The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1908-01-10
REPORT OF COMMITTEE
ON MUNICIPAL LIGHTING

To the Honorable Mayor and Board OF
Aldermen OF the City Of Farming
ton:
We beg leave to submit the follow
ing as our report on the practicable.
~, ACCESSIBILITY and probable cost Of
establishing a municipal electric light.
ing plant In the City Of Pennington.
We base our report on information
contained in replies TO series OF
written questions addressed to some
twentyodd towns about the size Of
Pennington, in Missouri ami Illinois.
and on what information we could OBJ
tain from experienced men in this
neighborhood and, in regard to the
cost Of the plant. on prices quoted to
us by firms engaged in manufacturing
the machines and material which We
would need 20 equip the plant.
Practicability
"uii'illdl H~HNlllH plhhAH art WIN
mon in towns and cities in Missouri
and Illinois Out OF li7 towns and
cities whose plants are listed in the
Central Station List" for September.
1907, a copy of which was very kindly
loaned us by MI Neves, - own their
own plants About onclourth Of the
towns aud cities in Illinois own their
plants
We received figures from plants in
towns varying in population from
1000 to $500
Prices Of coal laid down at plants
addressed vary from the price at
Breeze HIS, which is 81 cents per
ton. to the price at West Plains, Mo,
which rs $3.50 per ton. The price At
onc.half of the towns from which we
heard was more than $500 per ton.
As about onc.third of the towns in
Missouri and oncfourth of the towns
In Illinois own municipal lighting
plants, and as our population is up
TO the average of the towns owning
such plants, and as the cost Of coal
here is not above the average, we feel
that It is PRACTICAL for Farming.
ton to own its light plant
ACCESSIBILITY.
We will first give some OF the mis-
takes that municipalities frequently
make and which. II made, would rem.
der any plant a disadvantage and n
burden to the city,
l. They fail to place competent
man In charge Of the plant. We feel
that We cannot lay too much empha.
sis on the necessity Of securing n
first.cass man to superintend such a
plant. Unless thoroughly expert.
cncod man can be secured to suporin.
tend our plant and under Il contract
for term at years sufficient to put
the plant on substantial basis. We
would seriously oppose the establish
mont Of such plant suitable man
may cost from 500 to $3.50 per month,
but he will more than save his salary.
2 They cndcavor TO save on the
initial cost by buying cheap. or see.
ondhand machinery or equipment
Mr.. Jas. VI. sherman Of the Colum.
bia, Mo. plant, in letter received
from him says: when the time
comes TO purchase machinery, don't
be scared out of deal by tho price,
but get the best; for the difference
between the price OF the best and
something cheap is very little com.
pared TO the expense Of repairs and
loss Of service caused by the latter
The superintendent Of lighting at
Rolla, Mo, who has been contcnding
with secondhand machinery, advised
Mr. Forster, of this committee. that
the best equipment is the cheapest
In the end
Benefits to Be Derived from a Munic.
ipaI Plant.
!. Cheaper light and power TO the
consumer than is ordinarily obtained
from a private plant. Cheap light TO
the consumer seems to be the general
rule from municipal plants. In the
majority OF the towns that we heard
from light Is furnished for 10 cents
per X. W. hour, in one town for .