The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1917-02-02


die West Cities Are Being Combined.
In Illinois--outside of Chicago-as
in other states-each town had, or has,
an electric plant. Each of these was
too small to justify the employment OF
such expert service. machinery and
supplies as would bring about the best
service or financial results. The re-
quirement for electrical service came
simultaneously everywhere, and each
place proceeded to provide for its own
requirements. Hence many small, I'M
profitable plants, too often misman-
aged, were installed.
The aim now is, and for some time
has been. TO unite these isolated plants
into operating units.
1. The connection of the individual
plants in group by transmits
sion lines will, when the system Is
fully developed and properly patron
lied, insure the cities in the group
against accidents that might occur to
a single isolated plant. At times OF ex-
traordinary demand for light and pow
er-as in the case of a county fair
sufficient can be supplied without dan
ger of breakdown or overload.
2. Instead of each plant requiring
separate administration, or being left
to the changing municipal govern
ments, the consolidated plants have
but one managerial service and that
continuous and selected operations,
and are under the State Public utili-
ties Commission.
3. BY uniting a considerable num-
Der of small plants large unit is pro-
duced, which has sufficient income and
work to make it possible to employ
experts and to keep in stock all nee
essary supplies and repairs.
4. Great economies are possible in
financing group of connected small
plants as compared with the overhead
charges on the same plants operating
independently Of each other.
5. All of the plants being connected
by means of transmission lines, these
lines can be, and are being, extensive
Iy used to supply energy to farm
houses in the rural districts through
which the lines pass.
Cities Should Have Surplus Power.
Consider this one fact: The single
plant, serving a small city, must
have capacity equal to the great
est service requirement that may
be put upon it. In other words
its use at certain hours may be
let us say-equal to 1000 horsepow
er, while its low point of service may
be as little as fifty horsepower. I'm
less the plant is equipped separately
at great expense-with generators
for each different degree of service
the 1000 horsepower machine will
have to run all the time, even while
carrying its smallest service load OF
course, the fuel consumed would be
reduced, but that would be about all
Now, suppose that several plants be
united by transmission line. In that
event one plant can do the entire serv
ice during the hours of minimum re
quirement. And, ordinarily, one plant
can carry the minimum load of ten OF
twenty plants. The advantages from
all of this are obvious. Some of the
plants could lie out of service part Of
the time, which, besides reducing
wear and tear, would permit repairs
of idle machinery. Another thing, with
such a system a twenty-four houl
force of operatives would not be re
quired. On top of all of this is
the assurance that there would not be
a break in the service because of the
single "home plant" breaking down
This ideal is aimed at but Is pre-
vented in some small cities ant
1t should be kept in mind. that rhe
small city Isolated plant can never dc
better than. it is doing now An cleo
trio plant should have a surplus pro
duct in excess of the towns present
needs so that outside power-ussne
needs so that concerns will locate
in the town, for they will locate
only where they can be sure o.
power supply The electric light
plant, more than anything else, up
builds the town, and it should be-
economically speaking-in advance Of
the tcwn--aLways pulling the town W
toward its own higher level, as il
were. No city can prosper with bat
electric service. An overworked or i'm
properly worked, electric light plan
is like an overworked team of horses
on farm.
Grouping Insures Great Savings.
Another important consideration 1:
the fact that group of stations wo<ilt
have business and income sufficiently
large to justify the employment o.
experts, and, this would insure the
right kind in larger amount and o.
greater diversity by having one sup
ply house from which all demands car
be furnished
Almost without exception the cleo
trio plants of small cities have beer
organized and financed by local cap
italists who were inspired by civil,
pride and determination to keep theil
home town up to the times. But, al
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