The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1908-05-21
THE ADVOCATE.
TAE HISTORY OF 4 FAILURE.
The Story Of tho Attempt of Tacoma,
s WAsh 30 Do Its Own Lighting, as
:, Told by One of It's Citizens. ,H"'

-, tCtu ~, Suc OF It6 citizens. "a .
BY election, April II. 1898. Tucoma
purchased. watcrworks and electric
light plant. issuing bonds FOR $1.750.-
900 forstsanne. Of which $3.50. 900 was
supposed to be for the light plant.
which included an old steam generat-
Ing plant int 1897 the generating plant
was abandoned. and from that time to
the present the city has been contract
ing for power from private corporation
power concerns. The old plant was
dismairtled and has been sold piece
meal W. g., ~
There is no doubt in my mind and
In the minds Of others who have invcs-
tigatcd scthe local situation that the
water and light plants are huge fail
ures But the people, with that strange
desire that the unthuking have for
anything municipally owned. have not
seen the light. and it is q difficult mat
ter to get, the subject up for clear
analysis Nobody knows where the
city stands. The books are Imperfect.
The management is ignorant. Politics
perneaee tho entire fabric. The wa
ter this morning was so muddy that it
was undrinkablc, this being it's usual
condition. during the winter :
The city comptroller is just now rec
olnnending that the city council ap-
point a commission to app5raise the
plants to- ascertain where the city
stands. Nobody knows their value.
though they are carried on the books
at q valuation Of $4,000, 7G4. that, being
the totat.of the orginnt cost and oc
additions since. though many Of the
alleged, additions should he charged to
operating and to replacing WORKOUT
wirng;%etc. ~
Five years hence the city must face
the payment Of $2,OSO,OOO worth OF
bonds Issued for the two plants. There
IS no sinking fund, no depreciation
fund. No ,accurate account is kept az
between CONSTRUCTION and operating
expenses. vt is probable that not even
"a board OF experts could possibly find
the absolute truth Of the situation A
part Of. tie time the interest charge
has been' taken from the light and
water receipts and the remainder OF
the time from the general fund.
The city electrician gets $3.50 a
month. This is Il city Of 100000 popu-
lation. He is a graduate Of CORE
spondenca school, and until he was ele-
waited to His present position he read
meters 'fof the city BY the way, me-
ters are never tested, except when com.
plants DIRE made. However. the city
does employ three wiring inspectors,
l. I1Ny 1crIif nj
cepted by1insurance companies
Last YEARS expenses In the light
plant were about 100000; the deficit
was $4,000
Early In" December the council asked
the eIeeTiciap to, make a statement
| showing exactly how much current is
received and exactly how 1T is distrib-
uted. That REPORT is not ready yet. and
no telling when 1T will be. 1t was
shown about that time that 1000 horse
power Of current that was bought by
the city was not accounted for in the
etty's receipts Neither the electrician
nor. any one else about the city hall
has been able to explain this matter.
Alfthat is known IS that the city buys
so much power and takes in so much
money.
In October the bills to private con-
sumers began to increase enormously,
running higher and higher, until In De-
cember they we're from % to 100 per
cent higher than in the corresponding
months Of the preceding year. or
course great cry was raised, and ex-
plantations were demanded. The cleo
trician could not satisfactorily explain.
This brought on demand for an ex-
pert investigation Of the lighting plant,
which the mayor strongly opposes for
some reason, Hc says his $3.50 man is
amply qualified to tell the council and
| the public "all 1t is essential to know"
The matter is now before the council.
Finding that the gas company was
| making Roadway in the lighting Of
business houses. the city decided to
| furnish Ncrnst lamps free Of charge
and keep them in repair. This plan is
now IN vogue. Three men arc kept
busy repairing 1t is impossible to find
out from the city's books whether this
| Is money making scheme or not
AS showing the effect Of municipal
ownership upon the conditions Of abor
| it is interesting to motto that an assist
ant engineer in the water department,
who called attention to the very defec-
tive character Of secondhand boiler
that had been purchased, was prompt
ly discharged, and when be asked
hearing before the city council was not
allowed to testify in his own behalf or
| by attorney, although bis opponents
| were given full opportunity to state
| their side Of the case.
b: Second Thoughts Arc Best. +.
The city council Of Camden, N. j..
set on foot about year ago one Of the
| noct tl,rrot1ub .i,,uooffoo fio,,, tLo+ bo,