La Junta tribune., 1905-03-22

tne reason I08I t1e 8U,uuO Wutc0 u
Is propossd to raise 1t this time
Is the extreme limit which the Law
Will permit . city the size Of La
Junta to raise by bonding itself for
anything except water works The
city is prevented by the constitution
Of Colorado from bonding itself for
more than three per cent Of its as
sessed valuation, which At the present
time is $674, ,l53. Three per cent Of
this is S20.24 The best that can
be hoped for. then. by the people IS
. return for their so. 900 will be =
mere fragment Of q plant. . starter
which may. but probably would not,
be sufficient to light the streets. In
order to complete it and to make it
m adequate plant enormous taxes
will have to be levied from year to
year with the result that we never
will have an adequate plant but will
have lot Of machinery pieced up
and added to from year to year at
. great cost to the tax payer.
So ss~g - esssssss Agsss N @uss-
eipsI sisetsess, Jvss - sssg sssl swe-
esssswi ssssiesosi e0sseoh,O - light.
tag pisass se0s,e - i@Oosojb,sisy.
Paste that in your hat. 1t can
never be q success until the system
of political rewards is entirely d.
vorced from city government.
1t is claimed that the municipal
ownership Of the La Junta water
works is success. Up to date this
has not been demonstrated. In so
far as the actual cash fees paid by
the consumers for the use Of water
is concerned il has been q success a
portion Of the time and q portion Of
the time it has not, notwithstanding
the continual increase in the rates
charged; and, when the interest on
che bonds, the wear and tear of the
plant and the decay Of pipes and
machinery is taken into account,
there is nothing to be said in favor
of it. There is no analogy between
q water plant and an electric light
plant. Nature furnished the water
free and all that ID necessary is to
conduct it to the place where it is
to be used. There is no manufac-
ture connected with . system Of
water works while the outfit for an
electric plant, and the manufacture
of electricity require the most intri-
cate and complex machinery known
TO man and ID being changed and
improved constantly. This delicate
apparatus is subject to accidents Of
al kinds. One fash Of lightning may
wipe out thousands Of dollars in
value, or one careless movement Of
q plug upon the switchboard cause
q short circuit, the effect Of which
none, who has not witnessed such Q
disaster, can realize. The business
requires the constant attention Of
experienced men. With such OBJ
stacles to contend with how can we
expect success in . city plant han
died by inexperienced men. and with
constant jealousy and chickering's be-
tween the managers. who are men,
bers Of city councils made up from
opposing political factions.
Promises are the stock in trade of
politicians Of every stripe whether
it be in La Junta or elsewhere, but
the proof Of the pudding is in the
eating. and when II comes down TO
promises Of good, careful financier-
ing. and handling Of public funds.
how do you like your present tax
aasessments and why should you
want to borrow an additional 81, 900
- . sort Of first payment on . white
elephant?
he friends Of municipal owner
shin are constantly pointing to $50
lated instances where cities owning
electric plants are making money
and apparently making q success Of
the enterprise. These are, however.
invariably cases where only surface
conditions are taken into consider
alton. Interest on the bonds, wear
on TIE machinery and depreciation
are not considered.
HE restless, tireless brain Of an
Edison or . Tesla is constantly
evolving apparatus to revOlutionize
ths business, and machines In uss
to-day may be WORTHLESS five yeaYs
hsncs. not because they are worn
out, but by reason Of . new inven-
ton which can produce the light at
70 much less expense that 1t would
b nseezsary to discard the present
outllt and purchase new machinery.
he following are . few instances
where this has been done.
Wabash, Ind, used dynamos and
lamps costing 81 800 for six years,
md then sold them for old junk.
Alameda, Calf, sold apparatus
coseing 42O, 900 after seven year,
~, for $3.50.
xenia, Ohio, sold apparatus cost
ing %, 900 for $4,000 after using
Il eight years.
Marceline, NO., sold apparatus
eusting 81 600 for $500 and only
ussd e nine years.
Michigan City bought apparatus
and paid SlO, 1000, used il six yea1
and sold Il for 1890.
Moline, H., paid $50 for sp-