The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-05-11

poration solvent, but presume. Mr..
Citizan. you have no receipt for doing
a thing of that kind. If you have, you
have a very valuable asset.
The writer notes that you are care
full not to say anything about the
value of the above franchise that is
being considered along with the offer
for this plant The writer has made
the statement that the franchise is
worth 100000. and he reaches this
conclusion by the following estimate
Life Of franchise, twenty years.
Amount Of current and light esti-
mated. at the present time sold in the
city Of Richmond to its citizens by the
two plants-s125 900. Making no al.
lOwance for increase in population,
this in twenty years means to turn
over without cost, a gross business of
$25OO,0 900.
There is no jobbing house, manufac-
turer or merchandise establishment in
the country, that can secure for itself
$4,000, 600 gross business, without hav-
ing 10 spend more than 4 per cent OF
the gross cost to obtain that business.
and per cent of s2.500,000 is 100000.
In addition, when you turn this
franchise over, you fence up the field
for twenty years, and say to all the
people in the City Of Richmond: You
must go to one place to get your light
and your current, and you cant get it
anywhere else" The writer thinks
that any manufacturing concern would
q nj 10 OF I'D 81
$50, 900 for the assurance Of having a
market for $2,50000 worth of goods,
that nobody could get away from him,
under like conditions. What are you
going to do about this franchise Mr..
Citizen?
Now, the next statement YOU make
is, that the city plant is losing money,
and you practically make the state
ment that the writer does not want it
investigated. Where did you get that
information?
The writer has no interest, other
than that of citizen and taxpayer
in the Municipal Light Plant. If there
is any malfeasance in office if some
thing wrong is being done, he sees no
! objection whatever, to having that
wrong investigated, but it wants to
be borne in mind that this plant has
| been investigated within a period OF
| about two years.
If there is any question that the
| Controllers figures are dOctored, or
| unfair, or are covering up any frauds
| in whatever shape, it certainly could
be easily discovered. The books of
light plant, | imagine, being a very
simple proposition.
| We have in Richmond many compe-
tent bOOk-keepers, and there is no
reason why the City Council, the
South Side Improvement Association,
and the Commercial Club, could not
select boOkkeepers if the public de-
mands an investigation of this kind;
| said bOOkkeeperS to be taken, one
| from Banking or Trust company, an
other from the manufacturing inter
ests Of the city, and another from the
mercantile interests; have the inves
! tigatiOn made and a report printed and
| turned over to the City Council, and
! for that matter Council might give a
| proceeding Of this kind the force Of an
ordinance, and have this done each
|
consider for a moment, the PROPOSE
ton of allowing Mr.. Witherby to make
this examination. Mr. Witherby says
he wants to buy the plant. Mr.. With
erby has already made two PROPOSE
tons. He states in his proposition
that the city is losing money and
don't know it, and the Light. Heat &
Power Co. is losing money and does
know it, but that he wants to buy the
losing venture, provided he can have
the franchise. going into an agree
ment to take care of the city's inter
ests for any period of years, and make
the street lights $1,000 per light
cheaper to the public annually.
If he is losing money with his plant
and the city is losing money with its
: plant, how is the gentleman going tC
: be able to make good with this proper
: ty, unless YOU have the COlored boy
? in the wood-pile?
7 Now, in conclusion, if there is any
thing wrong with the city plant, OF
t anybody prefers charges against any
t officials, let the proper parties, made
up of the citizens of Richmond, inves
|
: easy matter to correct the wrong, i
r one exists. The writer however
, don't believe that with the City Coun
r Gil Republican, with the Mayor
t Democrat, with the Board of Public
: Works democratic, and the City Clerl
t Democrat, that there is any room
: for collision at the present time and
9 close this statement, every word o
. which | believe to be true with thu
4 caution: Don't muddy up the water
\ Keep the pool clean SO we can see tn
= animals at work in the bottom of tn
;. pond. Would further suggest that i
Q communications of this kind are It
= continue, that they be published IN
o der initials. so that the public may b.
n able to Judge who the writer's reall
& are. W. w s.