Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1912-11-14
ON ELECTRIC LIGHTS
City Electrician Explains Reasons for
Wishing for Bond Issue for
New Plant.

Some weeks ago Councilman
Gowdy asked the Tidings to boost the
proposed bond issue to build an addi-
tional electric light plant. He was
told that the Tidings was not suffi-
ciently informed as to the proposition
to be able to discuss it intelligently,
but that it would publish a brief
statement from the city electrician in
the matter. Mr.. Butterfield has pre-
pared the following statement, which
is published because of that promise.
Otherwise the paper would be COM
PEELED to adhere strictly to its rule
as recently laid down, to charge for
all articles of a political or semi
political nature. The Tidings be-
lieves that the people of Ashland are
too intelligent to need it to tell them
how to vote on any question. In
matters of news and fact it is it's
mission to inform the people, but in
matter like this, where it is large
ly a question of deduct ons from
facts and of opinions as to eXpedi-
ency, the Tidings does not feel that
it is incumbent upon it to stand the
expense of airing the views or ad-
vancing the interests of any faction
or purpose.
Mr.. Butterfield's Statement.
Four years ago when the question
of a municipal electric light plant
was agitated and as result the
plant designed and partly built, the
demands for electricity were much
less than at the present time. Be-
cause of the delay in the completion
of the plant we find that the demand
is equal to and greater than the ca
pacity of the plant, even though the
plant has been in operation only fif-
teen months. So the time has come
to consider the problem of more
power. The capacity of the present
plant is from 400 to 450 horse pow
er. Our present peak load is about
$50 horse power during a few hours
at night. Because of the fact that
the water coming from the water
wheel is distributed into two zones
for water supply and one of these
zones is very much lower than the
outlet from the wheel, there is power
in the water running from the upper
to the lower zone that is not being
utilized. An increase in the size of
the upper pipe line to a 24-inch all
the way to the top of Crowson hill
and the construction of a small res
eryoir at that point will permit of
the generation of 400 to $50 more
horse power than is now generated.
A power plant of that size can be
built at the lower intake reservoir
and by proper management of the
flow of the water into the reservoirs
the capacity of the lighting system
can be doubled and constant and
steady pressure be maintained on
the water supply system. AS the de-
mand for additional power at the
present time does not reach 400
horse power portion of the 24-inch
pipe and the reservoir may be omit
ted and only that part of the pipe
line as is necessary and the power
plant be built. Thus an expenditure
of $4,000 will give us about 235
horse power, which will be sufficient
FOR several years. The distributine
system should extend to all parts OF
the city limits. There is constant
demand for service by people beyond
the end of our present lines. At pres
ent all extensions and improvements
nave to be paid for out of the in
come. This income should be set
aside as fund to pay the interest on
and retire bonds as they become due
There is income sufficient at this time
TO pay operating expenses, deprecia-
ton, and lay aside a sinking fund to
pay off the bonds and interest on
the same. So fund of $4,000 should
be provided by bond issue to extend
the pole lines and meet all the ex-
penses incidental to the extension of
the business of selling current.
In view of the fact that the plant
Is supplying current for a street
lighting system superior to that of
any city between Sacramento and
Portland and that the plant is sup
porting itself and has been instru-
mental in reducing the rates one