The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-05-27
STEAM AND SCIENCE
Excel Water Power in the Produe-
ton of Electricity
s-Union)

fTimes-Union)
Correspondence looking 20 plans
and regulations for the holding OF a /
proposed national contest for the
demonstration of the American city
generally, particularly hotels and
restaurants, the best service and the
lowest price for modern cooking by
electricity. is now under way and of
all the places that will enter this
contest Jacksonville is one of the
most interested and enthusiastic
It is said that the contest will be
open to all electric plants furnishing
electricity for cooking, both those
operated by private corporations and
those municipality owned.
A Many Times Winner
1t is also stated that in addition to
the free-for-all contest, some special
prize will be offered for the munich
pally-owned plant making the best
showing in the matter of cost to the
consumer.
Ever since the first news was re-
ceived here of the arrangements be-
| ing made for the national test, some
| of those interested in the local cleo
| trio plant and the price announced
some months ago of 2 cents per k. W.
| hour for cooking and heating, have
sent requests to many Of the largest
and most prosperous cities in the
country for the rate which they offer
for electricity for cooking and heat
ing.
| Lowest Flat Rate City
| These requests have been sent
| from coast cities of the Atlantic to
those of the Pacific with the best
| known metropolitan centers in the
interior between these oceans. So
| far, from all of the reports that have
/ been received, Jacksonville not only
offers the lowest rate but is the only
city offering anything like a fiat rate
| of 2 cents.
/ According to these reports, Jack
| sonville's nearest rival in the matter
| of price offers electricity on a sliding
scale and the only consumer who
can get within, reach of 2-cent
rate, such as has been locally estab-
lished, has been(4e who uses an
enormous amount of the powerful
juice" and applying only to large
hotels and big restaurants. For this
reason, it is universally believed that
Jacksonville's 2-cent fiat rate, which
in the most modest home at the same
low rate as the big hotel, is not only
certain of first and foremost consid-
Grafton in the great contest but is
equally sure to attract national at
tention to Jacksonville and her
municipally-owned plant-with net
profits exceeding $35O,000 last year
and at the same time prove the
Florida metropolis to be the most
progressive, modern and enterprising
city in either the South or the en-
tire country.
Valuable Publicity Certain
Indeed, those who are giving this
matter special attention say that it
is almost impossible to estimate the
tremendous value of the publicity
that will be given to Jacksonville as
result of this contest in the news
papers, periodicals and magazines
throughout the entire country for ev-
cry city entering the contest is GER
tain to be greatly and directly inter-
ested.
In fact, one of the largest national
magazines published in behalf of
women's interests is especially inter-
ested in the coming contest and that
Jacksonville's unequalled rate is al
ready we'll known is best evidenced
that this publication is sending a
staff writer down here to look into
the local conditions and learn for
himself just how it is that munic-
ipally-owned and profit-making plant
can afford to offer electricity at
cents when other cities are Dragging
over scent rate and others are
} claiming cents as IAN exceptionally
low price,
Hydro-Electric Plants ''Bested''
Apparently, aside from Kansas
City, Kan, (also a municipally-own-
J ed plant), with a sliding scale that
runs as low as cents for heavy con-
seem to be some of the cities along
the Pacific coast Not wit h Standin o