The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1896-03-05
THE LIGHTING MATTER AGAIN
Dr. Hazelton Corrects the City Engineer
and Asks for More Light.

DR.. Hazelton Corrects the City Engineer
and Asks for More Light.
Mr.. EDITOR Why does the city en-
gineer continue to mislead the public :?
". S. Reed never got g lighting fran
chise" from the city. He did get a
{" water franchise" He bought the
lighting plant and was going to run
the two together. He got financially
busted before starting the water works.
His lighting plant had contract with
the city for sixty lights at $4,000 per
year. | think the city now has seventy
nine lights Let me tell the city en-
gineer how the lighting plant got along
up to the time the Kenosha Electric
Light Co. became interested, about
three years after starting.
They never paid a dividend on their
capital stock. When they sold out
they had hundreds of dollars of unpaid
bills. The company never paid them.
Ask r. B. Whitaker if he has an un-
paid bill. Come to me and 1 will give
them to you by the dozen. | would
like to ask the city engineer what he
was trying to prove regarding this
matter.
Well, how did the plant subsequently
prosper under the KenOsha Electric
Light Co. They did add an incan-
descent circuit. Ran two years up to
time of selling out. Paid one 3 per
cent. dividend during the two years,
and that money should have been used
to pay bills with instead of dividend.
| personally know that this company
did it's very best to give the city just
what it was paying for. 1t kept
horse and everything ready to hustle
when an open circuit came, no matter
how stormy or late at night, and the
time the lights were out did not aver
age per cent. Every night the lights
we're out the price was deducted and
dissatisfaction to city, hence a private
company "hustles" to keep them on.
Let me state few facts wherein Cit
les own the plant. Circuits always get
Topen and trouble comes when the
weather is bad. A city emplOye is
quite apt to look out and see the rain
and hear the cold Grind, and conclude:
| will wait till morning hence the
lights are out; and if the city has en-
ployes who do not hustle any faster
than the present city engineer the
| lights would be on in day or two If
the weather cleared up. Well, you see
there is no one to dock, the mems time
goes right along, the machinery is idle
and the town is without lights. This
is not an exaggerated picture, simply
facts that constantly occur. | admit
| am personally interested in the mat
ter, and further, that I have equally as
much interest that the city's interests
shall be considered.
Whether a city owns it's plant or
contracts for its lights of company,
they are not going to get them for
nothing. The city engineer and the
parties who want to deal with the city
are talking for themselves. and for what
they can see in it, and don't you forget
it,. I am positively opposed to getting
in debt. | am now speaking of bust
ness men Ninety-five per cent. OF
business men who get in debt and do
business on credit fail. The same rule
applies to city. MIR. Davidson, what
do you think of the chances of success
when doing business on credit? Did
you ever try it =? Interest comes hard.
believe today that 50 per cent. OF
the property owners in our city will
say: Don't put our city further in
| debt" Make such improvements as
you can pay for as years go along; and
mind you, create sinking fund as
years go along and get out of debit
then you have something you know is
your own. If Mr.. Davidson wishes to
answer me farther, [ respectfully ask
him to make details and put facts in
such a manner that a business man
can understand. E. G.. HAZELTON.
Nonu T0rno6O R0atc