The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-03-07
City Electric Light Plant Max.
ing a Mighty Stride.
will Save Money Invested i'm
Course of Four Years.
NINE CENTS A LIGHT.
This Is What 1t Costs Topeka
at This Time.
Old Arguments of Corporations
Are Shattered to Pieces.

From a report which will be submit
ted to the city council tonight by Sup
ersntendent Goodrich Of the electric
light plant. it will be shown that the
municipal lighting system in Topeka
is saving the city $4,000 year above
all expenditures on operation and capt.
tai.
1t will s.lso be shown that in two or
three years more the electric light
plant will have paid for itself com
pletely and will thereafter run on
rureIy prc.fte bic basis above all OPP
Grating expenses and bond issues.
This is a marvellous record for the
plant in this city and when announced
today will come like a bomb in the
camp of the corporations and others
who were so bitterly opposed to mum
cipaI control of the plant and VINO
fought the bond issue t,,e SO re srpHnu07-'
The monthly report for the lass
month at the plant which Will be reau
tefore the city council tonlght SHOWS
that at this time the average COST per
iignt ner month is s. % lis. This means
a cost of .09 29-10Oc per light per nign..
Jsbis is figured on the basis or St4 street
lamps in use in Topeka today.
II will be but short time until the
,.,1n,her of lights will be increased to
800 The capacity of the plant IS SUI
lanps and at the present growth OF the
fity il will be but few years unfll IL
will be necessary to put IN enough
lamps TO met the capacity OF the mum
cipal plant
Mayor Green Pleased.
Navor Green is delighted with the
showing. In looking over the monthly
report by superintendent Goodrich TINS
morning he figured WIt the investment
i'm the plant and the manner in which
it was being conducted and found that
~ will be but a few years until the
plant will have paid for itself In the
money that it saved by making II q
municipal AFFAIR instead of making 1t
q contract job and allowing a corpora
ton to furnish the light.
The mayor has it figured out that the
investment in the city electric hght
valued at about $4,000 and $4,000 in
bonds were voted for the machinery
now in use in the present plant. about
three years ago. This would give the
total capital invested at the apoNe
mentioned $4,000.
1t is said by experts that the DE-
preciation on an electric light plant can
be figured at 10 per cent In issuing
the bonds charge of D per cent Mas
charged. This makes total or 10 Per
cent on the investment OF $42,OOO
Taking the depreciation and the per-
centage on bonds per lamp it would
mean about ST. per year. the cost per
lamp per wear according to the operat-
ing expenses at the plant would mean
S2676. The two together would equal
S43.T6 or the grand total cost per lamp
including every expense IN connection
with the plant.
If the city had made a contract with
the Edison people about three years
ago it would have cost them $55 per
lamp per year. In other words the city
is saving by their municipal ownership
system over 81 per lamp per year.
As fast as the capacity of the plant IS
raised the cost per lamp lowers and the
running expenses are no higher on ac-
count of the capacity of the plant. On
the other hand if the Edison company
or any other corporation had charge
of the lighting system the city would
be charged per lamp and the expenses
would climb higher every year.
With very little study it can be seen
that it will take very few years for the
Topeka electric light plant to save
enough to pay for the original cost of
the plant. Many city officials over the
country are continually writing here
concerning the ACCESSIBILITY of establish
ing municipal systems.