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
u. 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 S15 to 1862, or 9LT
per cent, while the privately owned plants
Increased from 2s0j to 1863, or 3O.4 per
cent.
This total of 5121 central electric sta
tions 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
ulllI lOI tht puIpOsc VI iiSlhhS' ihc iS-
port takes no account of electric stations
constructed primarily for the heating or
lighting of hotels or factories, even IL
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 1928
per cent, which was greater than in
1902, when the commercial stations con-
sttuted a larger percentage of the total.
In that year they received only 919 per
cent of the total.
MUNICIPAL OUTPUT REDUCED.
The municipal stations, in output, fell
much behind in the decade. In 1902 they
produced 7.S per cent. of the kilowatt-
hours, while in 1912 their production fell
to only AZ per cent, which Is less than
their percentage in 1907, when it was 40
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 than
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 9.4 per cent to w per cent.
in 1912.
The total income of municipal stations
increased from s6,s65,105 in 1902 to $685.
1853 in 1872 or 1884 per cent. That of
the commercial or privately owned plants
increased from sS5. 700,605 to s302, ,155599, Or
252.5 per cent.
The total expenses, including ordinary
repairs and a proper depreciation account
in the municipal plants, increased from
$5245.9S7 in 1912 to s16,917,165 in 1912, an
increase of 2225 per cent. The total ex-
penses of the commercial plants rose from
s6S, ,OSl,375 to $234 419,47S, or 2i4.3 per cent.
For that increase In tital expenses the
commercial plants brought about an in
crease in kllowatt hours from 2,5O7, lis
to 1852. .S63. OO6. or an increase of 800 per
municipal plants brought about an In
crease of kilowatt hours OF only l4.4
hours, in the increase, in figures, being
from l95.90i,i39 to 537,526.730.
During the five-year period from 1900 to
9l2,approXimately LOG commercial stations
passed into the hands of municipalities
and so passed out of the hands of NUM-
cipalites into the hands of private opera
tors. The greatest increase in municipal
stations took place in group of states
composed of Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri. |
the Dakatas, Nebraska and Kansas. The |
number in those states jumped from 274
to 399. Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma |
and and Texas ONE next in the number |
of increases from 90 to l22