La Junta tribune., 1905-03-22
hDvHRrlSlNo.
% . oUsseseAaiy oUaeo glGey0e
lseuvsa6 elA0v Ogas0AolG.

EDITOR TRIBUNE: The aetion Of
The city council in submitting to The
people at the coming election the
question Of bonding the city in tie
further sum Of So. 900 for water
works. and 1900 for IN electric
light plant. raises many questions
which ought to be given serious
thought by the tax payers
The financial condition Of the city
Of La Junta does not in my opinion
warrant the tax payers in trying
experiments At this time. While
the assessed valuation Of La Junta
has always been very low and was at
the last assessment les than $780,
600. still we have q bonded indebted
neas At this time Of SIS. 600. all Of
which bears interest at six per cent.
! will assume that the expenditure
Of Sc. 900 at this time ID necessary
for water works. do this not be-
cause ! am particularly advised - TO
the condition Of the water plant but
because I know from experience
that up to last season the town has
been short Of water for several
yeaTs in the summer time and that
had not Providence smiled upon us
last season in sending an abundance
Of rain we would. in all probability.
have been q dry" town in at least
one sense Of the word. So assuming
the water plant issue Of $50. 900 to be
necessary at this time the question
remains as to whether we should
still further bond ourselves for the
purpose Of erecting an electric light
ing plant.
Just what the occasion is for
forcing the matter before the
people ut this time ] fail to see. II
we were not already provided with
an electric plant which furnishes
service second to none in the state il
might be apparent that we need .
plant and the council might be justi-
fed in experimenting along these
lines. A it 10 we are being furnish
ed electric current for private con-
sumption At . price far below the
average price charged for like SER
vice in other towns in this state.
The following is list Of twenty-ooe
towns in Colorado where the aver
age base charge for ineandescent
current il 1876 cents per K. w.
hour. to-wit: Canon City. Colombo
Springs. Pueblo. Central City. Grip
pie Greek. Telluride. Boulder. Glen
wood. Golden. Durango, Lamar.
Trinidad. Florence. Victor. Salida,
Silverton. Montrose. La Junta. Fort
Collins. In La Junta the rates are
1875 cents for commercial lighting
and Is cents for residence lighting.
In this connection II should be
borne in mind that the cost Of pro-
ducing electric energy in La Junta
10 - high ~ At any point in the
state on account Of the high price Of
coal. A. for arc lights. the rate
charged In La Junta q . little above
the average in the state. but, on the
othsr hand, the number Of lights
ussd by the city h very much small
er than in other towns the size of
La Junta, and ] an informed by q
representative Of the La Junta Elec-
tric Company that il would be will
in9 to make Q new contract with the
city at Q reduced rate for the un-
expired term Of the present con-
tr9et. provided the city will take
more lights.
This b not . matter in which the
tax payer should jump st conclu-
sions. II the city council hes not
secured plans for the propossd plant
md obtained estimates Of its cost.
the tax payers should do 70 before
voting these bonds. In . recent ar-
dele published in one Of the local
papers il b stated that the munich
| paI eIectric plant q Silverton, Colo
IudC, in . town Of !, SO population
IaD GhoWn b. the last census, cost
| 03, -. IS, which plant b evidently
6nAsquafe 70 fuTnish the Necessary
euSEuat, - ] note in The Denver
3GpuhoSenn Il March 18th the fol-
Iowiag dispateh from Silvsrton:
ssLvEk10N 10 IMPROVE LScpsr PLANT
"Silvsstoa, Colo. March H.
Especial Owing 20 The inodsquacy
of IL two.unit municipal light plant
70 supply the demand Tor kght and
power in tie city the city council
to-aight decided to odd smother unit
20 H. paant, snd - sxtxa engine
for the purpose - hssa ordered
frsm H. Enst at . cot q q. go.
H. e1aitieaal p0WeF yin b in
sta!bod wtth1n IT, nsxt nfaety days