The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-10-05
|al Interests OF The
City At Stake in
i Bond Election Tomorrow


of the ways Of bringing things near
er to their purpose is to defeat the
issuing of bonds at the election next
Tuesday. Perhaps it may not be
clear to all how this might effect the
desired end. Let the bond issue be
defeated, suppose, and let the light
ing service become very Inferior, as
it undoubtedly would. You and
might become desperate enough to
risk throwing the plant into the
hands of a private corporation for
the sake of getting relief. do not
like candle light or lamp light.
Neither do you.
Current From Mining Company
have now touched upon two
sources of opposition to the issuing
of bonds for improving the light and
water plant. There is at least one
other. Certain people think it
would be advantageous to the city
to buy current from a local mining
company, and figure that If the city
cannot improve its own plant the
time will be ripe for buying current.
Possibly these people may not know
that prices have been asked for,
from the mining company in ques-
tion, and 80 far have not been given.
1t is safe to assume that no outside
plant can furnish current as cheap
as the city plant, for the good and
sufficient reason that the city has to
maintain a force of men at its plant,
anyway, to keep up the water sup
ply. To those who have heard prices
proposed at which current could be
bought from the mining companies,
it would be we'll to remember the
distinction between current at the
plant and current delivered to the
consumer. 1t is difficult to get at
the price of production Of electric
current in the Lakeland light and
water plant because the same boil
ers furnish steam for both water
and light supply. However, 1t is
safe to assume that power is gen.
Grated for less than $3.50 per h. p.
year or two cents per kilowatt hour.
The difference between this and the
7c to 10c charged to consumers rep
resents costs Of distribution, trans
formation losses, etc. An improved
plant with more efficient machinery,
especially when the output increases
somewhat, can generate power for
less than one cent per kilowatt hour.
including interest on the cost Of the
plant and a liberal allowance for de-
probation.
1t is safe to assume that no mining
company would sell the city electric
power en- block for less than three
cents per kilowatt hour. Two cents
per kilowatt hour on the present
output represents a loss Of $1,440
per month.
1t should be remembered that
should a private company get hold
of the plant, such company would
expect the city to pay for street
lighting and for the use Of fire hy-
drants. This would have to be met
in the general tax levy. Should cur
rent he bought from a mining COM
pany the current for street lighting
would have to be paid for by the
general taxpayer.
A Vote Against Bonds Is Vote
Against Self
Mr.. Editor, the taxpayer of
Lakeland who votes against improv-
ing the light and water plant at this
time is working against his own in
terests, that is unless he has some
thing to sell for the city or to the
city-unless he "has an axe to
grind" 1t is against tho interest
of any taxpayer or any citizen, be-
cause it will retard the growth of
the city and depreciate the value of
property. 1t is against the interest
of any voter to vote against bonds
or, to stay away from the polls, be-
cause it will lead to unsatisfactory
lighting service and insufficient pro-
lection from fires. 1t is against the
interest of any resident of the city,
because poor lighting service will
drive away winter visitors, one of
the sources of income to the mer-
chants, real estate men, and people
who rent rooms and houses.
Candles Soon Be Needed
When I first saw the electric
light plant, in company with one of
the commissioners, after learning
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