The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1903-09-10


tion. The plant was idle for more
than year. In April, 1901, plans
were made to extend the usefulness"
of the plant for which purpose $110,-
0C0 in bonds we're sold. This amount
proved insufficient and was followed
by another issue Of s122,000. making a
total of $900000,
The plant is not completed and It
will be more than a year before tho
city gets cents worth OF service out
of these Increased bond issues. In
face of this fact, on last Monday the
council was asked for another $780,
900 to meet emergencies. With this
experience as basis for calculation
the citizens of Cleveland can estimate
the opportunities" that will be open
ed up by voting 100000 worth of
bonds to install an electric lighting
plant in competition with a privately
managed plant in which there are
$4,O00,000 invested.
Hamilton, o., enjoys the unique
prestige of being the only city in the
country that has undertaken to install
a municipal lighting plant and to sell
service in competition with private
corporation.
Professor e. w. Bemis, who is
Mayor Johnson's chief adviser upon
this municipal lighting proposition,
says of the city of Hamilton: "Seri-
GUS embarrassments have come 10 the
city in consequence of competing
private company"
No one can be more painfully aware
than the taxpayers of Hamilton OF the
embarrassment that have been cous-
ed by undertaking to sell service from
q municipal plant in competition with
a private corporation. Tho best the
city can do is to attempt to make it
appear that their street lamps cost
but $75 each per annum. 1t is found,
however, in analyzing the accounts
that no charges for depreciation and
interest on the bonded debt OF $780,
coo enter into this cost and that many
items that should be charged to oper-
ating expenses are charged as cost or
construction; and in addition to this
the city Is carrying large amount in
delinquent commercial consumers ac-
counts, which are called good, but in
fact are worthless.
When questioned upon this subject
a few days since prominent citizen
said at is civic pride that keeps
Hamilton in the municipal lighting
business. Our plants are costing us
money, but we don't care to confess
this to the world. We've got the sore
and all we can do is to keep on rub
bling In the ointment Something may
cure it, but no one has been able to
suggest a remedy"
The civic pride of the citizens seems
to have reached the limit when they
were called upon short time ago to
vote an additional $4,000 In bonds to
take care of deficiencies. This propo-
sition was defeated at the polls.
Several years ago the city of Xenia
undertook to produce an electric light
ing service at less cost than they
could buy it from a private corpora
tion. Thirty thousand dollars Of tax
payers money was invested in the
plant. 1t proved to be an expensive
luxury, and was finally sold to the
highest bidder in 1896 for $4,000. City
Clerk Logan, who has held the Office
for IL years, says: "The city received
more than the plant was worth when
1t got this ridiculously low figure"
The best the city officials could do
was to show that the electric lights
cost the city under municipal manage
ment $103 each per year. Now Xenia
Is better lighted than ever In its his
tory and the lamps are furnished by a
private corporation at s63 per year for
2,179 hours of service. Cleveland is
paying $75 per year for 1850 hours
service.