Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1907-07-30
AIexisnerin 0azefR.
AN EXPERTS ANSWER
Why Cities Cannot Get Good Men
TO Run Their Plants.

Owned Electric Light Works Tells
How He Was overruled by "the
Board" on Many Points-M. o. "Prae-
tieally Wrong, and Results Prove IT,
The question Is often asked by de-
Tenders of municipal ownership why
cities cannot secure and retain to OPP
crate their plants as good men as pri-
yate concerns have In their employ. An
answer is suggested by the following
letter from the superintendent OF a
municipal plant which was printed In
a recent issue Of the Engineer:
"some time ago bumped into what
I call peanut legislation l took
charge of a lighting and pumping
plant owned by city. The plant con-
sisted OF two very good water tube
boilers, 125 horsepower each; a IA by IL
inch semi Corliss engine, 100 kilowatt
generator, two pumps and II by oH
inches with q twelve inch stroke, a D
and 4 by Q inch feed pump, a 600 gallon
steam fire engine and board Of public
works. / was supposed to have charge
Of the entire plant but not Of the
board, but It was necessary to take
charge Of 1t at first.
"The plant was less than a year old
and after the fashion Of municipal
plants had already obtained a good
start on the road to rack and ruin.
The engine pounded and had in less
than a years time imbibed ten barrels
of oil, in spite Of an oil filters efforts.
Probably the waste oil made fires a bit
hotter. The boilers were scandalously
dirty both inside and outside, and the
crate surface was one-third larger
than was necessary to carry the peak
load. An open feed water heater did
business to the tune Of 100 degrees
Fahrenheit. The pumps had been de-
MED proper fabrication and loudly pro-
claimed the fact. Fully one-ffth of
the electric service meters were out OF
business and customers paying
minimum rate as a result. Water
services were not metered at all,
and customers used water as they
pleased, at such times as they found
most convenient regardless of sprin-
king hours, and in some cases paid
what they pleased or not at all.
"After these things had been several
" and collectively attended to the coal
heaving was cut squarely in two, the
oil pouring divided by 10 and the re-
ceipts almost doubled. In fact. plant
which had been losing money on a win
ter load was more than running even In
April. The next year the rate per kilo-
watt hour was cut from 10 cents TO
s ITO cents, with the character Of the
service much improved. Mark me not
pray you, for concelt. but rather as
a narrator Of plain, unvarnished truth.
During all this time the board was
'skldoo 49, What happened just about
that timer Very little, l assure you.
IL was advised that hereafter all or
ders for supplies, repairs. ETC., must
pass through the board and be duly
acted upon and forwarded to the city
clerk or executed. needed a half inch
hose nipple very badly that day, and
couldn't get 1t for a week. Then
along comes a bunch of No Loaflng'
signs. big and red enough to make the
place look like pesthouse. Wiring
which was condemned by the inspector
was approved by the board after due
elaboration
"Then the men at the plant were ad-
vised that the board expected each Of
them to work q twelve hour shift and
after or before that do such things as
trim lamps. repair lines, connect serv-
Ices, read meters, etc. Other little bits
Of advice too numerous to mention
came In regularly.
I'VE managed to keep up our work
after a fashion, but things are steadily
getting worse. Explain things to
them? Just like buttlng your head
against a stone wall. GrOcers and
nlllers aud doctors and lawyers make
good consulting engineers, but when n
saving of 81 can be made by spending
81 they can't find the 81. In the mean.
lime my salary had been raised by the
appalling sum Of S. per month. Still
svery little bit helps.
Municipal ownership, like the hows
Ind why's in textbooks. Is theoretically
he correct thing, but in the big ma
ority Of cases Is practically wrong, and
'esults prove It. I'm not looking for
mother position, but will take a good
Job II / can get 1t. 4. B. G."
lest Medicine I'm the World for Collie
and DiarrhOea.
81 find Chamberlain's Collie, Cholera
nd Diarrhoea Remedy to be the best
emedy in the world" says Mr.. @. L.
jsrter of Skirum, Ala. 81 am subject
, collie and diarrhoea. Last spring II
eemed as though l would die, and
link would II l hadn't taken Cham
erlain's Collie, Cholera and Disrrhoea
.emedY. I haven't been troubled With
since until this week, when I had
we're attack and took half bottle Of
le twenty-five cent size Chsmberlain's
Ole, Cholera and Diarrhoea Remedy, |
I'd this morning feel like new man."
or sale by w. F. Creighton & Co., and