The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1906-07-19
State University Issues a State
ment in Regard to Success
Of Public Lighting Plants
MANY SUCCESSFUL VENTURES
Report of Investigators Shows That the
Municipal Principle Has Not
Been Tried in Cities of
over 10000 People

With municipal ownership prob
lens occupying so large share of
the public attention, the statistics on
the municipal ownership Of electric
light plants just compiled by Edward
Bradford Smith for the legislative
reference department Of the Wiscon-
sin Free Library Commission are Of
special interest. Mr.. Smith is grad
nate Of The University Of Wisconsin,
ia the class of 1897, and during the
past year he has been research
scholar in political science in the uni
versity. His study of the electric
light problem was made in direct re-
Spouse to a flood of letters which have
been received by the Legislative refer
ence department. from city officials
and legislators, asking: "What cities
have municipal electric light p1ants?"
Chow many exist in Wisconsin,"
Chow many are there in American"
Similar questions are being asked
With regard to gas plants, and the de-
partments will soon be able to furnish
full information on that subject also.
The first municipal electric light
plant IN Wisconsin was established at
Bayfield, in 1889, FIVE years after the
beginning of the electric lighting
business in this state. AT that time
there were 80 private plants in opera
ton. The latest figures, those Of last
March, show 40 municipal and 1913
private plants in the state, indicating
a growth of municipal ownership in
the past seventeen years from one
thirtieth to one-third of all the plants
in the state. Of the 123 private
plants, 50 are IN places of less than
1000 population, which is true, also,
of 10 Of the 40 municipal plants. The
cities and villages of the state having
municipal plants are as follows: Bay
field, Columbus, Fort Atkinson,
Marsh6eld, Mazonanie, New London,
Oconomowoc, plymouth, Reedsburg,
Stoughton, Two Rivers, Algoma, Ar
cadia, Barron, Black River Falls,
Blair, Blanchardville, Boscobel, Ce-
darburg, C1intonville, Elroy, Colby,
Cumberland, Elkhorn, Evansville,
Fennimore, Florence, Grantsburg,
Rice Lake, Greenwood, Independence,
Hudson, Jefferson, Kilbourn, Mon
ticello, New Glarus, Princeton, Rich
land Center, River Falls, Sank City,
Shawano, Spring Green, Sturgeon
Bay, Thorp, Whitehall, Waupun. Of
these the first eleven have the electric
light plant operated in connection
with the municipal water works. Only
one plant, that in Hudson, is leased to
a private company.
The strength of the municipal
ownership movement is in the cities
of from 1000 to 10000 Inhabitants.
Wisconsin is one Of the "a states in
the union.which have no cities of over
10000 population with municipal
electric plants. In the past Is years
the number of municipality owned
electrics light plants has increased
from / to 1850, and the number of
private plants from to 1924; that is,
in 1881 the municipal plants were
AOdA nAO PO1G~Al vi lllC W11O1C uhIIlOCl
of plants, while in 1905 the municipal
percentagelhad risen to over "a. This
is materially increased in the s
months of 1906 now elapsed. During
the last rs years, too, IS plants have
changed from municipal to private
ownership, but the balance was more
than made good by the change Of
over 40 private plants to municipal.
Among these latter were the
plants of.9lWisconsin cities, Oconomo-
voc, Bayfield,, Cedarburg, Florence,
Fort Atkinson, Jefferson, New Rich
mond, Plymouth, and Two Rivers.
Canada has 80 municipal electric
light plants, and in England about
two-thirds of the electric light plants
are owned by municipalities. In the
entire United Kingdom there are 481
municipal plants and 2o7 private