The Baraboo news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1884-1911, 1911-08-31
THE NEW MAYOR
ADDRESSES: E: Ge'''':':s;, GRe!?!..'::s; s. :
Question of a Municipal
Lighting Plant Difficult
Problem.
From Fridays DaIly.)

the death of Charles Bender, called
the meeting of the city council to order
last evening by thanking the alder
men for the attention and support
they have given him during the time
he has been the presiding officer. He
presented the gavel to Mayor @. L.
Thuerer who needed no Introduction
10 the council as he has been an alder
man for several years. Mr. Jacobs
further stated that Mr.. Thuerer was
acquainted with all the important
measures at present before the city and
will undoubtedly make an excellent
officer
The new mayor, DR.. @. T. Thuerer,
addressed the council as follows:
[ desire at this time to express my
appreciation to the people for the
honor shown me by having been elect
ed to preside for time as Mayor of
the City of Baraboo. In assuming
this position the feeling of response
biiity is brought home to me very
forcibly, and that [ may merit the
confidence shown toward me, it will
be my endeavor to discharge the duties
OF this office to the best of my ability.
In the discharge of these duties /
would ask the hearty cooperation Of
every member of this council and all
officers of the city in order that the
affairs of the city may be conducted
in an efficient and economical man
ner.
The most important question 10 the
common council and to the ciLizens of
Baraboo at this time is the lighting
question. By the enactment of GER
tain legislation amendatory of the
public utilities law during the last
session of the state Legislature all exist
ing franchises hitherto granted 10
utilities by municip llities were de-
CIared to be indeterminate permits,
which in effect, are exclusive fran
chises from the state to existing utili-
ties operating therein, and under these
existing laws the city of Baraboo has
no authority to construct and operate
a municipal lighting plant, at least
for commercial purposes, unless 1t
shall first buy out the existing light
ing plant. BY resolution the lighting
committee was authorized to engage
expert engineers to make an appraisal
of the existing electric plant SO that
the city could enter into negotiations
to purchase the same. The engineers
made such appraisal, furnishing us in
formation and figures of the value of
the existing plant to the city in con-
structing its own plant at the pumL-
ing station, and also the actual value
of the plant TO the present owners.
An offer was accordingly made TO the
owners Of the present plant by the
lighting committee, which exceeded
by considerable esum the figures given
by the experts. This offer, after some
discussion, was turned down, and the
reason given was that the separation
of the electric plant from the gas plant
would make the latter unprotitabIe to
operate, and they would be entitled to
damages by reason of such separation.
There is no question in my mind that
if the gas plant is properly operated
and managed it would be a paying
business. Just what the commission
would do in respect to fixing damages
that the company might be entitled to
in separating the gas plant from the
electric plant is, however, uncertain.
They claim to have made no express
ruling as to what elements of damage,
if any, they would consider, but there
is no question of the tight and author
ity of the commission to separate the
electric plant from the gas plant, upon
the application of the city TO take
over the electric plant, and there is no
reason why the city should not tie
treated fairly by the commits
sion in determining the amount
of com pensation the present
owners are entitled to. The present
company now proposes to make some
extensions 10 its plant, and only last
week Mr.. Congdon, engineer and
manager of the company, called upon
me, and among other things wanted to
know why the company could not be
allowed TO proceed TO remodel their
plant and afterwards TO sell the same
to the city. THIS would, in my opinion
be very poor plan to follow for the
plant they would build would not be
in the location desired by the city, mol
would it be in accordance with plans