The Marshall republican., 1908-02-07

Owned Electric Light Works rsQ0
Now He MAJ overruIsd by ~
Oosrdv on Many Points-M. o. "Prse.
IDEALLY Wrong, and Results Prove W
The question IL often asked by -
TENDERS Of municipal ownership ~
cities cannot secure and retain 10 -
srate their plants rs good men as -
yate concerns have I'm their employ. -
answer Is suggested by the followh0
istter from the superintendent q .
municipal plant, which was prlntso =
Q recent issue of the Engineer:
some time ago I bumped into w.
coll peanut legislation too
charge Of n lighting and pumpino
pinnt owned by a city. The plant . =
sisted OF two very good water tueo
boilers. 1913 horsepower each: n IA By
Inch semi-C oriiss engine, n loo kiloweo
generator. two pumps s and ~ by ~
inches with n twelve inch stroke.
and 4 by o inch feed pump. \ 6oo galbso
steam fre engine and n board ~ pub0e
works. was supposed 10 have charO
Of the entire plant, but not OF a.
board, but II was necessary to -
charge of II at first.
'sThe plant was less than n year -
and after the fashion of municipos
plants had already obtained n goo0
start Oh the road to rack aud ruAL
The engine pounded and had In leO
thnn n years time inhibited ten barrsb
Of of. In splte Of nm oil filters erortA
Probabiy the waste oil made fires n ~
hotter. The boilers were scRndal"usty
dirty both inside and outside. and tho
grntc surface was nne.third larger
than was necessary to carry the peak
load. An open feed water heater did
business to the tune ~ 100 degrees
Fahrenheit. The pumps had been do
MED proper fabrication aud loudly prr
claimed the fact. Fully one.ifth q
the electric service meters were nut OF
business and customers paying .
minimum rate NJ n result. Water
services were moi metered at all
and customers used water as they
plensed. at such times M they found
most convenient. regardless ~ sprIn-
Killing hours. and In some cnses Iaid
what they pleased or not at all.
After these things had been several
~ and collectively attended 10 the coal
heaving was cut s1uarely In two. the
oil pouring divided hy ~ and the 70
celpts almost doubled. In fact, n plant
which had been losing money on a WIN
, ter load was more than running even In
April. The next year the rate per kibo-
watt hour was cut from 10 cents "a
8 i-10 cents. with the character Of the
service much improved. Mark me not.
pray you. for conceit. but rather a.
y narrator Of plain, unvarnishcd truth.
During all this time the board was
'skidoo "a What happened Just about
that time? Very little, ! assure you.
II was advised that hereafter all or
ders for supplies. repairs, etc. must
pass through the boari aud be duly
, acted upon aud forwarded 20 the city
4 clark or executed. I needed a half Inch
hose nipple very badly tbnt day, and
couldn't get II for q week. Thes
along comes q bunch OF No LoahnH
a.. signs. big aud red enough to make tb<
place look like a ~pesthouse. wlriul
which was condemned by the inspecto'
was approved by tho board after 'dus
u elaboration
'llien the men ut the plant were ad
vised that the board expected each 81
them 20 work a twelve hour s.ift ana
after or before that do such things nj
> trim lamps. repair liues, connect serv
Ices. read meters. etc. Other little blu
Of advice too numerous to mentiot
came In regularly.
= I'VE managed 10 keep up our wori
after y fashion, but things are steadil!
getting worse. Explain things 4
c them2 Just like buttinx your hea'
against n stone wall. Grocers an
millers and doctors and lawyers max
good consulting engineers. but when
saving OF 81 can 10 made BY spending
\ 81 they can't find the 81. In the mean
ri time my salary had been raised by tn
appalling sum OF s. per month. sti
every little bit helps.
ri "Stunicipal ownership. like the how
and why's In textbooks. IL theoretical
the correct thing, but In the big ms
jorlty Of cases IL practically wrong. an
results prove II. I'm not looking "a
}, another position. but will take a 500
Job IL ! can get II. I. h. O."
= rs--l -.--La- r.ll