The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-05-15

Pur1tanS Landed at Fly
 mouth Rock.
 Especial to the Farmer.)
 Detroit, Mich, May 15.-Somewhere in the wide, wide world, there are peo- pie who still believe that the citizens of city cannot conduct their own public utilities. 1t is said that the species are confined largely to New England, and that they have the idea as an inheritance from the Indians, who were found throughout all the New England Country when the Puri- tans landed at Plymouth Rock. The Indians had never conducted public utilities upon their own account, and it was therefore. as it is believed here, argued that the thing could mot be done on the rock ribbed soil of the furthest east in America also why had it never been done during the centur- ies of Red Mans occupation. 'Te1l us that, will your" every body said. But in this middle and western country th9F laugh at anybody who dates back toSthe aboriginals on this question. We have a man in a museum in Detroit, now, whose sole claim to draw his salary is that he is the last Westerner who believes in the private ownership of public services.
 That electric light controversy in Bridgeport, Conn, has filtered through to us, and our people have been shock ed at the idea that anywhere in this enlightened country there are people so wrapped in superstition, so besotted in ignorance and so incapable of con- ducting their own affairs, that they will pay Il cents per kilo watt hour fight a law which prevents them, as private persons, corporations and so on, from making their own. We of Detroit own our own electric light works and ourrown water works. Our trolley cars are in private hands and so, are our gas works. But the price at which these companies shall sell their commodities are fixed by the Council, subject to the supervision of the courts. We trust our courts in give rate making power to the munich pal legislature, because we know that the courts will prevent injustice being done through the exercise of the pow CT.
 But my task is to show the cost of electricity for lighting purposes. I will proceed to the work, following with accuracy the last re- sion of Detroit, which shows that our city has some Electric Light Works.
 Our total output for the year was 7,1s2,255 kilo watt hours, of which some 5,601, ,648 kilo watts went into B. 374 arc lights of 1000 candle power each while the balance went into incandes- cent lighting.
 And what to you think that it cost the people of the good and enlightened city of Detroit per kilo watt hour for Now, MT. Fastener, don't faint away.
 It costs .O2OO3 cents per kilo watt hour. This means two cents and three one thousandths of cent, for the benefit of those who are not ac- to decimals.
 This was the actual cash cost to De- troit. But the Public Lighting Com mission keeps a pretty good set Of books, and for the benefit of the con- tunelious it figures the cost with for depreciation, and prop er allowance for lost taxes. because the plant, not being private, is not taxed.
 This other cost is called the gross cost. It is;
 .O31S5 cents per kfIo watt hour.
 That from eleven cents, MT. Eastern ,r is how much in the municipal arith- netic of Bridgeport.
 Now let us have the cost of one of those 1000 candle power arc lights of he very latest kind. which burn from gray twilight until dawn. The table, rom which the report of the public lighting commission, follows:
 Cost of Arc Light. Operating disbursements sS3. .25 on discarded arc
 lamps, etc, 1.45 at per cent. on
 investment, 7.31 Profit at per cent. on invest
 ment, s35 Lost taxes on investment, 2.51
 Total, $52.s7
 The figures on our water plant are even more conclusive as to the benefits If public ownership. The average cost l per family for a years water here is bout $4. But more of this another ime. The subject before us is elec- ricity. Our total investment in our plant, | ID to 1908, was less than $1 .00O, 900. | There are dozens of dinky privately | wned lighting plants throughout the | Cast, doing a third of the lighting our | liant does, that are capitalized at $2,- | OO 900 or $3,00O,O00 and raking in the | ,rofits on those figures too; right out | If the pockets of the Fastener who | avs, and believes, that the people, are | o craven, so cowardly and so foolish, | hat they can't do their own lighting
 People who are born to be pluclSed | will probably die without feathers" as | he old saying goes.
 rHr- nrn7srN @@-rr