The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-10-04
nARSTON STUDIES
EUROPEAN WAYS
MAN, WHO LED FIGHT FoR
UNION LIGHT, HEAT q POWER
CO. on RECENT BOND ISSUE
BATTLE, STUDYING MUNICIPAL
OWNERSHIP IN GREAT BRITAIN.

Fargoans remember Glenn Maxston
who was In Fargo during the electric
light and gas fight last spring. In The
Sunday Chicago Record Herald. there
is cut OF MarstOn az one Of the lead
ing electric and gas experts OF the
country. He has been abroad this
summer studying those probaems with
q view 10 their relation to public
ownership. The Record Herald con
ta4ns q three-quarter column copy
rsghted ca5led interview from London
as follows.
Glenn NarsEon. q well known naunic-
fpal statisthcan Of New York. whose
specially is the economics os gas and
electric lighting and power produc-
ton aas they affect the average Amer
lean municipality, is in ENGLAND for
several weeks studying conditions
among the various towns and cities.
especially those which control their
own supplies Of gas and electricity.
Mr. MaTston spent several weeks In
Glasgow studying the methods en-
pioyed In that city in the admins
tr'ation Of fts municipal street car and
electric lighting systems.
The most significant fact 4 found
about the Glasgow system" says Nr.
Marston. sis that, although IL is a
municipal system fin theory. IL is I'm
practice as much Of q one-man system
as II II had one proprietor only. one
man actually controls the policy and
destiny Of the Glasgow system and de-
termines where and how often cars
shall run. He is TO all intents and
purposes and within the bounds Of a
very wide latitude the sole controlling
force.
Political Pull Seen.
In Glasgow. where the srreer car
system is a model for all that il good /
IN municipality owned lines, there f. /
the same temptation TO utilize the pub /
lie property for political purposes as
anywhere else
$50 far as electric lighting soes -
said Mr.. Marston, there is a marked
tendency on the part OF the public
and private puveyors OF the fluid to
AXE their monopoly too much TO heart
They think they have nothing else TO
10 bur make the current and send IL
1yer the wires. This has led to a very
bad state of affairs. Though electrf-
sity really costs less in England than
m America, it costs much more to
produce under the English system.
I can explain It in this way: Every
electric plant has a certain maximum
capacity, or load, as we speak OF IL
technically. 1t can produce inst SO
much electric current from IT'S ma
'hinery. The average well run Amer
can plant win maintain an average
Dad Of about 80 per cent OF fits mari
mum. The best English plants do not
an average Of % Der cent.
md. The difference may be ac-
counted for in this way:
@Pesk" Load Is Explained.
Every plant has what Is known as
4 peak load at some time OF the dav.
The peak is shown on the companv's
charts, where line is drawn Showing
The consumption OF power at all hours
of the day. The peak is the poin4
where the consumption is highest.
Now, English companies never push
'trenuousyl for business. In Glasgow
shey have one salesman trying 20 edu-
ate over 100000 people, while many
an American town Of 10000 people
mas four or five canvassers. The idea /
n having canvassers is to create bust
ness during those hours of the dav
when 1t would otherwise be Ifghtest
IN other words. 70 raise the average
n proportion to the peak because to
produce the peak load requires ma
eninery which lies idle at other times
II the day. This idIeness, of course.
'aises the whole cost of the currenr
produced, therefore. the higher ave-
-age the cheaper the cost of produc-
Ion.
In America we develop power b1si-
less during the day to balance the
lighting load during the evening we
Advertise to all classes, preaching the
goepel Of using electricity and ccnse-
luently American companies maintain
! much higher average load than the
English companies.
Cheap electric power isn't ALWAYS
IN tnducement TO British manufacture
RS. The Edinburgh authorities pur.
'oseiy lowered the charge for power
o increase their day load. They didn't
'ush the idea very hard. how
'ver, with the result that there has
'een no material increase in the
mount OF power consumed.
Must Reduce the Load.
There 10 another distinct difference
'etween British and American meth
ds. The Britisher sells Won current
OF lighting, the American sells Won
Illumination. People sometimes won