The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1916-01-14
THIRD OF CITY'S
INCOME GOES TO
LIGHT COMP ANY
Semi-Annual Statement Will
Show Bill Increased 81 400
In Last 6 Months.
WHITE WAY COSTS
$40 A POLE PER YEAR
Fire Plugs Cost More Than
$4,000 a Year-Company
Statement Missing.

The semi-annual statement for the
cit yof Cape Girardeau, which is being
completed by City Clerk R. w. Fris-
sell, for the period covering the last
six months, yesterday revealed that
the city is paying almost one third
Of its entire income to the Missouri
Public Utilities Company for water
and light.
The figures for the last six months
also show that there has been an in
crease of almost 81 AGO in the city
light and water bill over that of the
preceding six months period.
These facts REVEALED in Mr.. Fris-
sells statement also have caused City
Councilman w. D. Black to comment
on the fact that the Utilities Company
has not performed two specific things,
one that was ordered by the Missouri
Public Service Commission, and the
other that is demanded in the fran
chise allowed the company two years
ago.
The new intake tower in the Mis-
sissippi river north of the mouth of
Sloan's creek has not been constructed,
Black declared, as the public service
commission ordered, and the Utilities
company never has to his knowledge,
complied with the provision of the
franchise making it mandatory upon
the officials of the company to file with
the city once year a complete fnan-
cial statement of the utilities COM
pany.
This financial statement, according
to the terms of the franchise, is sup
posed to contain an exact statement Of
the revenues of the company as well
as a declaration of the disbursements
OF the company and it should indicate
in what manner the disbursements
have been made.
At the City Clerks Office in the last
five months no such financial state
ment has been filed, and Mr.. FriSscll
declares that he never mas found in
any of the city's private papers 4 re-
port that should have been made in the
year and 4 half prior to his tenure in
the Office.
Mayor Rage also has declared that
he never knew Of such I report hav-
ing been made.
In the period from July / to Deem
Der 81, 1915, inclusive, the city drew
warrants in favor of the Utilities
Company for a total of $6,S2246, ac-
cording to the figures that City Clerk
FrisseIl has compiled.
For the period from January / to
June 30, 1915, the warrants drawn on
the city's purse to pay the water and
light bill tOtaled $5,423.OG. The in
crease in the bill for the city has been
$1,399.4O.
The water and light bill for the year
Just passed was ,24j.52, a figure
that nearly swallows entirely the pro-
portion of the taxes of tho city on real
and personal property that is allotted
to the general revenue fund.
The total income of the city for the
last year amounted to $42,664.35.
The facts on file in the City Clerks
office relative to charges that are be
ing made against the city are found in
the bill that have been paid in the last
year.
On August l, 1915, the Utilities
Company presented a bill for $@,O6O.45
against the city, which was paid.
1t had charged for 165 60-watt
lamps at $3.50 each, total $247..5O.
The 1O1 three-lamp white way poles
in the city at $3.33 1-3 each, cost
$336.66.
Fire hydrants cost the city a total
Of S2,440, itemized as follows: In
February there were III tydrants, at
1888 1-3 each, $500. March to July
inclusive 123 hydrants at a cost of
$3.50 1-3 each, making $40 month,
s2,O5O.
Other items We're neglible none be-
ing more than SIS. The bill present
ed was for s3,06O.45, but it was
pruned to S3,O52.O4, because it was dis |
covered part of the lights were out |
part of the time.
(TrTT ~