The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1911-11-28
CITY IS IN GOOD SHAPE
Alderman Jones Answers Mr. Camp In
Regard to the Electric Light and
Power Question

Power Question
Ocala, Fla, November q, 1911.
Mr.. r. c. Camp, Pres. Of the Florida
Power Co,
Ocala, Florida.
Dear Sir:
In your letter published in the
Ocala Banner of the 26th inst, ad-
dressed to me, you say you would
like to know OF me in a public state
ment if | favored the city, naming
Ssuch power rates as will enable en-
terprising citizens to establish a new
ice factory and other industries in
Ocala. l will say most positively
that | am In your letter of the 2Gth
inst, you have misstated your Origin
al proposition. You there state you
named the city rate of cents per
XIV. with a reduction of 2 cents.
Your original proposition was as -ol-
| lows: For the first $1,000 XIV. hours
3 cents per XIV. hour; for the next 49,
$50 XIV. hours 21s cents per XIV.
hours, use over and above the afore-
said number of hours. For all cur
rent used in any calender month over
and above 54,750 XIV. hours, the rate
| of cents per XIV hour
Based On the amount used the past
year by the city, we would have to
pay you the full rate of 3 cents per
XIV. hour. We are now making it for
gines very few hours of the day at
peak load.
| If you or other enterprising citizens
can utilize our surplus power for ice
plant or other industries. l will ad-
| vocate naming you a rate of cents
per XIV. hour for 36,500 XIV. hours
used per calender month, and 21a
cents per XIV. hours for 54.75o XIV.
hours used per calender month, Or
| fiat rate of cents per XIV. hour for
all used over this amount per calen-
der month which 10 a much lower
rate than you made the city. We
would be able to make you this low
rate by running full blast all the time
and the city would suffer no loss.
| We are advised by the represen-
| tatives of people making turbine en-
| gines, that We can install a low pres
sure turbine to utilize our exhaust
| steam from our engines now running,
that will produce $50 XIV. per hour alb
solutely free of fuel and labor cost,
and thereby enable us to make fur
ther reduction in charges for power
and for city lighting.
l am Informed that water power is
being sold in the Carolinas and Geor-
gia as low as one half cent per XIV.
hour Jacksonville in it's municipal
plant is making it for less than one
cent per XIV. hour. If your power
cost you SO much that you cannot
compete with steam, you have a very
poor investment in your water plant.
Many citizens infer from your propo-
sition that if you would furnish the
city with current that they would
only have to pay three cents per XIV.
hour for lighting, as against the pres
ent price of eight cents. Now if you
for lighting at three cents per XIV
hour, or make fiat rate of one and
one half cents per XIV. hour to the
city, l feel sure that the proposition
| H~ >
you could do either and make money
on account of your facilities for max
ing current. The city council was
practically UNANIMOUS in rejecting your
proposition and the mayor must have
conceded also, as a member stated
> that he had said that he would veto
your proposition if accepted by The
council. | am in favor of doing every
thing in reason to get factories anl
enterprises and population here, ant
| advocate that the city should make
any concession that is conservativ,
i and right, but l do not believe tha
the city should be tied up with priv
| atey owned electric proposition 70
a long term OF years, unless it is yer,
- greatly to the city's advantage, ant
such would not be the case in you
proposition; for instance We hav
had contract with the Ocala Waite
Company for a term of twenty tiv
years, and this contract in the pas
" ten or fifteen years became very III
satisfactory, not because the waite
company has not fulfilled it's part G
the agreement, for | believe it ma:
= but because We have seen It demon
strated many times that municipa
ownership of public utilities is ia
better than public utilities privatel
owned
The city council is trying to act
s everything for the best interests {
all citizens of Ocala, and In rejectin
your proposition We consider it wa
r. for the good Of the city.
:. | will state that the city is in be
ter shape financially than for year
- past, and with careful and conserv
tive administration of the city's a
fairs there is no reason why it shoul
not continue to improve and prospe
Very truly yours