The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1908-07-04

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statement to the effect that their
charges and prices are entirely reason
able and just, ! will say, that as re-
CARDS house wiring and the sale of
fixtures, the charges referred TO, are
at least % per cent, and in some in
stances, 100 per cent. higher than the
charges for the same class and quality
OF work in other wide-awake towns,
with which | have been connected,
Notwithstanding the fact that mater
ial and labor are as low in price here,
as elsewhere.
Whether or not, the Perry-JOneS
Compang are justified in making these
charges, the fact remains that the
average citizen considers electric SER
vice a convenience, rather than a
necessity, and will do without its use
| in a large number of instances, be-
cause of the first high cost Of the in
Stallation. 1t is also fact, that
about 9S per cent Of all wiring in
StallatiOnS are connected and in use,
(where the premises are Occupied),
which shows, that the citizens in
general will patrOnize the plant if
service is at hand. These conditions
and facts are general. in Grenada and
elsewhere.
The Perry Jones Company are not
working with a view to making the
; use OF electricity general, nor are
they endeavOring to further the in-
tereStS of the citizens and the plant
by acquiring for it all possible buSi-
ness. They do not work the city
flOm the plant point of view. They
60 not advertise rock-bOttOm prices
on wiring installations, and the sale
of current consuming devices, and /
venture TO state that 80 Per cent Of
ali the work they do, is done fer Gus
TONERS who have already made up
their minds that they waRt lights,
and inform said company to that
effect.
In the material order of things, the
above condition prevails largely,
among wiritefy contractors, and it is
because Of this fact, private lighting
cOrpOratiOseS have found II necessary
in defense of their business, to take
up this work themselves.
The capacity of our plant is not!
taxed TO the point, nor is the use OF
electricity in Greuafa sufficiently
general, 10 warrant the city sitti.~
with fossed hands Wasting for the
citizens TO seek service through t@e
m adiun of the Perry-5ones Company,
and il the city is in duty bound to
give Saad company. ca any other, che
exclusive right TO 30 the work in
question, then, we mpSt admit, muGc-
ipal ownership OF ptolic lighting to
he if0peleSS failure with no puSSi-
bility of accomplishing what all mani
;ipal plants should aim to do. thatiS,
to give the best possible service to
the gae2teSt number of citizens at the
Lowest possible cost.
The work [ have Gone in Installing
w'ritsg, lamps and siXtureS, have
done aS representative OF the city and
with the city'S best interests In view
1t W&s done with the consent Of the
mayer and board Of aldermen Of
1907, and the records Of transactions
haVo seen open t0 examination by
the beard at their pleasure. Oa ac-
count Of the views held by the Berry
Jones CO., | have followed Only in
part, the policy | rec1mmed, th@t is,
I reGfaan mend doing aQ wiring, furnish
ing to the customers all fans, motors.
or other current consuming devices,
at the lowest possible cost, letting
the people know what can be fur1iSh-
ed the@o and at what price. In this
manner. | know | ean greatly in
crease the plants busineSS, to the =ad-
vantage Of the citizens.
To illustrate d few Instances where
business has been secured through
this policy, | will state that Mr.. 3.
l.. Moore and Mr.. A. j.. McCaSlbn
were using coal-Oil and gasoline lamaS
for a large part Of their Lighting, and
these lamps were put out of business
by my installing high efficiency lamps
and fixtures at price they could con-
slider.
Some months ago Mr.. A. NJ. Ga
nong informed me that the Perry
Jones Co., set price Of $4,000 or
pfCUU \dHI llOU pOolUiFO @hhSbJ, eeo
their charge should they wire house
into which he was about to move. |
Mr.. Ganong Informed me that he con-
Sidered the price SO high that he had
no hope cf the owner of the building
having the work done, and asked me
to make bid, did so. and several
months later did the work at a cost
of $3.50. Alter the work was done
however, the Perry-JoneS Co., in
formed the owner that they would
have done the work for about S23.00,
presumably after learning my price.
Mr.. L. B. James informed me that
he considered the Perry-Jones Co.'S
bid on the wiring of his residence,
too high. That he would do with
out electric service before he would
pay $500 for roughing in wiring for
ten lights, l therefore did the work,
of roughing in the wiring at the fol-
lowing cost:
500 feet Of wire .............S 4 30
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