The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-06-02

ihciuhing repairs. When the new board
LOOK charge oil the plant there was in the
treasury about W 500 OF accrued earn
ihgs. with this amount and the esti-
mated earnings for the then pending
year calculated ut about $3,600), or
Si0,4OO to be precise, Commissioners Pen
Gill, acting as spokesman for the board,
assured the council that the power could
DE improved and 900 additional horse
power secured. The council, reluctant at
nrst, was finally persuaded to authorize
the work done, and the board lost no
time in starting it.
What has been the result2 The DO ard
soon found that it's estimate OF the cost
oil making the projected Improvement
was entirely too low, and repeatedly
came to the council for appropriationB to
continue the work. Ii has expended
close on 81 8, 900 on the work, with con-
tracts made for the machinery yet to be
met and has broken dam, a partially
built Hume, an excavation for wheel
pit, and a lot OF costly experience to
show Tor that outlay. To put the uI per
power in condition for use an additional
expenditure OF not less than $4,000 will
probably be required, for much of the
work done will have to be torn out il
stability is to be secured, and without
stability the Improvement on which the
board has been engaged for the past year
will become menace to the old plant in
stead oil benefit and source OF increased
revenue to the city.
1T Is matter OF common knowledge
that the dam il defective, that the fume
rests on foundation, (sills five feet four
inches long and with Six inches of bear
ing surface, five feet apart. wholly insult
ticient to stand under the load it will
have to carry when the flume, which il
Six feet and half in diameter, ia filled
with water under head OF over eighty
six feet, and that il the board carries out
its present plans it will put not only the
city 8 electric lighting plant in great jeo-
pardy, but also the properties of the Val
ley River milling company, the Powder
company, and the Dead River milling
company further down.
Ever since its installment, Marauette's
lighting plant has been in evidence all
over the country as an example OF the
advantage the people derive from own
ing and operating their own lighting
plants. But there is reason to apprehend
that it will no longer be 80 cited and re-
garded. lie surely cannot be If the kind
OF management the plant has had during
the past year IS continued. And suppose
a change is made and board is given
charge Of the plant that will remedy the
blunders OF the present board, what as
surance have we that some future council
will not take steps to legislate the board
which does this out of control OF the
plant and again place it under manage
ment that will squander its earnings and
impair its serviceableness?
Mayor Jacobs at the last meeting OF
the council appointed Mr.. II. q. Payne a
member of the lighting board, to succeed
Sidney Adams, whose appointment was
but for one year. This was an excellent
appointment. Mr.. Payne being a man
specially qualified to render good service
on the board. But the old members OF
the board do not, the Mining Journal
learns, evince any desire to avail them
selves OF his professional skill and exper-
ience stubbornly refusing to admit that
there have been mistakes made, or that
the plan on which the work hasproceeded
thus far is in any way defective. 1t
would seem, therefore, that the time has
come when the council should assert
OF any more money under the direction
of a board which has given such convin-
cling proof OF it's incapacity and reckless
ness.
"The facts here set forth are enough to
raise doubt az to the wisdom ofhaying
municipalities undertake to render ser
vice OF this kind in the hope oil obtaining
enduring good results. Certainly II Mar
quette's lighting plant proves a CONNER
cial failure through the interference OF a
stupid council, to start with, and the
management of n board dominated by q
single member whose most conspicuous
characteristics are unbounded confidence
in his own judgment and mulsh OBJ
stinacy subsequently, there is little use OF
expecting anything better from municip-
al ownership and operation OF such
plants in places where the economic con-
dtions are less favorable, tor with the
plant here the power costs nothing and
the repairs to the power generating part
OF it make hardly any showing in the ex-
pense OF running it, while with a steam
plant both these items count largely
against the gross earnings.
"ln view of the condition to which
Marquette's lighting plant has been
brought during single year by bad
management, and bearing in mind the
fact thai the people have deliberately
voted to bring about the state OF things
which they now deplore, wantonly an
tagonlzing and ousting safe and care
full management to replace 1t with cue.
cessiye arrangements which have lacked
both these qualities. The Mining Journ-
| al is disposed to reverse its former opin-
ion, and to admit that municipal owner
ship and control OF such plants is fail
| ure."
II such are the results OF municipal
lighting in Marquette, where the plant is
operated by water power. what would be
the result when it was necessary to use
complicated and expensive steam plant
A gentleman from Escanaba informs us
that, in order TO make FOOD showing
for the action OF purchasing an electric
light plant, they turn off the lights at
midnight. to save expense, and only run
the lights on dark nights, while the elec-
trio light company here run the plant all
night and every night, dark or not, and
this when there are only twenty lights in
the steele.
The " NJ g. field day has eh own the