The Marshall republican., 1913-04-25
Statement Of the City Council
on the Electric Liqht Proposition

The city Council OF MARSHALL las 10 me past rev" Wohths D~u
making a n effort to Secure all the information possible al to electric light
conditions both here and elsewhere. so as 10 determine the proper course
to pursue in view of the expiration of the franchise of the Marshall Light
investigation.
Several months ago printed question blanks were mailed to cities Of
from 1900 to 10000 inhabitants throughout Missouri and adjoining
states. requesting that the answers be given to the questions asked and re-
turned to the Council.
To the.e inquiries 81 replies we're received: 80 from towns with
,.,m,, awnorstIn and - from ovn with munlctpaI ownership I'M
reply to the question. Are your people satisfied with present conditions?
The towns with private ownership answered Is follows: II yes. no, s.
MARTY +, rates o. high and 4 fal to answer. From this it will be noticed
tina, only AZ are entirely satisfied with private ownersip under existing
conditions. The answer to the same questions from the towns havins
municipal ownership ire as follows! ig yes, / not as yet Chis plant in
operation only 4 months). and 2 make N answer. Not a single one OF
the 10 reports dissatisfaction with municipal ownership.
The replies further show that the average maximum charge by private
plants is 10 cents per kiloVatt. and by municipal plants is 10 ii-l5 cents
per kilowatL and no private plant make a lower AKIN 'narse' Una" 10
cents per XIV. while reports from s''eral uni'I" plants II " maximum"
charge OF from to . cents per XIV.
After receiving and classifying the replies, two committees were APP
pointed from the Council ~o visited 'd personally INSPECTED p.an'. p"
different parts OF the country. Louisiana, Hannibal, Macon, Chilnotie
lola, Pitsburg. Chanute aud Emporia, Kansas, we're visited by the COM
minee. or these towns all but four own their own plant: the four being
Louisiana, Mo. Chcryyale. Chanute aud Emporia, Kansas. Two OF these
four towns seen to he satisfied and two arr not cherryvaIe ond pitts
burg are paying a maximum rate OF 2c per XIV. yet one OF these says the
people like It. In the nine municipal plants visited. varying degrees OF
success were found. The ones making the poorest showing claimed % be
nc least clearing tho street lighting. only two points made such q rcor
showing which Is attributed to lack OF harmony in the city councils occ, sion
eded by political differences. In every town having municipal ownership
the maximum charge to consumers was Toe per XIV. and at two places
was Sc In every town with municipal ownership the street lighting e on
all night schedule o. all night moonlight schedule. In some Of the owns
where municipal ownership has shown the best results, the rlant' are
managed by boards of public works. bipartisan in character, and almost
entirely free of control by the city council
This part Of the report would not he complete perhaps without the
figures in dollars and cents showing results obtained by some of the plants
investigated. n balance shee OF u Carriage plant fol the last year
$4,000 TO depreciation. Hannibal shows a ne profit Of $4,000. In this
is included payment for street lighting. Columbia shows nt profit on
light and waite plants combined of $1,000 In addition o street lighting
and fire hydrants. In Columbia a maximum charge of 12c per XIV. is made
Sc per XIV. These three plants have been in operation sufficient length OF
tine to be out Of the experiment stage; Columbia for five years, Hannibal
nine years and Carthage fourteen years. The average csi OF coal at the
several places visited is somewhat less than 1t is at Marshall.
The re lamp is a back number, and Tungstens ire being used almost
entirely 70 street lighting; more of them and closer together with orna-
mental iron posts, with cluster lights in the business portion of the town
The Council are Informed that there have been failure o municipal,
owned light plants. which is doubtless true, but the number OF those
brought to Its notice are so few in comparison to the total number In
operation M II simply emphasizes the well known fact that the success OF
any business depends largely OF the management. and the council al se
no reason why city ownership for Marshall should be more disastrous than
10 M majority OF tn towns now working under that system. The
council is futher of the opinion that quite a saving could be made for both
by combining re waters and light plants.
The council has engaged the services OF expert electrical engineers to
estimate the c@t OF a e plant ample to care 70 the needs of this city
pt Of n cty water umuins Station md -" o, ." "nS Snmv 20 .'
old plant making II practically equal to a new plant.
From the report If these engineers. who have made a thorough ex
moving the old plant to the city water works station and rehabntatng #
as should be done would cost approximately as much as % build al en-
t"y new plant
To build a new plant adequate to furnish all the light and powe
needed for many years to come would require a bond issue OF abou
$7"ooo' This would build a much larger and better equipped plant thai
the one now In Sc and everything would be entirely new. It contemplate
a" extensive street lighting sySem which will illuminate the town thorough
L- having in view the location of more than double the present number o
street lights, making a lisht n almost every corner and o all night moon
light schedule.
The present assessed valuation of the city is a little nor thar So
100000 and in order to pay Off $4,000 in bonds within twenty years. a
thirty cents N the n hundred dollars valuation to create an interest an
sinking fund for that purpose At present the city is paying for stree
lights approximately $4,000 per year, which is equivalent to a levy of TWEEN
E cens;this OF courseis paid out OF the general fund levy of the city whic
is fifty cents II twenty cents of the general fund levy is taken for tn
interest and sinking fund to pay off the bonds the city will need only a
additional tax levy of ten cents In n event, it would seer that a a
diional levy of not % exceed twenty cents would be ample to meet tn
entire indebtness, and when the bonds are paid off the plant will be III
property OF the city.
With a view OF acertamng what the present light company is winiu
20 do toward furnishing light for the city aud securing a nw fanchis
the council has asked the company to submit a proposition with referent
thereto, and the following has been submitted.
Street Lighting Estimate for Marshall, Mo.
S Slight rs watt go cp clusters at $500, CPusk to Dawn
1870 ta-5o, light 100 watt 50 op units at ,s7oo, dusk to
dawn every night ..... =. ....,............. 5994(