Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1910-11-29
(COMMUNICATED.)
Why CAN'T AMERICUS DO THE SAME :?
CITY, SORE, BUCKS
POWER TRUST and
CLEARS 100000.
Citizens Of Pasadena, CAL, Loyalty
Supporting Municipal Lightina
Plant, Are Getting Just Rates.

OuPpUAtHi3 muiHUAPuA LAJhuhu
Plant, Are Getting Just Rates.
Americus voters who are to deter
mine largely the issue between muni-
c6lpal ownership and those opposed
thereto in the pending election tomo
row, have their attention called to the
following article sent out from Pase-
dena, Cal, and proving conclusively
the vast advantage derived by that city
in owning its electric plant, which not
only paid operating expenses tn.
added $4,000 OTTO the city treasury al
we'll.
Pasadena, Cal-Pasadena has saw
ed 100000 in year by bucking a
branch of the power trust" with a
municipal lighting plant. This is
what the city itself saved and the
citizens have saved more than
just how much it is impossible to
tell.
Three years ago TIE municipality
lecided it was being squeezed by the
Edison Electric Co., an off-shoot of the
power trust on it's contract for light
ing the streets. 1t started a NUM-
cipal plant. This was so successful
that the business was extended to
commercial use. Then there was a
light. The Edison company objected
TO being hit in its pocketbook.
About that time there was a matter
If a tax on electric light poles. The
city wanted the money. So did the
lighting company. The latter, work
ng the old corporation game, refused
10 pay the tax. The city sent out a
gang of men to chop down the poles.
FLe Edition people appeared on the
scene with a gang to guard its prop
arty. And while the guards were sta
Toned in one section of the city the
municipal chopping squad executed
flank movement and began operations
IN another set of poles on the opposite
'ide of tie town. The Ellison people
elled for help and secured am iniunc-
tlon, with the result that the pole
chopplng ceased and the fight was
AIKEN to court, where it now it.
The municipal lighting project was
saining Roadway by leaps and bounds
md the Edison people saw but one
way to stop it. They began to cut
rates. They established a fat rate IN
ertain sections, that is, charged so
much per hour but only in the sec
lions where the city competed against
he company.
Well stop that, said the city
fathers, and passed an ordinance pro-
fibiting fiat rates in any section.
" You can cut your rate per kilo-
watt hour as much as you want said
the city to the company, but WHEN
YOU ONCE CUT THEM YOU CAN'T
RAISE THEM WITHOUT THE CON.
SENT OF THE COUNCIL
'lBut the Edison Company, in des-
peration, continued to cut rates. Front
10 cents per kilowatt hour it dropped,
to II IL cents; then to cents. and
now it is doing business at 4 cents
and making money And with a Accent
rate the Edison people can't raise
them without the consent of council,
and council won't give that consent.
The power company had to cut down
the rate to compete with tn Getty, or
go out of business.
After the preliminary skirmish in
the rate to compete with the city, or
sides settled down to business. The
Edison company sent out a horde of
silver-tongmed orators to boost the
Edison company aid is service.
These eagle-eyed ones bounced down
upon the new arrival and talked eIec>
tricity to him until he was ready to
hide. The next MOI ming he rece1ye1 a
letter from the city appealing to his
civic pride and asking for his pat
ronage.
''At this stage of the game the Edi-
son people sent in bid to the city
to light it's streets for $4,000 a year
less than the city could do it.
That looks to me like a inldf-
97t brIhe,' remarked a city official
when the offer was rejected. The
Edison people want us to patronize
their company until we go out of bust
ness wit hour municipal plant, ana
then they will raise the rate and get
back what they have lost
ut went this way for a year before
some so stockholders of the Edison
company got into the game. They
| lived in Pasadena an dhad more or less
influence in the community. So they
did politics. The man who used ma
nicipal power in his store or home was
boycotted by the so stockholders and
TIER friends. The new game didn't
work very we'll.
At the present time the city lighting
plant is doing go per cent. of the light
ing business in Pasadena and making
money, and it hopes to do 100 per cent
of the business within a year.
We are going to win out because
we are in the right declares C. w
Koiner, manager of the municipal
lighting department, who was one Of
the leaders in the fight with tho
power trust THE PEOPLE ARE
STANDING BY us LOYALTY, AMI
WITH TTiBIR HELP VIE CANT
LOSE,