t Is to the citizens
OF Peabody,
But it NAV be said that the cost given for
Peabody Is not reliable, they had only run
for few months. ard therefore will give the
figures for 155 towns and cities scattered
throughout the co.Etry and which have used
electric lights for several wears.
have before me published list of these 155
cities and towns, irclIdlnC. as supposed. all. or
nearly AL there were at the tins II was pub
hshed. In 1891; and among them all there are
none which pay nearly SO high price for cleo
tric light as Washington. San Francisco paws
x2OO. 20 ami Helena. Montana. Sl9s Der wear for
each arc light; but those lights are 1000 candle
power, SO that the cost OF 900 candle power
what supposed TO haye) is for San
Francisco SlO0375s and for Helena S99 against
our $3.50. Those axe the two highest in the
United States.
Taking the I31 cities in which the electric
light Is furnished by contract with private COM
4 ~ ha fnr
1000 candie-power lamps Sll0.9 IS SIS. 49 for
the 1000 candle power for which pay
$lS2. jO-just about three or four times Is much
IN the twentv-fOur towns and cities which
own and run their own plant the average an
nuaI cost per lamp OF 1000 candle power Is
SJ2. 40. or 81. 20 for 1850 candle power as
against our : 81 80. almost seven times as much
The ONLY true way 10 compare the cost is BY the
smount o: light furnished. that l.. by the candle
power, which l. the standard unit OF measure
Inent- Applying this test / find the result 10
be ss follows: In the 1871 towns and cities fur
nished bv contract the average COS. per candle
power per annum Is cents. In the twenty
four towns and cities which furnish their own
electric light II Is 2 clio cents In Washington
u Is Is cents.
The inference from these facts is too plain to
REQUIRE argument. The District should fur
ni-n its own electric light and power aiso.
By utilizing the water power Of the Potomac
u would be perfectly practicable 10 furnish
sufficient electricity 10 hight the entire city
streets. avenues. alleys. the parSs all our build
ings-snd furnish power for all ordinary pur-
POses-
am well aware that such suggestions will be
denounced az socialistic. smaeking Of pater-
Ealism ard interfering with private enter
Prise and all that sort Of demAgogic clap trap.
but for all that ! care nothing. Public interest
should control IN all such matters. and what
ever the municipality can do cheaper and bet
ter than II can get done by private companies