Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1912-03-13
THOSE FAVORING
The BONDS met
LAST night
HAD SEVERAL SPEECHES
Turner, Russell, Allen and
Mathis Made Talks

The mass meeting of the advocates
of municipally-owned electric plant,
to be constructed by issuing $4,000 of
bonds, was held at the Armory
last night. The attendance was con-
siderably more than at the previous
meeting, the speeches were longer
and dealt more specifically with the
points involved, and at the close an
announcement was made that another
meeting would be held at the same
place on Friday night.
Col. J. E. Sheppard presided The
first speaker was Mr.. Turner, city elc-
trician of Atlanta, who had been
brought to the city to make an inspec-
ton of the plants of the existing COM
pany and make his report to the meet
ing on what he considered their
vaues. Mr. Turner came in on the
afternoon train and returned to At
lanta last night. He had an itemized
statement of the valuations on the
plants presented to the railroad COM
mission by the company, and as he
read them off gave his valuations. The
total valuation put upon\the plants by
Mr.. Turner as result of his afternoons
inspection was approximately $120,.
900 or about one-half of the company
valuations. He estimated the electric
outfit at about $4,000. He estimated
the new plant at $4,000. against the
company's figures of $7S,S00 This
makes three estimates to date.
Mr.. Turner was followed by Mr.
Russell, a contracting engineer for
electric plants, of Charlotte, N. c.,
who cited a number of municipality
owned plants in North and South Car
olina, which, he stated, had been sue
cessful and made to pay. Mr.. Rus
sell gave no figures as TO what mu-
nicipal plant would cost, making
general speech in favor of municipal
ly-owned plants. Mr.. Russell stated
that in cities where the plants were
owned by the public the rates for
electricity started at 10 cents a killo-
watt hour and ran down, and were
cheaper than in the cities where pri
vate corporations owned the plants.
He advocated commission control
of municipal plant to avoid politi-
clans using it and cited a case to
prove the advisability of this.
Mr.. Lee Allen made an impassioned
speech, stating that he did not favor
a plant to make money but plant
to reduce the cost of lighting and the
water and taxes. If the bonds were
passed he would insist on a law being
passed by the Legislature creating a
commission to manage the plant. Mr..
Allen insisted that the published rates
were intended to lead consumers
astray, and insisted that no consumer
in Americus had been given the benefit
of the rates filed with the commission
in December Mayor Mathis arose a
this point and stated that he knew OF
no one who was getting a cheaper
rate than heretofore. Mr. Allen then
criticised in detail the advertisements
appearing in The Times-Recorder, dis
secting them in detail and insisting
that the private corporation was
holding back the growth of the city
and that a municipal plant would en-
able the city to make concessions to
manufacturers and assist in building
up the city. Mr.. Allen claimed that
Jacksonville and Albany were grow
ing rapidly because they had munich
pally owned electric plants. He in
sisted that it was better for the pub
lie of Americus to be paying interest
on a small municipal bond issue, with
the plant owned by the city, than to
be paying interest on big bond debt
of a private company and not owr
the plant. Mr.. Frank Sheffield arose
at this point and approved the ides
that Mr.. Allen had expressed. In con
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