The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-04-03

voters 1--WE do not have mhniloou su"iabN
I'm Rhode Island cities) at that election.
Failure bars another attempt for three
years.
MUNICIPAL LIGHTING PLANTS
There are many large towns and
number OF cities In the united otates
! which have municipal lighting plants In
| the number are Chicago. Detroit. Ale
gheny Pa, Columbia, o., ST. Joseph, MO-
| Grand Rapids, Mich. Wheeling, w. Va
Tacoma. Topeka. and our heishoor
| Taunton.
The Taunton report for 1893 shows an
average cost per e0O0-candle power hsht
| az s75 This cost includes maintenance
| and operation interest on bonds tbut not
on watered stock). depreciation, insur-
ance and a liberal allowance Tot taxes
| lost. .-o
The year 1900 showed an increose 70 s,s
| due to burning the lights ell night III
! tam the cost was reduced TO $3.50 per
! light. dt Is proper to say that these are
/ not the actual figures given IN the re-
ports. To the hgures there given l haNe
| added the allowonce for taxes lost IN OF
der to be able TO make fair psirS comph,sS"
| between public and private ownership
And this low cost. IL must be reinem-
bered Is with n small plant. The average
number OF street lights In 1891 was z41,
Providence is paying the Narraganseu
Electric Light company sllhS each ioI
lights for sss.50-a slight difference OF
$50. per light. A municipal plant In PROV
| idence managed on the Taunton pasis
would save the city $4,000 year.
! Again. let us take the case OF Detroit
Thanks TO Mayor Pingree, Detroit has a
m1InicInal plant for street lighting. IL Is
not however permitted 10 furnish nght
IN citizens The fifth annual report or the
public lighting commission, Tor the yeaI
ending June 80. 1900, shows lscs hsnss
operated at a cost Of $500 each. rms cos.
Includes interest on the bonds there Is no
watered stock, cost OF maintenance ano
operation. depreciation and lost taxes.
| For 1891 the cost was ss1.3 ana Tor ls'-
IL was s63s2. Providence paid sieeS III
1902 or SIS per light more than IN cost De,
troit. II Providence bad munl.ipa.
plant. and managed 1t as well as pe,lVi'
did she would have savedsslOoWo IN lsoz;
Not the least advantage is that the
employees have an S-hour day. In its re-
port for 1902 p. 10, the commission say Una
were they permitted TO do commercis
work they could place an s-candle power
light in the humblest home at cost io'
, light of "a OF cent per hour.
In view of these facts. what ousht tns
CITY OF Providence to do? Does not mere
business prudence oblige us to take steps
to establish municipal plantE
EXPIRE IN 1896.
The existing contracts expire in thre'
years. Three years Is none 100 ions =, -
take the necessary preliminary Is sseps com on
any would have fair notice too, ana Suui. ru
adjust itself TO the new conditlons, ne, s
in 1872 when its franchise ehpi'es, ano,,g, @
| city should have had experience ehous'
in the business 10 enable " 10 90 coIi,
mercial lighting also, and compietei'
supplant the company. ., a,
The mission OF private corporations
b the field OF public utilities is simply e.
D prepare the way for the greater ana IA IA
b more benehcent public corporauon-th
< These private corporations. with their
= per cent, on more or less watered stoor .or
and their comparative exemption iioa
y taxation get enough TO average pe
, cent on their actual investment M
. enough more 10 pay them back their prli
/. cipal intact at least once In the " s<'''
q aud In some cases more than once
+. They can, therefore, have no JUST caus
i OF complaint IL their monopoly Is M Mno
|. renewed when IL expires IN n islS, ~, ,he
people are not beasts or burden that the
y are to be ridden forever. -
|. For city policy ! propose tneretSre; :
9 municipal street lighting plant n.,sy IN is@ an
. iaI9 i "' In This way $1,000 a year woul
!. be saved to the city light Furnished NOR
q cheaply 10 more people, ana oet'er co"'
Y tions obtained for labor.
a STREET RAILWAYS.
= Nv act of the general assembly May 2
}. 1894 the Union Railroad company wa
y given an exclusive franchise In fr1N
x dence for 20 years from May 5 ls@, II, IN
" contract with the city contains the usus
!. provisions for paving and for the oroeritl
@ OF new lines or change OF old ones
/? the city
ings was per cent up TO 1897 per Ger
n since then. The act did not PROVE
for transfers. and for ten years the pc.
> pie demanded them in vain; TWO yeal
- ago. 10 meet the rising tide OF publ
le sentiment. the company Put forward
OF transfer station plan. Ihis met WI,
Of such disfavor that IL was finally droppe'
r The company. however. announced Use
10 as 'fnalterably opposed to transfer tcl
- cts. but the reelection OF Mayor Crane
"a er in November. 1901. on that issue, by
10 vote OF more than double that OF n
r opponent opened the eyes or the con
=" pany. fits newspapers and its legislator
as we now have transfer tickets, but II toe
.. ten years To get them. The stock
cd the Union Railroad company. was a
"a company of New Jersey and last ye'
ne this in turn leased 10 the Rhode lslar
nd company all its privileges for sss year
Jy ss ON, 400 stuck the Traction eempan
al The men in these companies are for u
no most part the same.
ie. PERPETUAL FRANCHISE.
n They desire perpetual franchise. a.
they think they have ~ by the terr
of an act passed by the legislature
Nav 1898. by which the company Is
~, pay to the state an annual tax of y
Nv cent on its gross income. II was guara
aj teed all the rights and privileges II tn
n, had. so long as 1t should pay that tax.
10 However. II Is doubted by many go
~, LAWYERS whether this does give a pc
ch petual franchise. The, company's pro
O@ erty IS probably worth something "
~, sS 600 0r0 II Is capitalized (stock a
,,s bondsO at sl6, ,eco and Is taxed
81. $4,000.
-, After some years Of agitation
lld street railway employees op'siheo III
he the legislature last spring, through I
on boss" then currying the favor Of {
he labor unions. n In making 10 hours wit
on I'm 1o days work for them. This
he similar to the Massachusetts, law and
,ie company at first announced that IL wo'
rec comply with the law. but at the last m
ex- ment Il posted notices telling Its e.
.od pioyees that any who wished 10 We