The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1917-08-07
COMMISSION MEETS
As SEEN BY AN OUTSIDER FROM
THE BLEACHERS -
TIRED MEN.

considering and allowing bills last
night at their regular monthly meet
ing. Indeed, SO many and so large
did the aggregate loom that the
auditor could scarcely see over them
when seated in his chair, Excellent
advice was given him to take them
to some place equipped with proper
machinery and have them baled.
Some disturbance of the local gar
bage market is being caused by 9th
ers than the regularly appointed
Richardson garbage collector making
the richer pickings in quest of this
material for hog feed. The commits
sion is contemplating charging a Ii
cense fee for this privilege.
The new grader has arrived and
been tried out by Street Commission
err Fred Mitchell. He says it's a
daisy-and they gave him a lot of
work to do with it for the remainder
of the summer. There are some
three blocks of Josephine ayenu to
which he is to turnpike at once.
Then a long stretch of Grant avenue
is to be given the anne treatment.
and the city engineer was instructed
to set the center stakes for it today.
The road at the north city limits,
west from the north end of Egan
avenue to the Meridian road, needs
repair, and the city commission hopes
to act i'm conjunction with the county
authorities in its construction. 1t
should be turnpiked and graveled.
The selection of an electric lighted
turning post for street intersections
was discussed briefly, in committee,
as it were. But there was no report
made, favorable or otherwise.
1t is suggested that the city move
the iron horse watering fountain
from its past position on Egan ave
nue. near the station, to some other
site. Several places We're suggested,
but it was tentatively decided to
place it on Second street Sc. opposite
the old bank building.
At streets intersecting Egan ave
niue at a much higher grade than that
at which the paving will be laid il is
purposed to employ the steam shovel
Of the Atkinson Paving company to
axcavate some distance back. giving
a gradual approach, and making
available more dirt for other Filings.
This applies more particularly to
Third and Fourth street n.
Applications are being made by
manufacturing concerns using power
for electricity to use for motive pur-
poses. The chaotic condition of the
scale of prices for this service is
causing the commission much con
cern. There is no established and
equitable rate for electric power, the
system used heretofore being one of
discounts instead Of a reasonable
scale. and Of those now operating ma
chinery under this system some are
paying prices at wide variance with
others.
There is a strong sentiment toward
revising the power scale for electric
ity. This service would come at a
time of day during which the plant Is
under light load. The machinery Is
there. all the help is employed, inter
est. insurance. sinking fund and de
probation 20 along during these idle
hours the same as they do in hours
of heavy load. Some members pro
posed that if they could furnish pow
er at a profit during these hours, fig
uring i'm all the items above mention
ed. il would really result in a saw
ing. Others of the commission ar
gued that the plant was a municipal
affair. that the whole town should be
given the lighting service first. And
if they wished to sell lots of power,
to make rates on furnishing il for
house heating and cooking.
1t is usual with plants in very
small towns to run at night only. as
that is the only time during which a
paying amount Of power is used. In
cities of this size, however, ii Is
found to be a paying principle to
keep 'er busy" This should not be
done on the plan Of selling it for toe
low a figure just to see the wheels
go round, but on a paying basis, fig.
urad on the total overhead expense OF
turning out the X. w. units. Large
users of power at this part of the
day get very good rates in most cities
1t is a part of the city to induce the
use of this form of power, both &c
reduce the nuisance of smoke from
coal. the noise of gas engine eX-
hausts. and also to induce power
users to locate in a town for the de
! velopment of the town itself.
The electric and power plant OF
Madison is a money producing one
1t makes a large profit every month
and every year. 1t has been a Gus
tom, and criticised by the state ex.
aminer. for the commission to trans
} fer the net earnings of this institu.
2 ton to other funds of the city to sup.
port the city expenses. This results
e in the common citizen helping pay
the taxes Of his landlord through hi.
, rent, and his landlords neighboi
through making his property taxes
t lower in support of the city govern
ment. The idea of municipal plants
is cooperative. And cooperation does
not look to profit, especially where
profit is to come mostly from the
poor.
I The commissioners hope to see th'
organization of a company to furnish
t gas for cooking. The desirability o
this form of household heat was dis