The San Francisco call., 1896-05-15
iinadvertence or by chicanery. been withheld

inadvertence or by chicanery, been withheld
from them.
A word as to the objection which probabl is
uppermost in the minds of the greater NUM- Der
plant-thst OF expense and necessary increase
oi taxes. UP to the time OF the improvement
OF the old Jenney plant. less than two years
ago, the arc-light system cost the city an aver
age OF about $i1OO per month At the present
ti IiIhe II costs the city about $3.50 per month.
Mhen the proposed enlargement has been
enecteo en-. and the lncandescent system has gone
ihto M general use, we have reason to believe
tnat the expense of the arc light on the tax
payers VIII be entirely wiped out.
Al me trustees are permitted by the courts to
sGt their proposed improvements into lmme-
ulale operation, portion OF this benefit will
accrue during the present fiscal year, and by
,ne ciose OF the next fiscal year the whole en-
Iargement will have been paid for by this
mmonthly IN saving. From that time the saving
10 the city will enable reduction in taxation
TS 11 De mace OF from 10 to 15 cents annually.
nus nus IL Will be seen that there is money in the
a aIesspry to pay for the propos ed enlargement,
ana that no further additional tax levy Will
De required therefor.
In THIS appeal we have touched very lightly
upon the moral advantages which municipal
ownership possesses over that OF a private
corporation. On the financial point of view
aione s the showing is Overwhelmingly in our
iavor; In the past Alameda has come out
alea1, although handicapped by back-num-
yer plant, purchased at an exorbitant price
are alu run with poor management. With mod
uIeu, the result in the next eight years will be
not only $4,000 to the credit side of the ledger.
out many times that amount. Every dollar of
extra taxes paid will be returned to the tax
payer within year or two in the increased
value of his property.
, mat values of real estate have ruled more
~ ~ mInly In Alameda than in most cities in the
state is due to the fact that our city is vigor.
GUS, enterprlsing and progressive. Every Wis
ttor Is confronted with evidence of this fact.
NO real estate agent shows piece of property
W IL stranger without ieccantinp these pvi-
uehces. There is not worse setback that the
CITY could give itself than by taking the retro
ownership of its electric-l1ghtng system. The
tendency throughout the United States is rap
Idly the other way
The number of cities that own their plants
Is Is rapidly increasing. The reason for this is
tHet II pays. Statistics show that out OF 200
cIues which own their plants the average re-
Huctlon p, In cost on the same service supplied
oy private corporations has been over so per
cent. Alameda cannot afford to be classed as
back-number city,
while the committee desire to avoid all per-
soIai a!Iuslons yet they deem 1t due to the
PupIlc that attention be called to the fact that
the agent and recognized manipulation of the
corporation which seems at present to be the
most active In It's endeayors to secure the prof
us OF llgh ting the city is the same man who
elght years ago persuaded the City Trustees to
p4rchase the old Jenney plant. He is the man
VINO secured control of franchise for electric
lghtlng In the city of Oakland, which fran
chlse was afterw ards sold 10 a corporation
now now oper rating IN that city. Whether the priv
ilegeS sought from Alameda are with view
TO sell out to the same purchaser we have no
means OF knowing. He is the same man who
now Deads the scheme to force upon our city
an electrlc lghtlng plant under the ownership
OF private corporation in defiance of public
sen sentiment ana IN contempt OF the authority of
our City trustees
In closing the committee desire to saw
word IN regard TO the present Board of City
trustees. While not excusing the mistakes of
former boards IN the management OF the elec-
trlc light plant they do feel that credit is due
to the present board. No action of Importance
can be taken by municipal legislative board
mat Will not furnish food for criticism. Espe-
clally VIII TINS be so when large moneyed in
terests are arrayed against the attitude of the
municipal BODY. But much as has been said
against our City Trustees for their action in
proceeding to enlarge the City's electric light
plant, the present howl is nothing as COM
pared to the Indignation that would have
Deen manifested had they proven plant to the
wishes OF those who are so willing TO take the
Citys so-celled "unprottable plant and run
it themselves.
We believe that we voice the sentiment of
the great majority of the taxpayers OF Alameda
when we say that the city must maintain its
ownership, must place the plant on an econom-
lcal Dasls, must run the arc-light system with
out cost to the taxpayer and must fix the rate
on 1ncandescents at the lowest possible figure
which will allow that to be done. We believe
that five years from now the present time will
be looked back upon as en- ere critical in the
history OF the city-an era which fortunately
found in office Board of Trustees who lad
good business judgment, sincerity of purpose,
and who proved that they possessed the cour-
age of their convictions.
Frank II. Mccormick (Dresident), E. s. Clark.
MD. (vice presdenO; George f. Plummer, j.
J. Tobin. Green Majors, f. A. Won Schmidt,
Herman krus1, executive committee.
Attest: Brainard c. Brown, secretary.