Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-25
UTILITY OWNERSHIP
BY MUNICIPALITIES
SHOWS GREAT GAIN
Number of Plants So Oper-
ated Increased 81 Per
Cent. in Ten Years, Says
y. S. Report.

| Municipal ownership Of electric light,
| heat and power plants in this country is
making rapid strides. The theory that
| municipalities can construct and operate
| public utility plants more economically
and with greater efficiency than can ex-
perts representing private corporations,
while It has not been proved to any con-
elusive extent, is, nevertheless, gaining
ground. This is made plain In a report
just issued by the United States Census
Bureau covering the ten-year period from
1902 to 1912.
In the period, the number Of municipal
plants increased from SIS to 1862, or s1.7
per cont, while the privately owned plants
Increased from 2s05 to $685. or 3O.4 per
cent.
This total of 5121 central electric sta
tlons is considerably less than the num-
ber reported in commercial directories.
The report explains the apparent dis
crepancy by stating that where several
plants are under one ownership they are
reported as one establishment. In the
directories each plant is regarded as a
unit for the purpose of listing. The re-
port takes no account of electric stations
constructed primarily for the heating or
lighting of hotels or factories, even II
some of the electricity Is sold to the
neighborhood.
In 1902 more than % per cent. of the
stations were municipality owned. Ten
years later the percentage of such sta
tions had increased to substantially 30
per cent. of the whole number. In total
income the commercial stations had 923
N.I.
1902 when the commercial stations con-
stituted larger percentage of the total.
In that year they received only 91.9 per
cent. OF the total.
MUNICIPAL OUTPUT REDUCED.
The municipal stations, in output, fell
much behind in the decade. In 1902 they
produced 78 per cent. of the kilowatt-
hours, while in 1912 their production fell
to only Al per cent, which is less than
their percentage in 1907, when it was 49,
per cent. While their relative production
fell off so greatly, the municipal plants
greatly increased the capacity of their
gas and oil engines, having no less thar
202 per cent. Of such engines in 1912.
But, while the percentage of gas and
oil engines owned by the municipal plants
increased so largely, the total horsepower
of all engines, turbines, waterwheels,
etc, fell off from 81 per cent. in 1902 to
IA per cent in 1872 The kIlowatt capac-
ity of the municipal dynamos also ran |
down from "a per cent. to 9.2 per cent.
in 1912.
The total income of municipal stations
increased from 1886. 105 in 1902 to S23,- !
21S,9 1859 in 1912, or 1884 per cent. That of
the commercial or privately owned plants |
increased from 5.7OO.6O5 to 1902, 155, ,599, or
252.5 per cent
The total expenses. including ordinary
repairs and proper depreciation account
in the municipal plants, increased from |
s., 245,9s7 in 1912 to sl6,9l7,165 in 1872 an
increase OF 222.5 per cent. The total ex-
penses of the commercial plants rose from |
s6S, ,OS1,375 to 1924, AIS. or 244.3 per cent
For that increase in total expenses the
commercial plants brought about an in
crease in kilowatt hours from 2,5O7 C5l,li5
to H. 532, ,96S, ,0O6, or an increase of 800 per
cent. For their increase OF expenses the
plants brought about an in
crease of kilowatt hours of only 174.4
hours In the increase. in figures, being
from l95,9044 439 to 537 526. 730.
During the fve-year period from 1907 to
1912, approximately 1O6 commercial stations
passed into the hands of municipalities
and so passed out of the hands of NUM-
cipalities into the hands of private opera
tors. The greatest increase in municipal
stations took place in a group of states
of Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri,
the Dakatas, Nebraska and Kansas. The
number in those states jumped from 274
20 S99. Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma
md Texas come next in the number of
Increases, from So to l22