The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1911-04-14
MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP.

should bear in mind the peculiarly for
tunate situation of Idaho towns in that
they do not have to erect expensive
power plants preliminary to going into
the power business. The power plants
have been erected by private compan-
les. There are several of those plants
seeking a market for their power. They
are prepared to deliver power at the
city limits or at some convenient
point within the city. After delivery
the city can handle it's power as it
sees fit In other words the city takes
the place of the Caldwell Power Co.. as
far as this city is concerned. They
should bear in mind that the present
power company is making a stiff profit
on all the power sold. For instance an
employee of the company stated at a
public meeting held in this city that
power was sold to at least one con-
sumer in Caldwell for cent and a
half per kilowat hour. 1t is incon-
ceivable that this power is sold at a
loss. The company must get it at less
than cent and half. We have been
told that the Caldwell Power Co. pays
six-tenths of cent per kilowat. The
people Of Caldwell pay Is cents per
kilowat when the power is used for
lighting purposes. The profit must be
something enormous. The city of Cald-
we'll might as we'll have that profit as
not, or give the inhabitants of the town
the difference in cost and selling price.
Whichever it does means practically
the same to the property owners and
taxpayers of the town.
Municipal ownership is no new thing
in this country AS far back as 1889
cities and towns had experimental and
not a single failure has been noted.
In every instance the streets were bet
ter lighted and cheaper than ever be-
fore. The first community taking up
municipal ownership had no thought
of selling the power. The idea was
simply to develop power for municipal
purposes. The plants were a success
and the idea of selling power to the
inhabitants of the city soon suggested
itself. OF late years the municipalities
have entered the business on a COM
mercial basis.
AS far back as 1895 Prof. Frank
Parsons, the we'll known lawyer and
political economist, said:
I'm a few years a city that leyies
taxes to pay for its street lamps will
be regarded as lingering relic of an
embryonic age. In time we may do as
we'll as Berlin and Paris, which make
the city franchise pay Is and % per
cent, respectively, of all municipal ex-
penditures.
Prof. Parsons gives list of % cities
and towns owning their own power
plants. These towns operated the
plants solely for municipal purposes
The cost of street lighting before and
after per street lamp is given for a few
of the towns. The others of the % are
about the same The towns are:
Before After
Bangor, Me, per year $4,000 $48.00
Lewiston, Me. per year. 1920 $500
Bay City. Mich. per year 1000 $500
Elgin, ILL.,, per year.. 266.00 1890
Marshalltown, Ia year 1225.0O 27.0O
Below are given a list of towns
throughout the country owning their
own plants and the cost per year per
arc light:
Little Rock, Ark. ...............$ 54.0
Bloomington, III. ....-.-.-......... 5000
Topeka, Kas. Observation-Disclosures. 5000
Easton, Pa 800
Staunton, Va. "a 90
Below will be found a number of
towns whose streets are lighted by
private companies and the cost per arc
light per year. 1t will be noted We
have taken towns from the same states
as in the above list, The towns fol-
low:
TeXarkana, Ark. ..............$ lG0.0 90
Danville, I'll. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 50 90
Arkansas City, Kas., to u p. M 1900
Allentown, Pa. ................ 10000
Parkersburg, Va. ............ 10000
The Tribune does not say that there
are not extenuating circumstances in
each of the instances cited. However,
1t is not likely. We know nothing of
local conditions and selected the towns
in the first instance at random. In the
second instance we selected towns in
the same state so that local conditions
would make as little difference as
possible.
The figures on municipal lighting
are easily ascertainable for any one
interested In the towns cited above
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