The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-04-08

over $1,000 per year A rich corpora
ton has lost an opportunity TO rol
the public, everybody else in James
town was benefited.
Lansing. Mich, population 1900
bought out the private plant and hai
reduced rates In two years over 40 pc
cent, and makes a profit OF 5000 year
ly, and in addition to this, the citizens
save $4,000 per year.
Allegheny, Pa. population lsS,oOO
has made great success with her elec-
trio light plant She has reduced the
operating expenses from ssi,sl per light
in 1895 to s4s,5s in 1895 She paid prior
to 1890 private company $3.50 a year
for light, and Pittsburg, just across
the river. pays al present ssA
Elgin. H., population lS,eoO. paid a
private company ssSs4s per light for
thirty-three lights. In 1880 the city
entered upon its fiscal year OF muni-
cipal ownership, and in 1891 she was
using seventy-seven lights at cost Of
tS2SL II to this be added interest.
charges. etc, the cost Is about SIS, or
about one third what the private COM
pany charged. The city plant gave so
much satisfaction that a new plant
for lighting parks and public buildings
has been constructed.
Detroit, Mich. population about $780,
900. paid slSasS per light to a private
company in 1885,. The cost for 1895,
under municipal ownership, including
interest and taxes. was less than SIS.
Detroit has a magnificent plant. She
saves thousands OF dollars annually.
In twenty-five years the plant win be
paid for and even If there should be
no improvements the city can furnish
lights at $40.
Chicago. III, population 100000. be-
came the owner Of its electric lighting
system in 1857. Today the city owns
s,5O2 arc lights of 1900 candle power.
Their average cost, including all items,
is $3.50 per lamp per anum. Chicago
is at the same time leasing 200 lamps
exactly the same power from electric
lighting companies and pays slS7 per
lamp per year for them. Here, then,
In the same city it plainly appears
that municipal ownership saves the
taxpayer s4O.7O on every lamp. On the
l'2S4 lamps which Chicago owns, it
saves, therefore. over $4,000 a year
calculated on the basis Of the price IT
is actually paying for lamps it leased
from private corporations, and Chica-
go pays much higher wages to the
municipal employees. Philadelphia
pays an average of 1922 to a private
company Boston pays sl2s, and New
York pays an average of $3.50 The new
in charge Of the municipal
plant at Chicago, estimates the cost
for the year, including taxes, interest
and depreciation at only $40.
The city will have S,5O2 arc lights in
operation. The newest plant at Hal
sted street reduced operating expenses
to about $50 per arc light for s1sss-ss.
Chicago does a commercial lighting.
Mr.. Barrett, who formerly had charge
Of the municipal plant. stated that they
could. were they allowed by state law,
furnish electric lights to private con-
sumers at one-half the cost now charg-
ed by the private company.
Springfield, H., is a good illustration
Of the efforts for profit by a corpora
ton and the superior advantages of
a municipal lighting plant for city.
In 1894 the city was paying a private
company s137 per year for arc lights,
1000 candle power, that were burned
only on dark nights. This company
also controlled the gas company, and
refused to offer lights for less than si2O
in order to secure a new contract, and
claimed that the cost was s117, leav-
ing the company only SO profit. The
city was largely in favor Of buying a
plant but was prevented from doing so
by state law, which prohibits a city
from going into debt above a certain
per cent on valuation. This law has
since been repealed. This being the
condition that confronted the city,
sixty spirited citizens organized a
company. The old company had been
$4,000 per year for 147 arc
lights. The new company offered to
furnish nearly double the number CT
candle power lights for the same sum,
200. and in addition the company
agreed to furnish lights for the city