The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1905-06-26
STORIES OF GOOD
and BAD EXAMPLES
What Was Shown by Visits to Duluth Hamilton o. Rich
mond Va.-Bad Management and Almost Exhausted
Plants in Some Places, But in Every Case the People
Benefited.

thoroughly familiar with that clty's
experience.
THE great, almost universal. mis-
take" he said, rs that cities do not
build large enough plants. They
ought to look 80 years ahead. The
people will vote any amount of money
to build a plant, but they will not
grant funds for extensions The les
son is that the beginning should be
planned on a liberal scale. with that
done there is no reason why such
enterprises should fail"
| Richmond, Va, has had a munici-
pal gas works for more than SO
years They do not think Of the own
ership notion there as a reform, or
socialism. or usurpation Of private
business. With few exceptions the
people of Richmond have been accus-
toned all their lives to city owner
ship and they accept 1t as a matter
! of course.
| The works now are aged and in
adequate. They have been profitable.
but the surplus, instead Of being held
to the credit Of the plant, has been
diverted to other municipal purposes.
The council having refused to appro-
pirate money to provide adequate
storage capacity. the service last win
| ter was the cause Of much complaint.
| 1t was necessary to send much Of
the gas into the mains before 1t had
been purified. The pressure was ir-
regular. Persons who had turned gas
Jets down low found that the lights
had been extinguished by falling
pressure and that rooms were filled
with gas. A committee Of councilmen
and aldermen has been engaged for
| several months investigating the gas
plants of several cities with q view
to suggesting improvements in Rich
mond
| Friends of the Fla=at aver that its
present condition is no reflection on
municipal ownership They declare
that the people would not consider
for a moment proposition to turn
the business over to a private COM
pany.
AS to benefits that have been de-
rived by the city. it is stated that IL
the profits. above all expenses Of OPP
GRAFTON and interest on the cost Of
the works. had been set aside the
plant would now have fund Of over
s1,200,000 to it's credit The plant
paid for itself long ago. The city has
used the profits for many years in
making general municipal improve
ments. Meantime the consumers have
had the advantage of rates that are
low compared with prices charged by
private companies in other cities.
The hath annual report Of Alex
andria, Va, says the city council
turned down the offer of a syndi-
cate that desired to buy the gas
plant, and that the profitable oper-
alton of the latter has justified it's
retention. City officials declare that
the net earnings have been nearly 8
per cent on the cost of the plant.
The machinery is In bad condition.
but, for all that, the people favor
municipal ownership. The price Of
gas is $1.20 a thousand feet.
isn't that a little high?' bust
ness man was asked.
Not compared with our water
bills" he said. "a private company
owns the waterworks. For the house
1 live in her 1 pay SO year water
rent. For a larger house in WASH
ington pay $3.50. Now, If a private
water company gives US a treble
water rate, what do you suppose q
private gas company would dor
| Wheeling, w. ", Is usually re-
ferred to as having obtained poor
results from it's municipal gas plant.
Friends of the plant. however. de-
clare triumphantly that it has given
the people 75-cent gas since 1889, q
record not equaled in any other city.
The plant is very nearly in the
junk class. The earnings. however.
would be ample to carry bond issue
of $4,000, the amount necessary to
place the plant in good condition.
1t Is impossible, though. because the
receipts of the gas company are used
| to pay the expenses of the municipal
electric lighting plant, which pro-
duces 500 arc lamps for street light
ing. So the gas consumers light the
| city.
1t is absolutely necessary that the
gas worke be rebuilt and this may DO
done by relieving 1t of the expense of
running the electric plant. A syndi-
cato of prominent citizens sought
some time ago to take over the plant.
but they received no encouragement.
| The plant was purchased by the
city from a private company In 1871.
Its profits have repaid the cost price.
Natural gas is furnished to citizens
by a private company at IS cents
per thousand feet, but the city pro-
hibits the use of this gas for iliumi-
mating purposes. People desiring to
use this 1S-cent gas for illuminating
purposes have sued to get that privi-
lege. The lower courts have decided
| In their favor. II the appeal courts
sustain this decision the city will
have to endure hard competition
forced by the natural gas company.
|
mr. AVN