The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-04-21
MUNICIPAL PLANT
IS WORTHLESS
VALLEY CITY FINDS THEIR ELEc-
TRIO LIGHT PLANT IS SOME
THING or A WHITE ELEPHANT
WILL SPEND BIG SUM TO
BRING 1T UP TO DATE.

The following, from The Valley City
Times Record, win be Of interest 10
Fargoans In view OF the fact that this
city is contemplating the construction
Of municipal light plant:
The last meeting of the old city
council yesterday evening proved to be
most interesting to the score or more
of citizens who listened to its delibera-
tons. The special committee which
was named some weeks ago to investi-
gate the lighting plant reported and
made startling recommendations.
c. J., Lee read the report and after
describing the equipment Of the Moor
head plant which they had selected
for model. they recommended that
machinery and wiring Of the Valley
City plant be sold and that the city be
bonded for from $4,000 to $4,000 to
install modern machinery. According
to the committee, the lighting plant on
which the city spent $4,000 only two
years ago, is so Anticipated that in or
der to furnish service as cheapIy as
other lighting plants. must be entirely
rebuilt and refurnished. The big
cables strung about the city are unnec-
cessary and can be sold to good advan-
tage and the machinery might be sold
to advantage to some smaller town.
The committee also recommended
that the plant be put under the control
of three business men to be named by
the council and mayor. A resolution
was passed naming a committee to
draft such resolution.
They advised the abolition OF the
discount plan on payments and the
adoption by the city of the penalty
system for delinquents.
They alleged that the management
Of the plant employed too many men
and recommended the reduction Of the
force and the employment of more
competent men. The Moorhead plant
runs with much smaller force in pro-
portion to the business done. The
committee complained that the local
plant was organized on too large a
scale and that there were too many
men who would do nothing if it was
not in their department. Any man en-
ployed by the city, thought the COM
mittee, ought not to be above climb
ing poles or doing any work which
was to be done.
If these reforms were worked In the
plant and its organization, the COM
mittee believed the cost OF light could
be reduced from % to so per cent
Alderman Mcpherson, chairman of
the committee, elaborated upon the
report in a short address. The city
Of Moorhead, ten years ago, had a
plant much like the Valley city plant,
which they would have been willing
to trade for a yellow dog Now they
have plant modern in every respect.
The plant has paid $500 of the city's
Indebtedness and has $1,000 of its
bonds on hand and nearly enough sur
plus to pay off all the Indebtedness on
the plant In ten years they hope to
wipe out their city debt with the
profits Of their plant.
The plant yields an annual profit of
1887 per cent. The maximum rate to
consumers for commercial lighting is
cents per kilowat (it is 10 cents in
Valley City, ten off for cash) and the
minimum is 6 cents. Power current
ranges from to per cent. The cost
Of the current delivered at the con-
sumer's meter Is 3 cents.