Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1907-11-15
REPORTS ADVERSELY,
Syracuse Lighting Commission
Advises Against City
Light Plant.

tion-Reports of Success Regarded az
isIeading-lmportant Items of Cost |
Omitted From Reports.
Syracuse has. set an example OF civic |
ership which other cities would do !
well to emulate. Instead of leaving the !
question of establishing a city lighting |
plant to be settled by public clamor
the council authorized the mayor to |
appoint commission of representative
citizens to investigate the subject.
This commission has just made a
unanimous report which covers eight |
| months study of the case. During this
! period experts were examined, and an
/ investigation was made of the results
of municipal ownership in twenty-five
/ cities, the members of the commission
| personally visiting those cities which
/ claimed the best results-yiZ, Detroit,
/ Columbus, Allegheny, Holyoke, Taun-
| ton and South Norwalk. The report
considers the establishment of a plant
! for both public and commercial light
ing and for public lighting only. 1t
has not yet been printed in full, but
the following extracts are taken from
the Syracuse Herald:
''The investment of taxpayers mon
ey sufficient for such an undertaking
would be justified only after we are
satisfied that the laws designed for
our protection are inadequate or In
effectual or that the public service
commissioners are not to be relied
upon to do their duty.
1--WE find that the borrowing capacity
i of the city will not at this time permit
{ the construction Of an electric light
plant of sufficient capacity to furnish
light, heat and power for both public
and private use.
I'VE advise against the municipal
ownership of such plant at this time,
9 even though the bonding capacity of
: the city were sufficient for that pur-
: pose.
, I'VE advise against the municipal
ownership at this time of plant Tor
= the manufacture and distribution or
gas for light heat and power for both
public and private use.
y SIT Is the belief of your commission
as the result of its study Of municipal
plants which light the streets, parks
" and public buildings only that the city
4 of Syracuse cannot hope at the present
lie time to secure such service through Q
ID municipal plant at true gross cos'
az lower than the current contract rate
making proper allowance for all ele
ments of this cost on rational busi
ness basis
Ae This would appear to be a peculiar
Ii Nv inopportune time to inaugurate {
- municipal lighting project owing to thu
81 very high rates of wages and prices o
a. materials now prevailing and to tn
agencies which have reduced and tent
y to further reduce contract rates 10
lighting service.
fsThose cities which established mu
ny nicipal lighting systems ten to fiftee
la years ago entered the field when plant
nv could be constructed for very niue
lo- less than similar equipment would no'
cost and when the rates maintained
90 private corporations for arc lightin
lds were so per cent to 100 per cent higl
be er than those existing in Syracuse t.
ere day. When those cities began to SUI
ply themselves with light large sa'
ing oyer contract rates was easily Q
do fected. Today they are not securin
the service much II any cheaper ths
'on we are In Syracuse under our contraC
an and 1t Is a grave question wheth
80 these municipal plants can even ecu
ave contract rates of the near future.
owe lis It not, then, the part Of Yisdo
70
joying the reasonable rates for sire
:, lighting now in force, and If 1t
ia comes advisable and desirable to bul
.lsh a municipal plant at some future tir
ler- to reap the benefit of improvement
and yet to be introduced and probably
ava lower cost of construction?
T.. believing this to be the case, yo
commission unanimously recommen
oil' that the city of Syracuse do not at
lere present time construct a municiI
to plant for lighting its streets, parks
hen public buildings"
lest In appendices 10 the report the co
mission deals with the balance shet
of the cities having municipal plan
The scrutiny has not encouraged
'een commission to believe that munich
the ownership has been the success Il
This it's advocates have claimed. Jose
test Bondy's figures are given in ma
hon cases and the figures of the report
-, show that the Syracusan, like ma
other municipal ownership advocat
MI has been misled by surprising DO
ain keeping. Depreciation is genera
onto charged toe low. There is no sink
With FUND; there is no provision for inter
S,,o- or for lost taxes. In a number
-, ways the books are made to show
ZION profit where there is no profit.
Columbus, o., the report says:
"We are led to believe that the t
net cost for arc lights to the city
- Columbus Is probably nearly IL
1.,,IA., 90 linrh 10 tho nHaaanf rriNa