Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1918-01-18
MASS MEETING
ASKS FOR VOTE
Continued from Page

nation as to power Since that time
it had been learned that the owning of
the plant by the city would mean also
the acquisition of the rights in the
contract with the Menasha Paper Com
pany and the city could take over the
plant with the same power as the pres
ent company was getting, together with
the steam plant. Ii additional power
was needed it would be no harder for
the city to get it than for the present
company and there was plenty of wa
ter power now being developed and TO
be developed for this purpose. Any
how the city could get the plant with
the power as it is now and operate it.
Report of Big Profits
The report Of the Ladysmith Light
ing Company filed with the State Rail-
road Commission was read by Stephen
Bolles. He explained that he had Wis
tied Madison and had interviewed the
Commission and secured the official
copy of the report as part OF the IN
yestigation being made of the lighting
company. and in order to have at first
hands the information as to the work
of the company.
The report was partially printed in
the News Budget last week. 1t showed
that the receipts from operating the
company were $2O2GO.56 and the oper-
ating expenses were $1074S.2O The
profit to the company was therefore
S9512.3G. The basis of profit was on
the valuation of the plant of $39796. Us
Profits Buy Plant Soon
In other words the profit to the COM
pany shown in the last report made was
almost one-fOurth Of the total value
and continuation of the same profit
you'd pay for the plant in Az years.
Mr.. Boisen said later that there were
$50 users of current against 469 when
the report was made. The report was
signed by r. l.. Boisen as superintend-
ent of the Ladysmith Lighting Com
pany.
Mr.. Bolles explained also that he
had been informed that the basis of
valuation was not on the cost of repro
duction at the present time but on
five year average of cost.
Thomas and his QUESTIONABLE
Mr.. Thomas asked some questions,
one in particular as to Big Falls power,
if that power could be taken by the city
providing the power company did not
that the first customer nearest to the
power plant would be the one to be
served. Tony was the first one and
that town would have preference over
Ladysmith but as that was remote
possibility, Ladysmith would come
first. Mr. Thomas questioned this
statement and said he doubted that.
He was answered that that was the
idea gathered from the commission,
and Mr. L. f. McGill supported the
statement that the power company
would have to sell to Ladysmith first
Mr.. Weeks Gives Information
Mr. Weeks came in at this point and
said he was ready to answer any ques-
tons that might be asked. He gave a
little history Of the Grand Rapids
plant He said he had opposed the tax
ing of the plant by the city, but it had
proved good thing for the city. They
had cheap power, buying it for 11a
cents a kiloWatt, and no minimum,
from the Consolidated Paper Mills.
They sold current for 8 cents net and
"a cents net a kiloWatt hour for
power. The plant cost the city $50, 700.
One time it could have been bought
for $4,000. In three years they had
paid $4,000 on the bonds and had S12,-
900 cash in the bank. The plant was
administered by five commissioners,
two of whom were elected by the cOun-
ell, and with the mayor who was chair
man selected two more from the city.
They in turn had manager. He said
he desired to impress upon the people
of Ladysmith the necessity of having
manager for the plant who was good
executive as well as a man who knew
electricity from the technical stand
point
Thomas Saves BOisen
Mr. Thomas got out his question:
naire again. He saved Robert Lee
Boisen some embarrassment in asking
the questions calculated to cast doubt
on the ACCESSIBILITY Of buying the plant.
Mr.. Boisen had tried it and failed to
be impressive. So whether intending
to or not, Mr.. Thomas seemed to be the
only one present to grab up the cudge.
for the lighting company.
He wanted to know of Mr.. Weeks
among other things if the rate OF three
cents paid to power company would
permit the selling of power at that
price? And as to the rate being paid
by the Ladysmith lighting company
for power compared with the Grand
Rapids company. Mr.. Weeks said
that the Ladysmith power was 90
kilowatts each "a hours and for so
days at $3.50 month would cut the
price below that paid by the Grand
Rapids company Almost nothing he