Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-09-27
ELECTRIC LIGHT AND POWER STATIONS
Buke1in
of oaOfh O Public Utility Up
close Of TnoLs

cd from 1891 80 s1SSo, inclusive Inc
number for q gh1 %as $50. and for FIVE
months of 1902 it was 1A. In the 90
years from 1881 to 1901, inclusive. an
Iaverage of 165 private and municipal
stations have begun operation each
year The spread of the agitation for
municipal ownership of public service
enterprises is illustrated in some
what striking manner. OF the SIS mu-
nicipal stations enumerated. only 6S
had been installed up to 1889. In that
year 40 were introduced, and in 1895
the number of new stations reached 73,
increasing in 1898 to 80. The returns
for 1902, indicate that the ratio was
fully maintained in the census year.
In 1902 there were in the United
States $500 central electric stations.
with cost of construction and equip
ment of $500. 74O.352. Employed were
I6.996 salaried officials and clerks with
salaries amounting to $5.663.5S0; and
1880 wage earners with wages
amounting TO s14.9S3.112. The gross
income was $S5.760.6 COS. comprising
$50. lS6,605 from sale of current and
Il 900 from other sources. Total
lexpenses were $GS.0S1 .375. The total
loutput of stations for the year in lSilo
watt hours. was 2.507.05l.I1j The
number of arc lamps was 3S5.tSS and
of incandescent lamps 1S,194,044.
There has been a striking change in
the character of service in these sta
tions In the earlier days of the in
dustry nearly all the stations were in
stalled for the purpose of furnishing
l,sr
the bulk of current is supplied for in
candescent lighting. motor power, and
miscellaneous service. This last in
cludes charging telephone exchanges,
batteries for boats and automobiles;
pumping: hot water. steam. and cleo
trio heating; electric current; and
nickel plating and electroplating.
Comparison of Private and Municipal
Il stations.
i Private stations form by far the
largest portion of the industry, consti
tuting IT'S per cent of the total mum
Der of stations in operation during
1902. Their income from sale of cur
rent was $J&,735,500. or 91.9 per cen.
of gross income fhe expenses of opera
, ticn 92.3 per cent of the total. while
Ethey gave employment TO $50 per dent
of the total number of wage earners
, engaged in the industry, and paid 9O.J
, per cent of the total amount of annual
, wages. The primary power plant
equipment of these stations formed
91.3 per cent of the total horse power
of all stations, while their generating
equipment formed 90.6 per cent of the
total horse power of all dynamos. The
Ikilowatt hour output of private stations
formed 92.2 per cent of the total. anc
, the arc lamps in such stations formed
} SOS per sent of the total number wired
for operation.
: The comparison of the income of tn
= two classes of stations is not fail
: indication of their earning capacity, be
: cause of the gross income reported fol
l municipal stations. OF this gross in
, come $6.S36,S56 resulted from the sal,
+ of current and included income from
] public service which was necessarily
J. largely. if not wholly, n matter of esti
, nation.
e The private stations employed 30 sc:
= wage-earners, who were paid $13,560
III, and 6.04G salaried officials ant
clerks with salaries amounting to S.
5 206,199: while the municipal station.
, employed 24G7 wage-earners wht
were paid wages amounting to s1.422
BAL. and $50 salaried officials ant
! clerks. who were paid si57 ,SS1.
The cost of construction and equip
4 ment of the municipal stations was on
!. ly "A per cent; their income from sal
L of current. 81 per cent; their expenses
! az per cent: and the horsepower ca
pacity of their power and generating
;. plants. 81 and "a per cent. respect
n lively. The output of such stations wa
, IS per cent of the total kilowatt nour
p produced by all the stations, Will
, their arc lamps were 1872 per cent an
their incandescent lamps, ST per Ger
n of all the lamps reported for the cour
u try.
~ In addition to oontrollins PRACTICAL
y the entire industry. the average pr
g vate station is much larger than ia
le average municipal station Conside
n ing the total of 2.S05 private stations
a. II appears that the average total e,
II pense per year per station was So, 40
er as compared with s6.437 for municipi
l. stations. The private stations CAV
j employment on the average TO Z
wage-earners; while the municipal ST
tions gave employment to 3. The a
erage private stations reported $685.
kilowatt hoors per year, as compare
with 24e.S7S for the municipal station
IL is found that 1872 municipal ST
tons operated in that number of cor
munities in which there was no comp
titive private service. II would appes
that in all probability a great many
not all of these places would ha,
gone without electric lighting had III
supply been left TO private enterpris
seeking a return upon its investmen
The population served by these st
lions was 2,052,4S5, an average of a II
tie over 500 per station. and towns