The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1905-07-04
MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP
THE PEOPLES CLUB
INVESTIGATION or PUBLIC ELECTRIC LIGHT PLANTS sEV.
ERAL CITIES SHOWS THAT THEY THAN Un-
DER PRIVATE MANAGEMENT THAT TIE PEOPLE
NEVERTHELESS our CHEAPER LIoHrisa

49, 81 rs 100 Ut 1Ht&
ny JACOB wALnEcK
Staff Correspondence Go The Seat
tie star
PfTTsBuRG. July Electric
lighting has In recent years been
the most popular field for mnnic-
ipai enterprise Plants are being
erected. especially by the villages
and smaller cities. az n surprising
rate. This Increase is pointed 20
By municipal ownership advocates
aa the best 81 evidence that the
municipalities are getting good re-
suits.
The latest official statistics on
this subject we're Issued By the
census bureau in the form 81 bull
letiu IN 1908 Il showed E s05 pri-
vate stations established In 1881
was 60 z. in 1891 it vas a little
more than I e. I. and IA faai a M
tie over ! 90 i The cost ~ con
STRUGGLING and equlppinK the munic-
ipal stations In existence AZ the
time ~ this last report vas So
u20 t73. They employed 246T wage
earnera and paid 81 60 81 in
wages
The income - the municipal sta
tons is given - g. gs5 los The er-
panses. Including salaries and
wages supplies. materials. fuel
fenta taxes. Insurance and Interest.
amount 20 ssafs ss7.
A tour ~ hair a dozen cities hav.
inE municipal electric plants served
- ahow that the people In uon7 81
these towns are disposed To count
their enterprise a failure Officials
present Nhat appear 10 Be cuuyinc-
inE reports that the cities are SCI
ting lights At . much lover rate
than would Be granted b. private
companies.
Officers ~ the latter and a few
ether persons contend that the city
reports DO not fairly present the
cost % the iiEhtz They say that
In the cost q operation. a. Eivsu
one or more such items a. tarsu
Interest. depreciation. insurance. or
damage suits are not charged
against the plants The main fact
stands out though. that none ~
the plants f. for sale.
Chicago, through the efforts %
Mayor Carter u Harrison. ar. eH-
tahllahed a municipal electric light
plant In 1857 Tho capacity was
I o4 arc lights Now the arc lights
produced BY the Chicago plants er-
coed 500. The operating expenses
incidental 20 the production Of these
lights last year we're s5t36 per
light
Chicago rents about 500 arc lights
for street lighting from a private
company. For these the city 10
Obliged % pay Ft0sJ0 per light. City
officials figure that the city plants
have not only paid for themselves.
including interest and taxes. bat
have saved the city over $500 600
Wages are very high and the men
have the sighf-hour day.
Politics cut no figure said city
Electrician Carroll. More than
half our men have been over 10
years In the service. We do not
ask their politics"
Edward y. Ellicott. who was until
recently city electrician. and had
much 70 do with the development
81 the plants. said THAT there can
be any question Of the desirabiiity
Of cities owning and operating their
lighting plants Is cauae for sur
prise 4"
Carroll declares that the time IL
/ looming when all commercial light
ling In Chicago will be done BY the
city. 1T II inevitable" he said.
Experts who examined the city
books in 1900 added 20 the cost Of
operation 1879 per lamp for taxes.
depreciation and interest Officers
% private companies say that the
lights are now costing Chicago over
800 each
Walter l.. Fisher. head Of the Mu-
nleipai League. and a man well
posted in city affairs. said The
| city plants effected n saving over
what rented lights cost when the
plants we're established. The real
cost now ~ between t75 and $50.
which r. less than private com
panles would charge ms for lights.
Electric lighting Is the best place
for a city 10 begin with municipal
Ownership because II Is a compare
lively simple proposition.
Despite this conflicting evidence
II can be said that the people are
going 10 decide by an overwhelming
majority at the next election In
favor Of the city engaging In com
mercial lighting.