The gazette-news., 1902-12-27

appeared a circular announcement fron
Mr.. Schantz to his electric light patrons
embodying some new rules and raisin,
the price from 10 cents per thousant
watts TO 20 cents per thousand watts
The announcement has provoked con
siderable comment and some advers
criticism; some pronounced the ruling
drastic, while Others were moderate anC
still Others quite mild in their expressed
opinions.
There are usually two sides to every
question and this is no exception. Hav.
ing heard n number of criticisms from
patrons of Mr.. Schantz the Gazette News
representative dropped in at the electric
light plant office Tuesday to see whether
Mr.. Schantz cared to offer any explana-
tions for the new rulings. he was in
pleasant mood and discussed the matter
quite freely in all its phases.
He said the new rulings and the in
crease of rate were an absolute necessity
II he is to maintain the plant and make
n legitimate profit on his investment.
He made some general statements like
this: He has invested so far 1926, 900
in DaytOna and pays 81 200 taxes.
Since establishing his electric light plant
here he has drawn-$2, 900 from other
lines Of business to keep itgoing; in other
words it has run behind $4,000.
Going to the books he showed his re-
ccipts for Daytona for the month of July
last. He received s47; from the other
side of the river his receipts were $57.
This was for incandescent lights.
Turning to his expenditures he showed
that wood cost him four dollars per
cord and that during the short summer
nights he consumed eight dollars worth
per night.
He said that barring Jacksonville he
knew Of no other town in Florida which |
had heen giving SO cheap a rate as he
and this in the face of the fact that fuel.
hire, etc. We're higher here than at nearly
my other point
He said he had duplicated the prices
made by the electric light people at his
Dayton. o., home, while there they had
ully 100 incandescent lights to his 10
Ierc and that the lighted district there
vas compact while here it is stretched
over vast areas. In Dayton they had
500 are lights and here he had 30. Coal
here cost > 6J per ton and is worth
wo cords of wood forgencratingp power.
by further comparison ne said that
AXE City, Fla, with 1000 inhabitants
SOS ,, 100 jets at 20 cents per one thous-
nj watts. They hire an electrician at
80 per month and get wood at 81. 30
nd that all around, their expenses are
early fifty per cent. cheaper than ex-
cnses here. At DeLand they pay 1S
ents, but the plant can be run cheaper
han one can be run here. He further
tated that those who think the five ,
ear franchise he has is such a bonanza {
If they will give him what they claim it
worth, he will sell out his franchise Z
nj throw in his electric light plant. L
Another proposition is this: Guaran- o
% him five per cent. on investment for a
nctric light plant, and he will give all :
ade above this to those who make n
ch guarantee. o
This if the reporter heard Mr.. Schantz n
rrectly. is his side of the matter. He n
lims that those who contend that they y
we gone to the expense of wiring and q
cn have prices raised on them. knew S
at hr reserved the right to raise the Il
lee sufficiently to make the plant pay Ie
air profit. say four or five per cent. ol
some, in all probability will withdraw "
,ir patronage some who would have le
red for electricity will resort to other "
ans of lighting, but the majority will Ii
ntinuc the present service at the in oil
aScd rate. =