The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1915-08-13

Blackfoot is to have lighting
system, but as to who will hold titlt
Ito the property and who will pay thu
lefty taxes or whether it will pay city
taxes at all or not is still an unsettled
problem. There is much said about
the advantages of having municipal
lplants nowadays; municipal lights
lare supposed to be cheaper than cor
Iporation lights, or if not cheaper, il
lis considered the proper thing fol
the municipality to carry the invest
ment, elect men to look after it, pay
the salaries of the management out
of some other fund and thereby per-
suade themselves that they are max
ing the profit themselves and beating
the corporation to it, Of course,
a municipal lighting plant does not
pay any taxes to the city, but that
is not considered vital matter; a
municipal water plant would not
either, but municipal water is con-
lsidered wetter than water owned by
a corporation, and if it can be pur-
chased with bonds payable at some
distant date, operated by salaried
men chargeable to some other city
fund, taxes and efficiency convenient
lily forgotten, and the revenues count
ed as net profits, it looks like every
municipality ought to have it's muni-
cipal water plant. 1t is bad for a
|city to be paying money to a corpora
ition when it might be paying it to
politicians.
But Seriously Now
Blackfoot has refrained from get
ting into private enterprise in the
past, and the power sites are being
taken up and the advantages are go
ing to individuals rather than, to the
public. Our contract for lighting the
streets has expired and the council
are troubled about what kind of ar
rangements to enter into for futures,
and in the meantime bills are being
filed monthly for lights at the old
contract rate, which is generally
considered high. A contract has been
rendered by the lighting company for
installation of a different system of
lights to take the place of the arc
lamps now used to cost about LOO
a year more and said to be much
more satisfactory American Falls
has them, and while the council have
been wondering what to do the man
agement of the power company sug-
gested that they visit the Power City
and see for themselves. 1t would
also afford the council an opportunity
to see the power plant and gain some
idea of the task of installing plant
of their own. The power company
invited the. council to be its guests
for a trip to the place, and supplied
three cars at their disposal and the
trip was made on Tuesday afternoon.
The party consisted of Mayor e. T.
Peck, Chairman w. F.. Bergman,
Fire Chief V. Van Bramer, Council
men F. w. Pelkey, w. G. Thompson,
Frank Heese, H. A. Mowrey. B. F.
Boiling, Byrd Trego, editor of The
Idaho Republican, and local Manager
]. B. Brohaw, of the power COM
pany. The cars were driven
by Attorney C. s. Beebe, E.
J. Jones, local manager for the Con-
tinental Oil company, and JEFF John
son. the carpenter and contractor.
We might say, simply, that the party
went down and looked and came
back, and 1t would be short story
easily told, but the council are try
ing to decide some matters of consid-
cradle Importance to both the town
and the country around Blackfoot
and along the Aberdeen branch, and
because 1t has far-reaching effects,
we are making a rather long story
Of the things that affect their de-
cision,
Conditions at Pocatello
When the party were assembling
at the garage to start. 1t was decided
10 so via TT. Hall and Tyhee because
there was said to be 10 or IL miles
Of new grades on the Aberdeen road
above American Falls that would be
4 bed Of dust. There was the usual
of chatting about which was
the best car, the cigars were passed,
and Mayor Peck and the editor, not |
being in the habit Of smoking, did
not accept cigars. Councilman w. F,
Bergman remarked, We'll, when |
lake the family out for a drive
always take something to give the |
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