The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1895-06-21
A QUESTION To BE STUDIED.

'ocOAR ~
Mankato will be called upon to vote
on the question of issuing $4,000 in
bonds for putting in an electric
lighting plant for the purposoof doing
the city lighting. 1t is matter
which should be seriously considered
by the voters of the city. 1t is a
question whether the city can put in
such plant as it ought to have for
the sum of 100000. The FREE PRESS
does not believe it can be done. In
ali probability such a plant as the
city would want would cost all of or
more than twice that sum. There is
one thing certain the city does not
want cheap plant trust upon it,
and one that is not tirst-class in every
particular should not be given Sec
ond thought.
But the question as to whether the
city can do its own lighting cheaper
than private company can, is not
the only point to be considered. In
fact when we consider this matter of
electricity it is a very small part OF
the question. Admitting that the
city might be enabled by owning its
own plant, to do its own lighting at
say one-half what it would cost if
done by private company, and actual
experience shows it could not, andsit
Il,
move for our people as a whole,
for in so doing it would shut out
all individual enterprise from invest
ing in electrical power and giving our
people the advantages which come
from its introduction into the various
lines OF private enterprise.
Mankato is today ripe field for
the introduction of electrical power.
We want an electrical street railway,
In fact we are fast reaching a point
where it is becoming a matter of
necessity as well as convenience,
Electrical power could also be used
here TO great advantage in hundred
different ways, and would prove
cheaper to the public than any other
power that can be introduced. Capt.
tai now stands ready to take hold of
the matter and give the city every adj
I vantage that modern genius has de-
vised from the use of the Isubtle fluid.
Everyone knows who has given the
matter a second thought, that an
electric street railway in this city of
itself would not pay the interest on
the cost Of construction. There are
doubtless many otheEMnes in which
electricity could bel used, which OF
themselves alone would not begin to
pay the investment of capital to fur
nish power for. But combine all
under the control of one head, and a
air return to capital could be made,
and our citizens secure all the benefits
at low rate.
Now the question is whether the
city should place itself in position
to encourage such an investment or
whether by owning its own lighting
system, shut out the chance and dis
courage it altogether. 1t ought not
to be a hard question for every man
to decide. The advantages to be de-
rived from the location of an extern
siye electrical power company in our
midst to the city at large are SO great
that it would seem no one could seri-
ouSly entertain the thought of put
ting anything in the way Of its ac-
complishment. The benefits which
will accrue to the people of the city
will exceed a hundred fold any saving
the city might make by running a
plant even were the most sanguine
expectations of the advocates Of
such course realized.
1t is a matter which should be thor
oughly investigated and most care
fully considered by every voter in
the city.