The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1904-02-03

CITY Nto.' gu, Whiio cuCu ilkut Cubt wv
ensboro sis. SO. IL there any econo-
my in this? Psduoahans may well ask
themselves.
1t is not claimed that conditions are
the same in Owensboro as in Paducah,
for they are not We desire simply to
show that good lights are the cheap
est in the long run, for while Owens
boro's operating expenses were sl3,-
6s4, Greensboro also furnishes private
lights in addition to its 2s2 city lights
and lights in all public institutions,
and had an income last year of over
81, 900 more than its total expenses.
Hence, even il Greensboro furnished
only street lights, it would still fur
nish over 100 more lights than Padu-
cab has, and at a total aggregate cost
Of less than Paduosh is paying.
The greensboro Inquirer, in COM
menting recently on the report Of the
superintendent of the light plant theve
took occasion TO say:
1.-The plant was constructed out of
the general revenue fund of the city
and not bond was issued for the pur-
pose. Previous TO this time the city
wss paying s6,s72 rs per year for
licl,> both Zas and electric. This
was j pay for lighting the streets, but
under the circumstances the streets
were but fltfully lighted and made
only spots in the gloom which covered
the city. A large amount Of gas was
used and yearly the city was expend-
ing large amount of money for some
thing it did not get.
with the beginning OF 1904 the
conditions are practically reversed.
Every street corner in the city is fitted
with q brilliant arc light. The city
offices, the churches, schools and hos
pitfalls are furnished with light free
and the city is actually receiving rev.
enue from the article which formerly
cost it large percentage Of the yearly
tar receipts. At present there are 2sa
arc street lamps in Owensboro making
it one.of il not the best lighted city in
the state. The service is excellent
and not Q complaint comes from the
many users of electric power.
How different it is in Paducah,
where the city officials do everything
on q cheap plan
IL does seem that il owen sboro, pay
irg only $1,000 or $1,000 year for
city lights, found il advisable to put
in first class plant, Paducah, whose
taxpayers spend over twice that
amount and have 1875 lights less than
Greensboro has, and then have the
lights put ont if the calendar shows
that the moon is shining, can do like
wise with commendable consistency,
especially when Paducah is so much
larger than Owensboro. The city owns
the light plant. What is TO keep the
city from making it worth having +?
The mayor has long been municipal
ownership advocate, and his hobby
for years was for the city to own its
water plant. Would the city, if it
owned water plant, get as disgust
ingly bad service from that as it has
from its liRh. plant during the years
the light plant has been operated un-
der Mayor Yeiser?
The way to get good lights is TO put
in good machinery and enough Of it.
They way to get money to do this is
by cutting down some Of the salary
and other CRAFTS in Psducah and shay
ing the street end other accounts,
which waste so much Of the peoples
money yeGr by year. This is the way
to do it. But will it ever be done in
Psducah?