Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-10-13
MARSHALLTOWN DIRECTORS AND
LABOR ASSEMBLY JOIN
IN APPROVAL.
COMMITTEES INVESTIGATE
CITY COUNCILS PLAN
After Careful Investigation They Find
That City Will Save Money by Buy
ing All Its Street Lights-Will Re-
duce the 5-MiII Tax Levy and Add
Eiehty-four More Lights.

At joint meeting or the directors
of the Marshalltown Club and the ex-
ecutive committee of the Marshalltown
Mayor S. II. Reilly at the Marshalltown
Club rooms Friday evening. the city
councils proposal to sell the old, worm
out street lighting plant for $4,000,
and buy more lights from the local
utilities company, was carefully inves-
tigated and endorsed unanimously by
all present
The club was represented by it's di-
rectors, r. w. Scott, F. M. Wilbur, S.
w. Rubee, w. Fl. Gilbert, B. G. Taylor,
and II. NJ. Vawter.
The trades and labor assembly was
represented by Frank Hay, president;
B. E. White, John Golwitzer. John Pink,
w. V. Siglin Fred kollin, and Charles
Hausafus.
Their conclusions. agreed to unani-
mously, were stated as follows:
1--WE, the undersigned voters, assem-
bled from the Marshalltown Club and
Marshaltown Trades and Labor AS
sembly, have Investigated the city coun
ellis proposed sale of it's WORKOUT
street lighting plant for $4,000, and
we approve it for the following rea-
sons:
Il. The price of $4,000 is good
price for a property which our city
electrician has appraised at $4,000. and
the present plant is wholly inadequate
to supply our city with the additional
lights needed.
"2. It would cost nearly $4,000 to
build new plant and war prices for
electrical material are prohibitive at
the present time, with machinery al
most impossible to obtain until the
war is over
SO. The operating cost of such
plant would be $3.50 per annum, more
than the city can purchase it's lights
based upon the city's present cost, and
this would save us s23,5OO in ten years.
"a. Our council can and will reduce
our tax levy for street lighting purposes
because the $4,000 received from the
sale, together with the tax already
levied for next year, will make it pos
sible to reduce said street light levy of
5 mills to almost nothing for approx
mately three years after this year, and
IL VIII ulcthc SOlllG leuuClloIlS III Jul
present street light tax possible for the
entire ten-year period proposed in the
rates now offered to the city.
IS, We are convinced that 1t will
not be economical for the city to pro-
duce it's own street lights until it is
ready to take over the entire lighting
business of the city, both private and
public"
Convinced Plan Is Sound.
At the beginning of the session a
considerable number present doubted
the wisdom of the conucips plan, but
upon inquiry as to the facts. with
Mayor Reilly present and sharply cross
examined, it developed that the city
really had only the one alternative as
proposed
The saving of nearly $2,4oo a year in
present cost of operation, to say moth
ing of depreciation charges. and with
out adding extra cost for eighty-four
new lights offered the city. promised
gross saving of nearly $4,000 in ten
years.. This together with the $4,000
to be received from the sale Of the old
plant, would make it possible to cut
the 5-mill tax levy for street lights to
almost nothing after this year for at
least three years, and after that the
levy could be reduced a mill or so for
every year while the contract lasts.
The city reserves the right to re-
adjust the rates after two years and
sells for $4,000 old worn out machin?
cry and long used wires and poles
which it's own electrician has APP
praised at $4,000 The electroliers are
not Included! IN the proposed sale.
Object to Any Surplus.
It had been the councils plan to keep
the $4,000 as nest egg with which to
purchase a new plant sometime in the
future, when prices would be lower,
but the labor and merchants commit
tees insisted that the money be used
to reduce taxes now and new money
borrowed at low rates of interest when
the city should decide to build new
plant. The city is getting an average
Of 1.8 per cent on it's money deposited
in banks, while the taxpayers money
is worth more than that to him. The
city has had some $4,000 in it's water
fund lying idle for three years without
(Copfipued IN papo 10Y