The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1907-02-01
ELECTRIC LIGHT FRANCHISE
ccntrsiaatea by MsseAen Gas Company

comes before the council fer tina.
actien on February 9Th. is OF inpe.,
sanee To taa citizens Of Mitchell ard
the Electric Light COMPANY alike,
aud, therefore. should be considered
fairly ana honestly, and il is be-
iieyed the ..councii can be trusted TO
give it such consideration.
InaSmuch as there has appeared,
from certain sources, opposition to
the granting of this franchise, which
will give to the present company the
rights and privileges OF occupying
the streets OF toe city and of doing
business with its citizens. it may
not be OFT OF place, this time, to
call the attention OF your readers to q
few import INT facts that in the con-
%sideratlon of these questions are
sometimes lost sight of.
In the first place tie electric light
plant has been in business here for a
pc Rod of seventeen years and it has.
therefore, passed through the period
OF pioneering. in other words, the
nen who composed the company are
the pioneers, Or the successors of
pioneers, it makes little difference
which, they have, at any rate,
gene through the period which has
req uired faith in the town and faith
in their undertaking. They have
been willing to believe the town had
a future and by their presence here
and in the spending of their money
here they have given evidence OF
their faith and are now asking an
extension OF their franchise rights
in order that they may continue to
do business here, With renewed en-
enlargement, such as investments of
such d public nature require.
Capital at best is timid but it is
fast becoming more so 10 the efforts
that are making in some localities to
discourage it by discussions that,
as a general rule, are n sided; and
because OF these n sided discussions
the casual render has come to believe
there is bat mi side to the question
and it is because of this that the
Mitchell Gas Comply will undertake,
during the few days now left, to place
before the citizens OF Mitchell
fairly and squarely its position.
In the first place, tue owners of
the electric light plant have their
money invested in a growing proper
", aye doing business and they are
prepared to continue the business OF
IMPLYING the electric current to
vhomsoever may require it, at prices
chat are fair and reasonable in this
locality.
Again, they are ready, and expect,
to so improve and extend their
plant as demands may be made
upon them to do so from time to
time And, also. in consideration of
the proposed extension of their
franchise they are voluntarily offer
ing to reduce their rates for current,
which reduction means a cut of 25
pei cent from present rates.
The company realizes that there
have been periods when the service
1T has rendered has not been up to
the high standard it would like to
have had it, but these intervals
have been a greater source of annoy
ance to it than to its customers.
Everyone knows the great difficulty
experienced during the past year in
getting deliveries upon any kind Of
machinery and especially electric
machinery. so great has been the
demand Tor that class Of material:
but not outstanding this. the com-
tpany has by efforts, not understood,
given service to its customers that
has been reasonably satisfactory.
And, In the granting of an extension
OF its present rights it will be in
position to further improve its plant
and thereby greatly improve it's SER
vice to its patro,s.
AS to rates. While those now in
force have not been more than fairly
compensatory. and do rot yield TO
"
che owners as much as would be con-
sidered reasonable by business men
II their business. Investments taken
into consideration. yet the company
hopes by making such reduction to
increase its business enough to COM
pensate them for such reduction. 1t
Healizes further that Increased BUSH
'saesss means also increased invest
ment, for to purchase additinal en-
gines, dynamos, and boilers, and to
,dd.to the pole line constructor with
all Its accessories, means additional
Investments that is warranted only
by such increased business. There
fore, so far as the people are. con-
cerned, the trade is a fair one; the
company being willing to reduce it's
rates, which are already fair, as
compensation for a continuation Of
ki,sc n~s pl -