Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1915-07-20
DEMAND FOR CHEAPER LIGHT IN
THE CITIES.

| A number OF American cities are
| swapping notes, number of them are
| drawing upon each other for informa-
tion regarding the comparative cost
of electric light under private and of
public operation. The great dam at
Keokuk was expected to prove boon
to st. Louis in the matter of furnish
ing cheap electric supply
II does not appear that the expec-
tation has been realized In fact. it is
held by the advocates of cheaper cleo
tricity through public ownership in
| the chief city OF Missouri that the mu-
nicipality is paying 100 per cent. more
for electric light at present than il
| should be called upon TO pay In this
| connection reference is made to the OK
| perience of Buffalo. n Y, and roron-
| TO. Canada. Both cities are supplied
| from the sames SQUIRE Niagara Falls
but at entirely different rates.
The difference. il is held, is caused
by the fundamental difference between
municipal and private ownership.
The Canadian city. it seems, dixie
many of its sister communities), is
under municipal ownership and oper-
| alton system and has a maximum rate
| Of 3 cents Buffalo is under the private
ownership and operation system and
| has a maximum rate OF cents.
st. Louis has a maximum rate two
cents in excess of that of Buffalo, or 7
| cents higher than the maximum rate
of Toronto and other Canadian com
munities. The Buffalo rate is to be re-
duced next September, however, and a
rebate for excess charges of $500 600
| is TO be paid back TO consumers. Ac-
| cording to the Star, a rebate is more
| than the consumers of St Louns ask,
"but they have the right to ask for g.
cent electricity from the city, because
| that is easily possible and the city
| should give it.
1t is pointed out that in Cleveland
| the city plant, by forcing down rates,
in competition for large power con-
tracts, saved users over S1,250. .00G
year compared with what they were
paying and would have continued to
pay had not the city plant been in
stalled. 1t is asserted to be the inten-
i tAOi hi NAtfNAdnN W USE LlLG City DldIl
to force down the lighting rate for the
small consumer. Its system is grow
ing to the point where il can soon
| serve all portions of the city, and it
will do so at the 3-cent rate as fast as
connections can bemade. Either the
private company must meet this rate
or give up its small users patronage.
1t is said that Cleveland has accom-
| plished SPLENDID results so far in the
mater of checking monopoly and serv-
ing its people by an expenditure upon
the municipal electric plant of about
! $4,000, 900. st. Louis is asked 10 fol-
low Cleveland's example. and it will
probably do so unless the private cleo
trio company shall become satisfied
with smaller profits. The remark that
municipalities cannot conduct public
utilities as well as private-ccrpcra
tions is heard schooner now than for
merly. An increasing number OF com
munities are taking over their utilities
year by year Throughout the Middle
West, in particular, the sneer at pub
lie incompetence has been recented
pretty generally, especially in fmmu-
mites under commission rule ard bus
mess management.-Chri Science
Monitor