The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1918-09-03
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
SOME THINGS THE
COUNCIL SHOULD DO

The city council meets this evening.
There are several things it should do,
and we propose to outline some of
them. The council, as whole, does
not relish the Stars advice. Some of
it's members resent our constant
criticisms, and so far as we know,
only one of them Alderman McIver,
agrees with any reasonable proper
tion Of what we say. However, we
will make our suggestions, and it is
for the people rather than the council
to say whether they should be needed.
The most important thing for the
council to do is to open negotiations
with Benjamin Thompson, the con-
TRACTOR, who almost built the city
plant, to see if the differences be-
tween him and the city can't be
Strengthened out, so he can finish the
work Mr.. Thompson intends to en-
ter suit against the city, and we be-
lieve he has good case. Mr.. Thomp-
son has reputation for doing honest
work. There is reason to believe he
was not responsible for the way the
plant was botched. He carried out, or
tried to carry out. the plans made by
others. We have been told by reliable
men that he protested against some
of the instructions given him. If he
wins his suit the city will lose. If he
loses, the city will lose, too; for it will
be no better off so far as the plant is
concerned, and be worse off in money
spent for court expenses and in time
lost. We have seen letters which are
to the effect that Mr.. Thompson, and
the engineer, Mr.. Henney, are willing
to come to an understanding. As to
whether the city should compromise
with the Delavergne and Skinner peo-
pie, we are not prepared to say. If
the city has an understanding with
the contractor and the advice of an
experienced engineer. it would be bet
ter prepared to make terms with the
other parties.
We think that the city should ap-
ply to some engineering firm of high
and established reputation-and there
are number in the country-to send
a man here to direct the work; man
who will have the skill and authority
to find the faults and have them cor
rected.
To do this will cost money. Not to
do it will cost a great deal more. The
idea in building the new plant was to
build one that would save money and
make money-to put in apparatus
that could do the work more cheap1y
in proportion than the old, to give the
people lower rates for current, and to
supply current in plenty for manu-
featuring enterprises. 1t was also
the intention that the plant should
pay for itself. In all these things il
has failed. The service has not been
so good, the rates have been raised
and if you count, as you should las
in the long run you must-the cost OF
repairs, the interest on the bonds ano
the money that should be laid up tt
meet the payment of the bonds-you
will find that the city is losing money
and losing it heavily every day. We
cannot afford to enter into contracts
to supply manufacturing firms with
current. In the present uncertain
condition of the plant, the current
might fail, and then our expense.
would be added to by having to make
good the loss such firms would incul
by the stoppage Of their power.
The history of the new plant since
it started has been series of break
downs. These breakdowns have moi
only cost heavily but they have caus
ed the machinery to deteriorate mucf
more rapidly than by steady use. i
these accidents continue-and we
have no security they will not-ths
plant will be bunch of junk in Z
very few years. Long before this one
is paid for we will have to build {
new one. or at least replace the ma
chinery with new. and in the mean
time pay our debt with another bono