The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-12-16
SHALL THE LIGHT
PLANT BE SOLD?
Editor Palladium:

In response to the Palladium's re-
light plant, wish to ask the business
men Of Richmond to reflect back to
the time when we had no Municipal
aight plant, when electric light was
one OF the extreme luxuries, the price
was more than double what it is now,
and there were very few private con
Bumers. Now we find nearly every
business house in the city using cleo
trio light. Not only business houses,
but the majority of homes Throughout:
the city are Illuminated by electric
Light. thus eliminating the cause of a
great many fires, namely by the trust
products, oil, candles, gas. matches,
ETC. Had it not been for the Munich
pal light plant, we common people
would never have had the luxury of
electric light, for as long as it was pro-
duced by trust the price would never
have come down within reach of the
poor people. If used now with econ
Dmy is is as cheap as John DIS oil. BY
Rll means, let us keep the plant. 1t
seems strange that the Light, Heat and
Power company want to buy and are
30 overly anxious to buy our plant, il
It isn't making any money. And yet,
they say they will agree to furnish
light for the same price indefinitely.
Let us go back the short period Of ten
years and see the wonderful advance
ment that has been made in the cleo
trio world. We find all the
large manufacturing establishments
throughout the world using electricity.
Using motor driven machinery which
does away with the overhead shaft
Ing, which has been SO disastrous to
life and limb; also doing away with al
belts and dangerous appliances. This
has been brought about by the won
herful inventions and progress that
has been made in lessening the cost
Of electricity. 1t is reasonable to be-
iieve that there will still be advance
ment. and that in the near future we
will be cooking and heating our homes
with electricity. Let us by all means
keep the matter in our own hands and
not rely on the honesty and fairness of
r great trust which has always been
found wanting as far as fairness to the
people is concerned. Take the fran
chises the country over, that have
been granted the various monopolies
and trusts, and they all have their loop
holes, whereby they can crawl
through and gull the people, to their
hearts content. They all have the
most skilled attorneys that money can
oh rs
wool over the eyes of our common
councils and like bodies. Think Of the
franchises that have been granted by
the city of Richmond in the past The
franchise granted to the Richmond
street railway. Gf there ever was one)
looked no farther into the future than
the day it was granted. and today We
are at it's mercy. because we have no
franchise that covers the conditions oe
today. And the idea of having to pay
rent for the meters that measures the
gas and water we use. The grocer
may as we'll charge us for the use of
his scales that he weighs our bacon
with. They charge us whatever they
please for the franchise they have Is
loose enough to allow them to do so.
So it is with all other franchises. They
look not to the future of advancement,
but to the past. Again l say, by all
means keep the Municipal light plant
and keep out of the clutches of a
greedy combination. We are told to
spend our dollar at home Would
paying it to the Light, Heat and Pow
or company be spending it at home
It is a combination of many plants,
with headquarters in the east. have
but one vote and that one will be for
the retention Of the Municipal plant.