The age-herald., 1899-10-22

canacitv tnan the demands of the city would justify, and that the rates proposed to be charged would be ruinously low and much less than the cost of operation
 The supreme court upheld the city and theplant was put in operationo. The plant of the old company, which was worth aoous s25 0OO. had been bonded for $lOOOo ana stocked fir $S0,000; it was forced into the hands of a receiver and was sold, as II could not competewith the city plant which was the best that the General Electric com pany could put in for the money aVailapie. The original cost of the plant exceeded the bond issue by about s15.O00. making the cost of the plant close to sSOOOO
 The Plant Enlarged
 The capacity of the plant, aside from that required for city lighting, which mas al- ways been made the first consideration, was taken up by private consumersas rapldly as the Installations could be made, and Tn 1898 an enlargement was considered and was ordered by authority of the city council, which made a grant of s45,OOO for the pur- nose. This grant was practically in the form of loan by the city against the re- ceipts from the operation of the plant
 The increase in the capacity of the plant was fully 100 per cent, and the smaller cost of the additions, as compared with the org inal expense was made possible py the iac. that the surplus of steam power ana ol buildings incorporated in the original plant noade if unnecessary to add materially 10 these With the increase the problem of furnishing power as well as light was con sidered and this is now a feature or pne municipal plant.
 The completed and enlarged plant was mi into operation about seven months ago. the first three monthsh of this time were largely occupied in extending com poercial lines on which the income or the plant depends. The last four months can, therefore, be taken to show the nnanclai operation of the plant and to demons tra le e it's possibilities as a successful munlclpai investment It must be said that during the summer months the consumption or cleo tricity is much less than in the winter and the statistics given are gathered from operation during the quietest part or the year.
 When the original plant was established the charge made by the private eompa mes was 2S cents per kilo-watt. me cl.y Pitsn. . was put into operation with charge or cents per kilo-watt, making the new rate exactly one-quarter of the old The charse for gas had been $3 per thousand feet
 Prices Forced Down
 On this basis the charge for 2,Ooo kilowa,t mower arc lamps In all night, per month was made $750 against $l5 by the old rates' and arc lamps burned till midnight were charged s6.50. against SIS, old rate. The old companies were forced to meet the rates es- tablished by the city, and the price or gas was forced down to $l50 per thousand feet.
 The charge for imeandescent lamps for Illuminating private dwellings was HNed at 30 cents per month per lamp, while In business places the rate for the same ser vice was made 75 cents per lamp. In places where twenty-five or more incandescent lamps were used on single installation the charge was at the rate of cents per kio- watt.
 For the private consumer the use of cleo tricity at the single lamp rate has proved the cheaper; but where the consumption has been on a large scale the meter system has been found much cheaper, being month by month about one-thfrd Of the former cost of illumination by gas, and furnishing a quality and quantity of light many times