Norwich bulletin., 1913-06-05
GIFTS PRESENTED TO
 RETIRING sUPT. BoGUE
Employees of City Lighting Plant Show Appreciation for His Efforts in Their BehaIf-Statemen by MT. Bogue.

Wednesday William F. Bogue, for mer superintendent of the municipal lighting plant, was called to the plant
 on "a matter of business" at 12.45 o'clock. He found most of the men
 gathered in the office on his arrival and John Hartie. foreman of the gas works addressed him in behalf of the men saying that they had been very closely associated for nine years. When the plant was taken over by the city
 the men asked the commissioners for shorter hours and they felt that MT. Bogue. who at that time was one of the commissioners, had aided in get. l ting their request granted. Mr. Hartle also said that since MT. Bogue had been superintendent the men had re- ceived an increase of pay and an an nual vacation of one week. AS token of the friendship and esteem existing between employees and superintendent, MT. Hartie then presented MT. Rogue watch, with his initials handsomely engraved on the outside, and the words, Tn behalf of the employees of Gas and Electrical department, June 1. 1913" inscribed @on the inside of the case. MT. Bogue said, in response that he appreciated the gift, and the motive that prompted it. MT. Rogue | also said that during the nine years he had been associated with them many i interesting and some critical experi- ments had been made, and he felt that 1 every one had done his best.
 l He declared a municipal business | like this to be successful should, in his best judgment. be mutually ben | eficial to three classes of people that | it deals with. First, the taxpayers; | second the customers, and third the employees. The only question regard | ing our plant had been the benefit to l the taxpayers as the customers, he felt, had realized and appreciated the | benefit they had received by the lower rates they had paid compared to those | paid private companies. The help he
 knew appreciated the shorter hours, | increased pay together with the an- | nual vacation.
 | Regarding the taxpayers he said he 1 believed the trouble was not that they i had not had satisfactory reports but that they had been confused by the 1 different reports and figures concern | ing the city appropriations, sinking 1 funds, depreciation funds and inter est on city and mortgage bonds. He | told them he had prepared a cash | statement which he would read them 1 and hoped they would remember it | and not get it confused with other 1 figures. This statement shows that
 the city owes for additions, besides i the original investment of $227, GOO, l $75,000, and that they have in the 1 treasury $75,196.5S, or more than 1 enough to pay for additions up to this | time. He told the men that they knew | better than others what the condi- | tion of the plant was when it was
 taken over and what it was today and 1 that no reports or figures, from what | ever source they may come could | change the fact that these new build 1 ings and new machines and new lines 1 and new gas mains and increased ca 1 pacity are here and have been paid for 1 from the earnings of this business and 1 that the actual cost of the city is only
 the original investment of s227000. In | closing MT. Bogue told the men that
 he had always tried to be honest with i them and honest with the depart | nent.
 MT. Bogue closed his services as l superintendent of the plant Wednes- l day evening. He has made no def-
 mite plans for the future as yet. On l Tuesday Mir. Rogue was presented a meerschaum pipe with solid gold trim mings by Foreman James Mccarthy l on behalf of the gas service gang
 1 J. S. Carder, formerly travelling pas