The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1907-07-08
AN EXPERTS ANSWER
Why Cities Cannot Get Good Men
to Run Their Plants.

The Superintendent Of a Municipality
Owned Electric light Works Tells
How He Was overruIed by "the
Board" on Many Po5nss-M. o. "Prae-
tieaIIy 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 us pri-
vate 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 dumped into what
/ can peanut legislation /. took
charge OF a lighting and pumping
plant owned by city. The plant con
sisted OF two very good water tube
boilers, 1876 horsepower each; a IA by Is
inch semi CorIiss engine, 100 kilowatt
generator, two pumps ana u by So
inches with twelve inch stroke, 6
and by 9 inch feed pump, a 600 gallon
steam Gre engine and a 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 It at first
THE plant was less than year old
and Hfter the fashion of municipal
plants had already obtained good
start on the road to rack and ruin.
Tho engine pounded and had in less
than years time imbibed ten barrels
of OH, In spite of an oil filters efforts.
Probably the waste oil made fires bit
hotter. The boilers were scandalously
dirty both inside and outside. and the
CRATE surface was one-thlrd 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 fnct. Fully one-fffth of
the electric service meters were out of
business and customers paying
mtnimUTD rate as result Water
services were not metered at all,
and customers used water as they
pleased ut 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
heavinG was cut squareIy In two, the
oil pouring divided by 10 and the re
cefpts; almost doubled. In fact, plant
which had been losing money on a win
ter losT was more than running even In
April. The next year the rate per kilo-
watt -Four was cut from 10 cents to
81 1tr0 cents, With the character OF the
service murs Improved. Mark me not
praF YOU for coneeih but rather as
u, narrator. OE plain unvarnished truth.
During an this time the board was
'skidoo, 23.r Whnt happened just about
thar time2, Very little, assure you.
\, ct was arvfsed that hereafter an or
ders for supplies, repairs, etc, must
pass through the board and be duly
acted upon and Forwarded to the city
clerk on executed. Ineeded half inch
hose nipple very badly that day, and
I ycouldnFr get 1t for week Then
along comes bunch of No Loaflngf
signs, big and red enough to make the
place, Took Ike q pesthouse. Wiring
WHICH was condemned by the inspector
was approved by the board after due
deliberationr A 80
: Then the. men ut the plant were, i'd
vised that the board expected each OF
them to work a twelve hour suift 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 fashion. but things are. steadily
getting worse. Explain things to
them2 Just like butting your head
against a stone wall. Grocers and
mil1ers and 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.
time my salary had been raised by the
appalling sum of So per month. Still
every little bit helps.
Municipal ownership. like the hoSCs
and why's in textbooks, is theoretically
the correct thing. hut in the big ma
jortty of cases Is practically wrong and
results prove 1t. I'm not looking for
another position. but will take a good
Job If can get it. 7. b G.