La Junta tribune., 1915-04-03
DON'T VOTE MORE BONDS.
Why . Municipal lAsht Piaat woald
Not Pay II La Junts-Taxpayess
Now Oveshardenetl.

electrical ordinations In Colorado.
There Is also steam reserve sta
ton maintained at la Junta for use
in case OF interruption on the trans
mission line
II the city builds \ plant Of its
own II will merely duplicate existing
property and service. We will OBJ
tain nothing which we do not have
At present. except an addition Of
$4,000 to the bonded debt. already
amounting to 3l3s.000. The con-
struction OF 4 municipal plant would
ELIMINATE the present company
from Ia Junta. and would make val
ueless . large part Of it, present in
vestment here. It may easily cause
thee barge. from sources unfriendly
to this city. that La Junta does not
treat the outside capital investors
fairly. THIS might seriously injure
the city and IL future growth.
The estimated cost Of municipal
electric plants are commonly esti-
mated too low. and their ability to
earn profits and lessen rates. too
high.
There 10 NO doubt that municipal
ownership has been successful in
some places and has fallen short Of
expectations In many others. Gen.
sus Bureau Bulletin NO. l2A. recent
ly issued. shows that less than five
per cent Of all the electric Kent and
power used In the United States 10
made In municipality owned plants.
This shows that municipal owner
ship. At It's best. Ii but an expert
ment In this country. Otherwise We
would find . much larger proportion
Of he Business doss b thsse plants.
Evcsy puhliely Owned satsspsise
.Qn8 AN haek - eaxiAk povess q
Il fails TO meet expenses. First. the
taxins power and credit OF the whole
community 10 pledged and mortgaged
10 issue bonds to obtain money to
build the plant n the plant can.
not pay its expenses. pay interest. and
other bills falling due. these will
have to be- met by the taxpayers.
There is no getting out OF Il. They
have TO pay or the city's credit and
financial standing is lost. and the
courts will finally enforce payment
The most common error Of muni-
cipai plants Ia TO fix rates too low TO
cover up the falling short Of revenue
by faulty bookkeeping until large
loss has been created. The result OF
such mismanasement is higher taxes.
Cities or governments cannot sue
ceed la tranxactine business Of any
Kind with efficiency equal TO that Of
private enterprises. Many authori-
ties can be quoted 10 sustain this
statement. including ex-President
Taft and Senator Burton. Of Ohio.
Il II generally admitted. Why
should we expect better results In q
municipal electric plant! One city
administration might manage Il ef.
ficientiy. but another administration.
entirely unfamiliar with the business.
would fall.
The Light and Power Company
would never have built q long trans
mission line 10 La Junta and closed
down the steam plant II such IN ar
rangcment was not moncy-saver.
II IL a well known fact that the iarg-
cr the electric station. the cheaper u
can manufacture power. The trans.
mission lines which serve La Junta
are fed by great plants with capaci.
ties many times that Of steam plant
necessary 20 serve this city alone.
Building another steam plant here
would be simply going back 70 OLD
YAaHIONED conditions.
The sole argument which the I'd.
vocases Of . municipal plant offers
% On inducement Why Il should b
built, 10 the claim that lighting rstss
viii ~ reduced. n this II doas and
she slant LOSES nonsy. Il VIII msas
net 'ealy higher taxss 70 cover ~
1sfle1ts. but lees ee the taxss now
~ ~ ~ Dsivats company. =,
WAeehss ~ satss eAasssd n ~
peoeoos ee0oaay ~ ~ hish. ~ 90
really knows, - las - 90 ~ aseef.
eaine1. ~ fnses 90 ~ 6slsfnias1
ealy ~ - lavosl1Galleo ~ espeets.
II n y eooeedeG ~ oosv6ee - pase
q . W. Gys)en = GAooooe = ~ -
the Deo1ueess thaa eoevloe ~ lDo0oes
q plan1s, ~ n GAouDo - Doou11oo
hat ~ eG1n1lno go1se 80 - -
shaa sneu6A y ~ . enls Feoosa -
~ laveeo0eeA - - 49,