Catoctin clarion., 1916-05-25
The Town Statement And
The Light. PLANT.

Inc LIgmA APIant.
Last weeks issue contained a com
munication from "A Citizen" rela-
tive to what we had said in our issue
of May 18th concerning the town
statement, and proceeds to show by
figures how much profit actually was
made by the operation OF the plant
last year.
Just what "A Citizen" means by
omitting in his calculations what was
spent for new lines, transformer,
and meters, when as matter OF fact
this expenditure had to be taken
from the revenues, and if it is not to
be charged against revenue received,
then it must go to Capital Account"
and some day be paid off. In other
words each year for such additions to
the plant must either be charged of
from revenues or be added to the al
ready exhorbitant cost of the original
plant which is carried at $22. 3SS. So.
At this present rate that we have
been proceeding, with future addi-
tions that will be required for the
plant, if it is going to run and give
the service required, We fail to see
the rosy picture as portrayed by A
Citizen"
1t is mighty easy thing to figure a
profit on paper, and instead of show
ing the profits as detailed by A
Citizen" it would be just as easy for
a profit two or three times this size
to be figured, the only proviso that
you would have to name is the little
insignificant word "if".
IF" (suppose) . we sold the cur
rent of the small generator; IF" we
had the consumers to take the day
current; "if'' we sold so much cur
rent at certain figure; the writer
Gays that we would have profit OF
$4,000. Mirable dictu.
A Citizen" seems to criticise the
Commissioners in Office last year for
purchasing $5l1.50 worth of current
from the Railway Company, stating
that there was no time the plant could
not have furnished all the current
used all the time. Somebody is mis-
taken about this. 1t was our recol-
lection that the only time that any
current was furnished was at the time
that the town was unable to run,
which was short time last year as
it was very wet and there was a pretty
general supply of water sufficient to
run quite steady.
Some Of us have different recol-
lection as to several very dry summers
when there was scarcely enough water
to run until ten O'Clock at night and
this condition continued for quite a
while. OF course the figures given
for this paper profit does not contem-
plate any dry seasons.
There is but one consoling feature
of the statement made by the writer
when he winds up his communication
and says: IF the town thinks she
has an ELEPHANT on her hands she can
get every cent back she has put in. :"
If this is fact and "A Citizen"
can come forward with any man,
men, or set of men who would be
willing to take this plant over at what
it has cost the town to construct it to
date, the town would be the biggest
fool that ever 'hopped'' not to sell
and sell quick. That we have an "ele-
plant" on our hands goes without
saying, and we are not alone in this
belief. "A Citizen" can extract
sunbeams out of cucumbers," make
our town TEEN with industries and
factories and picture untold wealth
for Thurmont and its community,
and if you are given to idle dream
ing he can convince you beyond per-
adventure of doubt, but when it
comes to running a dydro- electric
lighting plant on water that don't
exist, and sell the current to consum-
ers that are not here to consume,
then there is different story to tell.
1t might have done when the elec-
trio plant was first proposed; in fact
the citizens OF the town were carried
off their feet'' when the paper pro-
fits were presented to them. 1t might
have been accomplished in a small
way with the plant as originally pro-
posed which was to cost only $4,000
but instead Of this amount we now