The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-04-09
ELECTRICITY FROM THE AIR

y In the last twenty-four hours, the
Star has had plenty of reason to be-
HsVe that the people Of this city
view with large suspicion the decis-
ion of the council to receive bids for
furnishing the city with hydro
lectric power. They regard it as a
move to set aside the municipal
splant, and there are very few people
in Ocala who would not resent any
such a move.
= II is not necessary, however, for
anybody TO be unduly agitated about
fhe action of the council. The alder
snon are as patriotic as the same
Number of citizens that can be pick
ed anywhere, and are better &C
quainted with the situation than SO
EDs1 cent OF the people. This is the
situation they are up against. The
city plant is now worked above its
Ct pacity Only extra good manage
ment enables it to carry it's load. De-
mands on it increase daily. The city
must at once find a large sum of
money for Improvement, or a new
plant, or it must let current be sent
in from the outside. So the council
D1en are not to blame If they con-
slider the proposition. None of them
have any idea OF surrendering the
principle off municipal ownership,
tho We think some of them are con-
sidering the proposition of the city
tsking current from a private cor
TbratiOn and in turn supplying it to
the people, just as it does now from
its own plant. A few years ago this
would have been considered a splen-
did proposition. 1t is entirely right
fer the council to consider it and
find ost what the people think aHout
it.
1t is known to only a. few thaf the
city plant has no charter to supply
power, but only light. The work of
supplying power was an after
thought, and the charter has ne'er
been changed to allow it. The diff
ference of course is only technical,
but some. of the few who are wise
on the subject are fearful that some
interested person might take out an
injunction against the city plant
supplying anything but light, accord
ing TO the strict Interpretation of the
charter. AS probably half the ma
chinery in the city is run by cleo
tricity, such an injunction would
paralyze Ocala.
The Star doesn't think any citi-
zen of our town would commit such
a contemplate action, and is sure
that anyone who did would receive
in full measure the scorn due a pub
lie enemy from the people he injur-
ed; but it has taken the trouble to
consult some of the best lawyers in
the city on the subject, and they
concur in saying that such an I'M
reasonable injunction would be such
a fragrant breach Of equity that there
is no prospect that it would be grant
ed by any but very ignorant or a
very corrupt judge, and the Star
doesn't think there are any such in
this territory. Such an injunction
wonld not only paralyze industry
but, as in the case of the hospital
it might cost human life.
All of which leads up to the sub
5ect set forth in the headline, which
is something scientists have beer
working on for years, and are stead,
lily drawing nearer to- That cleo
tricity is in the atmosphere wa:
known long before the fluid was Uut
TO any practical use, and the only
difficulty is to transmit it directly t.
machinery something that has beer
accomplished TO a limited extent al
ready, and is certain to be put il
practical use before long.
Now, the point is this: As long a!
We keep our own plant. not only it i.
valuable asset and a safeguard
against monopoly, but all improve
ments in electricity will come TO the
city and be directly shared in by the