Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1896-02-18
MuniclpaI Affairs.
NEW PHILADELPHIA.

muntCtpdi EUuUos
NEW PHILADELPHIA.
| Our sister city is now in the midst OF
struggle for municipal ownership OF
her electric street lights.
Heretofore they have been paying
a private company s72 per lamp for 1o4
arc lights burned until 1 o'clock in the
morning. Now the franchise of the
Company has run out and the City
Council propose to do their own light
ing or get greatly reduced figures from
the Company, which wants $40 for fur
nishing lights as at present, or 800 for
all night service.
Let us see how that would compare
with Marietta Last year the actual
expenditure. for 110 arc lights for all
night was sS175.69' If we should have
to pay $50 next year that would nessi-
tate the expenditure of $4,000 per year,
or s6124.31 more than at present. Why,
that would pay for an electric light
plant every three years.
CSuppose however, we should only
have to pay s75 each for all night SER
vice, which is the figure the New Phila-
delphia City Council is standing out
for, that would make our lights cost us
SS05O per year, and if we should sell
out to paivate company this year at
those figures next year our taxes for
street lights would be raised s4274. 81
more than at present But let us go to
the extreme and say our lights cost us
s55 each. Then as compared with the
New Philadelphia proposition of 800
per light we would save SO, $50 per year,
which saving would in five years build
splendid electric light plant.
New Philadelphia is in the heart of
the coal fields and can get her fuel at
81 per ton for slack coal, and there is
no reason why her street lights should
cost oyer $50 per lamp for all night
lighting.
The tendency towards municipal
ownership is irresistible Every enter
prise of quasi-public nature which
has to ask the right to use the public
streets, will eventually be run by the
people themselves, watersupply, street
lights, street rapid transportation, as
well as telephone and telegraph SER
vice will be owned eventually by the
people and furnished at cost. AT pres.
ent the two accomplished facts are
water supply and street lighting by
cities, at cost
OTHER CITIES.
Reading, Pa. is contemplating the
erection of an electric light plant.
Jamaica, N. Y. A meeting of citizens
was recently held to discuss the ques-
tion of erecting an electric street light
ing plant.
Mauch Chunk, Pa. fifteen thou
sand dollar electric light plant is con-
templated.
Spokane, Wash. The construction
of an electric light plant in connection
with the water works has been recon-
mended by Committee of the Council.
SEWER BONDS.
The much delayed sewer bonds are
now offered for sale. The reason they
were not offered Immediately after the
completion of the sewers was owing to
a doubt being entertained by the City
Clerk as to the bond market, and
whether by waiting we could not get
better terms, and then the exact amount
to be sold could only be ascere,ined by
careful figuring by the Engineer, in
volying every piece of property in the
second sewer district. But there ought
never to have been the slightest doubt
but what 6 per cent bonds would sell.
and sell at a good premium. S. j. II.