Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1913-10-10
CHARGES REFUTED
NO BLACK HAND LETTER, BUT
STATEMENT OF PLAIN FACTS
PROVED FROM OFFICIAL RECORDS
Epithets Prove Nothing. Read the
IndisputabIe Facts
To A. G. Thompson, Mayor, II. A
Dimock, Councilman and r. H
RurnS Councilman.

Dimock, Councilman and r. H
Burns, Councilman:
l am informed that the alleged
letter referred to in your article pub
lished in each Ladysmith paper last
week was as follows:
in 1903 the city Council of the
city of Ladysmith gave a ten year
contract to the Lighting Company to
light the streets of the city with
1000 candle power arc lights at the
price of $1,000 per year for each
light This contract expired in Aug
ust this year.
Since 1903 the cost of producing
electric lights by reason of new in
ventions has decreased 80 per cent.
so that at the end of the contract
in 1913 it cost the Lighting Company
to furnish 1000 candle power 80 per
cent less than it did in 1903
In spite of this fact which is we'll
known Or should be we'll known to
the members of the Council of the
city of Ladysmith, the Council en-
tered into a new contract with the
Lighting Company for five years,
the conditions of which provide that
they will pay the Lighting Company
$500 per year for each light of 500
Kilowat Tungsten which is not over
450 candle power instead of 1000 can
die power, thus paying over $.12 per
candle power under the new con-
tract, while under the old contract
the Lighting Company was to receive
S.3A for each candle power, and this
great increase in the price per can
die power for light is given by our
city Council in spite of the fact that
it costs the Lighting Company 80
die power of light than it did ten
years ago. A candle power is the
same amount of light no matter how
furnished, whether by lamps, arc
lights or Tungsten"
You know and | wish to inform
the public that | wrote the above,
not as a letter, but as a state
ment of facts at the request of one
of the citizens of Ladysmith who
could remember them.
II the above figures are not cor
rect why do you not refute them in
stead of descending from the exalted
position of trust in which the peo-
pie have placed you to yell, Rot,
Coward, "Black Hand, 'Anar-
chist"
Abe Reuff of San Francisco low
browed, dishonest public official who
is now in prison when first accused,
yelled, Rot, lies, persecution, mis-
representation, blackmail, anarchist" :"
and other vile epithets.
My authority for the figures above
is the original minutes of proceed
ings of the city Council the only
existing record of the transaction.
They show an agreement to fur
nish 1000 candle power arc lights at
$1,000 per year each. The following
is taken from the minutes Of the
City Council at the time contract
was given.
May /, 1903"
This meeting having been called
especially to confer with Light and
Power relative to granting franchise
and establish rate for lights and ETC.
Atty. McGill opened the discussion
with we'll founded remarks followed
by o. e. Peterson wherein the Light
& Power Co. make very flattering
proposition one in which the consum-
ing public ought to be highly pleased
with in as much as the Light and
Power Co. agree to furnish Is arc
lights of 1000 candle power at $40 90
per annum and reduce the meter rate
to $40 per 1000 watts.
(Signed) C. A. HUFFMAN,
Clerk. "
My authority as to electric light
costing so per cent less now than
ten years ago is the General Elec-
tric Company, the largest electrical
company in the world. If you have
any better authority give your au-
thority and figures to the public but
please try to do so in gentlemanly
and decent language.
T. M. THOMAS.
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