The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-06-15
BAvIS SUBMITS ARTICLE BYED WARFEL
ON AnDERS0N'S MUNICIPAL PLANT

any to announce upon any other pro
posal, or to leave any doubt in the
minds OF the voters as to his fidelity tc
this trust, he probably would be exam
ined for lunacy.
And why shouldn't Anderson stand
by its municipality owned electric
lighting and power plant? For has not
this institution demonstrated beyond
peradventure that it is the wisest and
best investment ever made of the
c!ty's public funds? No one in Ander'
son will even hesitate to emphatically
declare that it is so.
For this $4,000 "tunk.pile" was
thrown into the dreaded maelstorm
Of politics" and always a subject to
the spoils of the party successful at
the polls. Yet it's annual reports are
as mile-stones in a path Of progress.
Never has there been evidence Of fail
ure and every year has shown greater
success, until now tn plant has book
value Of more than $270,0 900 and is pro
viding the $4,000 being expended for
tie new unit needful because OF the
increasing demands upon it,.
Hold to Plant.
And" commented President 10
seph Hennings, Of the Chamber of
Commerce, live organization Of more
than 1000 citizens who boost Ander-
son twenty-four hours every day, "if
anyone offered US a cool million and
half dollars for that plant, we would
not dignity his offering by referring
it to vote Of the people. The city
council wouldn't even stop to consid-
er such proposal, at any price For
the council knows and the citizens
know that our plant has never failed
to come up to the fullest expectations
and that it is the greatest single fac.
tor in the communfty's present pros
perity."
What other community in the
state" continued the head booster of
Anderson and Anderson's municipal
monopolies, can compete with us in
Offering inducements to factories. Our
tax rate is s1xty-five cents on the 500
and our power rate is about " cents
and in one case cent per kilowatt.
Our streets are we'll lighted, and many
Of our people light their homes for Is
cents per month. Can you beat that?
The light plant did it."
incidentally Mr.. Hennings described
how the Remy Magnetic works (Which
by the way at one time offered to
come to Richmond for a small bonus
and was turn down was influenced
to remain in Anderson with it's 1900
skilled workmen, largely by the offer
of cheap power, so essential to the ef-
ficiency of the industry
Mr. Honni, OF tn11a hnuy thA Ch 1,ov
of Commerce Of Anderson secured the
Device Manufacturing company from
Terre Haute. The company is a new
enterprise. 1t had been paying cents
per kilowatt for power at Terre Haute.
and was casting about for a location.
Anderson offered a rate Of IL cents,
which sounded good to the factory
owners and the city landed an indus
try that is now employing 1875 men
its capacity-day and night, and which
last week was behind to the extent of
$4,000 worth of bushes, without hav-
ing made any effort to market it's out
put save through the mails.
The Midwest Box company, a fac
tory secured by Anderson in COMPETE
ton with Frankfort. Indiana, was at
tracted by an estimated saving of 49,
900 per year in it's expenditure for
electric current.
Power Diminishes.
The Rotary Valve company. a splen-
did institution and very busy at this
time, shows by comprehensive chart
what municipal ownership means to
them, in the conduct of their plant.
AS their business increased, the cost
of power dininished-not proportion
ately but positively-due to the econ
omy resulting from a municipal mon
opoly.
Retailers using large wattage like
wise declare their fullest appreciation
ment. A. Weslow, owner of a big de.
partment store. is one OF the city
plants staunchest and most enthusi-
astic supporters, as is also Glen w.
Gates, whose women's apparel shop is
one of the best lighted in Anderson
Professional men, including Attor.
ney Oswald Ryan, formerly instructor
in econ Monies at Harvard university,
author of text books on city govern
ment, and one of the foremost stu
dents of municipal and sociological
questions In the state, declare unhesi.
tatingly for the municipal monopoly,
testifying to it's unparalleled prosper
ity and its usefulness to the city.
Our citizenship is militant in it's
support OF the integrity OF our utili-
ties said Mr.. Ryan. "No Official
would dare invade the administration
either of the light plant or Of the
water works. There must be no
spoilation OF these institutions. 1t was
reporter only recently that certain ma |