Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-03-11
MUNICIPAL BUSINESS
CONTEST IN DANV|LlE
lie Utilities and How Far II
,sr,s Must BE Carried.
QUITE AN urRoAR on HAND
How Far Shall City Go After Bu>i-
s ness in Opposition TO iiccn>c-pay-
: ing observation-disclosures May lie
& submitted To Vote OF People.


DANNILLE. VA Marcb Io-p,u-
willie is in RICH, much of q kind OF
industrial municipal political uproar
and the question OF municipal owner
snip OF public utilities has boon brought
SHARPLY to the foreground during tho
past few weeks and ono phayc Of IL
{ threatens 10 bring about a rcfcrcu-
dun within the next month
The enGrossinS problem j. whether
.spr not q municiralitN owning its own
lelectric-ligh; and power station can
S5cnter tho retail field and compete in
the sale OF electrical appliances with
merchants who pay tho city t. do bust
mess. Can the city. IN effect. send
Eiout representatives 10 drum Up trade"
Ss1or its plant III the approved and aS-
i.Rressivc fashion known 10 private
;thrms and public corporations" Citizens
t3of Danvillc, who forcScc a lower rate
s.on current and consequent shrinking
ssof their monthly bills. assert with cm-
|sphasis that banvillc can with prcpricty
= go after pruspcctr Merchants and
.Sdcalers. seeing "A danger in wha, they
term an invasion of ,hcir trade ter
isrtory, maintain that tho city which
receives their license money cannot
= legally enter into competition With
.them and predict injury to tho towns
3Erowth IL such q radicai change IN the
tfmunicipality's poiicN tuatcrialiH"s.
sStiil others opposc tic proposition uu
Ssthc ground that ii is u dangerous
.cNpansion OF the vIty ownership pi,,t.
s7DANvII.I.E MADE: rIUIIs
n ITltlrIi;s PAY We. PROFITS
= Danrillc claims to have been the
gsflrSt city in TIA. United states 10 own
Esand operate its sircc;-iightinG system.
TFThat was thirty years ago. Such was
Ssthe success Of the venture chat ilic
iacity-owned system developed along
5Shealthy lines. ana in tho year ZOO
= Danvillc entered tho city utility rlam
4on Il wide scope. the municipality un-
entertaining 10 sell electric current for
sscommercial and domestic purposes.
operating its own gas nlauutnctory and
.Ethc water works. IN lnll il Was de-
5c,ded TO huiln u new electric power
plant operated ny steam, the older
:. water and steam Plan hring quite IT..
adequate for tho Increasing dcmulG
for power. Tho result il that to-day.
excluding franchise values. tho phy-
sical value Of these three plants rup-
rcscnts Il total 81 $50. ooo--cleciric
light. $4,000: gaS, s2.:,,oro: wafer.
$4,000
All OF these utilities have proven =
splendid paying Investment rarticu.
larry the clcctric-liSnt plant. for tue
current Tor commercial purpose. III
manufacturing. cntcrpriSes - connect
up and :Noid tho heavy expenditure IL.
cidental to building and o?crattnc ia
diridual power units.
Thus tho clectric-ltSht plant. which
cost the city $4,000 10 lruild Tr.
equip. iii! q business during tho l!..s.
fiscal year ,May /. 1871. to Mas +.
1870 OF slo%,S.0.95 The cMpcuiiturc.
in connection with the pam, ncr,
sSo'e"4"o indicating = pruht not,
counting wear and tear ana souor.,!
depreciation OF SiS,2363..
CITY WANTS To 90 .l"r,.n
MORE: BUSINESS
SINCE tho now plant Mas Luilf w..
: i?lf. the expansion IL the bus,u,,,,
mas not been as large as IL Should
nave pccn or Gin the estimation Of tiic
,i's HSht committee aud Frank Tai
bot, superintendent OF ,ho niun,,
would have been had tho city ..on, into
Inc reid ANA attempted IL g,iutuI,,,.
Inc uchlaid Tor power. II is owing
10 'hls fact that the present s.uYn,t,ry
mas becn brought about N.h.n ,hc
peak load Is beng BORN, ii mo
po"cr-housc not more than ono-,,,jra
81 inc actual capacity for productive
energy Is being uSad-oniy NO nr So
iour eoiiers arc Kept rr"d. for tho .na,,
plant WAS huilt )" tuh, car, ~ fri,,l...
hecds ana - provide Sracc tor .cpcr.,
kilowatts 100
This Wa tbs sttuat..-, pte...,...
,,om,o, I'M IN weeks go and iHe
oouhcl! cPiniaittc" Same u tic CON
ciusion tia! ~ TIC current dc,n,,n.
"as not Increasing III rs own ,,ln,,,,.
,na, 'hs - ..sh"yi'' go after bus..
Win some l,st,sttoa ,rs c.onc,.
d..,., $780, :. a pro'cet whereof! ei,vcus
ucsl'oIS 81 consuming current ce,ld
Nave tisir HoiH.~ utr.a H., ti