The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-11-08
Municipal Water and Lights

10 1880 the city of jackson willie,
Florida. assumed control of it's water.
works system. aud 10 1898 establisbed
an electric lighting plant for tha. oity.
Before 1893 Jacksonville paid $8 900
year for lighting i,s streets with gas,
and now out of the profits of tho sale
OF electricity a, 7 cents per kilo watt.
it is paying all expenses Of operating
the plant, Including maintenance of
plant aud circuits. is lighting it's streets
sod public bulldogs. Ere stations,
arm ,ries, aod all hospitals aud oharisa,
bio institutions. 10 constantly extending
its commercial aud street lines. is iay.
ing aside a considerable cum for
siuking fund. aud is paying interest on
the entire investment as tho rate Of 5
per cent per snnum These facts are
taken from the New York Journal
When the original city plant was essab.
lisbed the charge made bv the private
companies for electric Lighting was %
cents por kilo wsst-wheu the city p!sus
was put 10 operation the charge was re.
duosd TO Z cents. or exactly one quarter
OF what the private compsny cbarged
for che service. The charge for gas
~ss - Z thousand fect-under the city
control Of the lighting plants tho
pr'os OF gas has been forced down to
81 DO. The charge of 1000 kilo
power arc lights 10 use all night for q
month vas made 81 so. sgsios. Sl5
BY the old rates Arc lamps burned
uu.il midniehs we're charged at the
rate Of $6 SO, agaius. SlS old rate
The charge for iucandescent lamps for
illuninstiog private dwellings was
hxed at 30 cents per month per lamp,
while At business places the rate
tor the same service vas made IS
cents per lamp. 10 places whore tweo.
sy hvo OF more iucsndescent lamps we're
used on q single installation, the
lights were put on the meter
system. and the charge was q.
tbs rate OF 7 cents per kilo. watt.
There has been effected a saving so
the people from The former cost of
lightioR. when the amount used is
considered. Of IS per cent" "Tbe
arousl saving to the people Of. jack.
sonville by the reduction of prices for
lighting is moro than tho entire cost Of
tho plant"
The wster works and tho electric
lighting plants in jackson Vile are
operated side by side. aud under tho
same management. and the experiment
OF muoieipsl ownership has been die.
s'uosly to the advantage of the taxp.y.
ere OF the town 10 Charleston the
rate that is paid for lighting tho streets
With electric lights is 800 per annuu,
"ruooioe on moonlight schedule"
"a against 800 10 jackson willie. The cost
OF illuminating private dwelliuRs in
Jacksonville. the ourreu. being SUB.
piled by the city, is 80 cents per month
per lamp. or I cents per kilo watt. Io
Coar'es'oo. under the private owner.
ship OF the electric lighting plant. there
is no monthly charge per lamp, but
consumers pay for electric lighting at
10 cents per kilo.watt. or q lite more
than twice as much as is paid 10 Jack
sonvIl'e, not counting the monthly
minimum charge" of So One OF
the advantages that the city will have
when the waterworks syste N has been es.
'sol'shed il more ABUNDANT supply of
water at less cost, and eventually
cheaper supply of light. not only for
municipal purposes, but, II is hoped. fer
private aud manufacturing purposes
also News aud Courier.