Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-28
BECK DISCUSSES
SALE OF CURRENT
Says Careful Study Should Be
Given Plan to Enter Com
mercial Field.
WATER RIGHTS ARE LIMITED
Engineer Member of Administra.
tive Board Points Out Some
Difficulties.

Selling electric light and power for
general commercial purposes from the
municipal pant Is much more compli-
Gated than it sounds" said Henry T.
Beck, OF the Administrative Board last
night. TT means. as n preliminary. an
exhaustive study Of local conditions
with view OF ascertaining the prob
able demand and the location OF that
demand. complete estimates on the cos,
OF bringing the current to the consum
er's meter. and careful inquiry into
the benefits and liabilities that would
accrue to the city az the result OF en-
gaging in this business.
There is nothing impracticable about
the plan. Although I know of no city
at least no prominent city-that
operates Il municipal electric plant and
supplies current for commercial pur-
poses. see no good reason why the
city couldn't operate such a plant pro.
htably just az II does the Gas Works
and Water Works. which. in cities
without number. are owned by private
corporations.
SHOULD BE GIVEN LONG
AND CAREFUL STUDY
Nevertheless. the proposition is far
too important for settlement without
long and careful inquiry. To begin
with. the city will for some time tO
come have its hands full extending the
street lighting service to the new ter
ritory. In most of the suburbs the
streets are lighted by contract. be-
iieve that the city can. at two or three
months notice. abrogate these con
tracts and take over the lighting func-
tion Itself. although / am not certain
about that. At any rate. these suburbs
will eventually be served from the
municipal electric plant. Before this is
accomplished there will have TO be con
siderable extension and rearrangement
There is another consideration
There Is not sufficient amount OF
dependable water power available nj
the electric plants present site to
permit OF any material extensions with
out the use OF steam. l take II that
the city cannot go into the general
business of selling light and power to
consumers without erecting a steam
plant to supplement the water power
The water power cannot be materially
Increased without a raising of the dam
A raising of the dam would be an ex-
pensive thing. to begin with, and would
involve the rights now enjoyed by Belle
POWER CosIpANY. oFFERs
CURRENT BELOW. CITY,s PRICE
Gould the city. using steam and
water power. produce current as cheap
ly as the Virginia Railway and Power
Company" Mr.. Beck was asked
Tint lis question which is very
hard TO answer" he replied "The
power company. I believe, claims even
now that 1t can sell the city current
for street lighting purposes for less
than IT costs the city to produce It,
IheY produce figures to back up
their statements. This is true. how
ever: II costs relatively less to operate
q large plant than small one The
municipal plant. with its limited out
let. has fixed overhead charge which
mas TO be met, no matter how small the
amount Of current that is supplied
The same overhead expense or AT least
an overhead expense that would be
only slightly increased, would take
care or greatly increased output
The water power rights and electric
plant site owned by the city have been
valued at more than 100000. The
plant and equipment, Of course, add 10
this amount considerably. 1t would be
the part OF economy. therefore, with an
investment as valuable as this. to make
as large use of 1t as possible since
the greater the output of the plant the
less will be the per kilowatt cost OF
production.
These and other considerations
need the fullest Investigations I don't
think 1t will he possible for Mr. Traf.
FORD to go into the matter fully and
submit report that will be at all
adequate under several months The
matter cannot be too fully investigated.
WOULD MUNICIPAL PLANT
SERVE ENTIRE CITY
one problem that occurs to me in
this connection is the extent to which
the city would be obliged to furnish
electricity to citizens as matter of
right. In undertaking the business of
puDilc service corporation. the city.
take 1t. would have to assume also its
liabilities.
suppose the city actually goes into
the competitive light and power bust
ness. Will II have free field 10 take
the cream Of the business In the con-
gested and manufacturing districts
without any obligation to extend the
service to outlying portions of the citv.
where the return on the investment is
much smaller" Would it not have tn
follow regular policy of laying its
conduits as fast as new territory 10
opened up in the same manner as ga
and water pipes?
There is also the big question OF
adjusting conduit and street rights ms
between the present light and
power company and the city. II is nat
urallV to be supposed that the citv
would use many Of the conduits laid
by the company. since il would be i'm
practicable to reopen paved streets In
the business section for the purpose of
laying an entirely independent system
OF conduits. The basis of settlement
for such joint use OF conduits and
streets would be one OF the important
Droblemg"