The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-01-06
THE ELECTRIC RATE


say Nat it is necessary to spend at
least f$10,0 900 for repairs and ma
chi8a4y; for the plant at once.
LasMa, qgme of them say the reduc-
tidb$ feA made for political reasons
byl &smSers whose terms are about;
s. kn$ire. and that taey would not
havs snade the reIuctIon if they hadI
been se-elected.
Tho Star swoub7 fvsse the igcom-
Ing M mberI to IN the new RITE al
fail, t al before tsA replace itIvith
a higAer PSe. The are two iveay
strong rexsons for. II In thet frst
place. J lSrge NUM- beAf our people,,
in COINCIDENCE 81 the lower ratR,
have. busht considerably of electric
appagEtus fog domestic uses. PUP
tin lack thk old rate, unless it
absosately necessary, will be an ih
Iuft1 to them These people gave
ndal44g to do / ith the fact i, at
some snombers oft council gopout
ana hers come In. The councils Md
citS government rs a continuous
thAg of them he electric plant
belong 4 gtas council, iny
how, Oh to thtTpeSpe of Ocala Hho,
play see Jaw wi mi I property WHY
send the e hole ssFh packing ans
tfy the u qmissiol Erm of govg4i,.
uStnT. whfs IN Tie stsrxhinks is wo<se
tssnl whas 1--WE have ow. unless Tie
; akisment quit ''theH ;blic-spirild IA
spolica> TN has diss ngAished their
.p-edecessl is for the / st dozen years
and go TOT laying per- nal and other
sorts of politics. 4
The secoy reason sis that flow
electric rate is very good adver-
tisement for the city of Ocala. 1T will
attract othe people and other enter
prises. TIE effect of this is some
thing thai can Ebt be- seen at once.
1t win not be Zen adam if the coun-
Gil jumps the fate I p and down to
: suit every lit bunf h that gets into
power. 4
A nearby tity, $hich has some
!. great advantds es over Ocala, par
!. ticularly in the matter of cheaper
transportation does not grow any
sghere near ak ia as our town
among the real sons why it does not
crow faster isl that all the public
abilities are inf private ownership.
us electric lighRrate is twice that of
ocala, tho it's Rlant van be supplied
with fuel for half the money it costs
to feed the fires under Ocala boilers.
The very efficient city engineer in
sras the Star that to take care of
increasing business, the plant needs
at once $4,000 worth of new APP
paratus. The plant has plenty of
boiler and engine power, but needs
more electrical machinery. This is
evident to all who notice how lights
burn dim at the hours when the load
is heaviest. But the need of new
machinery is no argument for rails
ing the rate. From time to time
since the city bought the plant, new
machinery has been put in, but the
rites have not been raised. If the
Star had so much business that il
had to put in a new linotype OF
press, it would not therefore raise
its rates on subscription. If it is
necessary TO buy new machinery tc
take care of the business, the bust
ness will take care of the machinery
That is the rule, the business world
over.
AS for the allegation that the rate
was reduced because some council
men are going out and others coming
in, the Star thinks that it remains t.
be proven. The retiring councilmer
say they had been working fol
months with the view of giving the
city the cheaper rate. 1t was onl!
human in them to desire to obtair
the credit for it. If their successor;
turn in and raise the rate at once
the people will say they are doing i
for spite. Perhaps the people would
be wrong, but they have as mucl
right and reason to say one thing al
amy incoming alderman has to sa.
The other.
While Messrs. Weathers. Taylor
Helvenston. Weihe and Livingston