The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1918-04-29
RATES FOR ELECTRIC CURRENT

the service and the proposed advance
in rates. The fussing is mostly by in
terested parties or folks that don't go
around much. The plant is probably
giving as good service as any plant
of it's size in the country. The rate
is the lowest in Florida, and few
cities in the country are receiving any
lower. IF the rates are raised, they
will still be lower than those given by
any plant except the almost model one
of Jacksonville.
1t seems almost absolutely neces-
sary to raise the rates. The city man.
ager, who seems to be a competent
man, and who knows nothing and
doesn't want to know anything of our
local squabbles, says the plant is
drawing revenue, in round numbers,
of about $4,000 a month; and its ex-
penses on the other hand is about
$1,000 a month"; loss of $4,000 per
annum.
The president of the council, Mr..
George Nash, however, says that the
city should be credited with the
amount that would be paid for street
lighting and other municipal purposes,
that would have to be paid to a pri-
vate corporation, and this would be
enough, or more than enough, to
make up the deficit.
If the city managers figures are
correct, they will show that the meh
who calculated the expenses and re-
ceipts of the new plant on the condi-
tons of three years ago left a safe
margin to go on, because at the
highest estimate the deficit is not
more than 121s per cent, while almost
everything in connection with the
plant has gone up 80 per cent or more.
The most troublesome item is fuel.
Crude oil and kerosene for the oil en-
CINE costs about 70 per cent more
than when it was decided to use that
much abused piece of machinery,
which is doing about half the work.
Wood, that is the best wood, costs
about 1925 per cord by the time it is
unloaded. The best wood, however, is
almost impossible to obtain. The city
is now being supplied by the Martel
Lumber Company with slabs from its
mill. They cost 50 per cord, but they
only go half as far as good pine
wood, so their cost is comparatively
about $4 per cord Notwithstanding
this disadvantage, the city was in luck
TO be able to obtain this wood, as the
supply is steady. 1t is possible thar
the plant would have had to shut down
some times without it.
The oil engine saves money, but the
supply of fuel is precarious. There
| is plenty of oil in the country, but
getting it here is the problem. The
government has first claim on the
tank ships and the tank cars, and if
| it gets in crush it isn't going to stop
| to notice whether little Florida city
| is supplied or not Moreover, the oil
fields of Mexico are liable to be cut
off from the United States at any
time. If they are, it isn't likely that
our own oil supply will be more than
enough for the American and allied
navies and their most essential works.
1t seems strange that it is difficult
to obtain wood in a country full of
WOOD. The scarcity of wood in Ocala
is due to the scarcity of labor. Many
men of the laboring class have gone
to other sections and those left are
busy in the fields. Practically none
are left to cut and haul wood. In a
few weeks the crops will be laid by
and then for awhile there will be
more wood cutters-that is, unless
the men go to other parts. But at any
rate there will soon be more crops to
plant and to work We need not ex-
pect any permanent relief IN this line
until the war is over. When will. it be
over? There is no chance that it will
end this year and the most optimistic
do not expect it to end next year. AND
when it ends, war conditions will &c
on for long time. IF this section
has returned to the conditions of three
years ago half dozen years from
now it will do well.
1t would seem the sensible thing to
/ raise rates on electric current to those
/ imposed up to few years ago. Ever
then they would be far lower thar
those of most other towns. All the
towns around here-Palatka, Day.
tona, st. Petersburg, Orlando, Lake.
land-everything but Jacksonville
would be paying more.
Some of our experts in government
have said to US that it isn't necessary
to raise the rates, that there are ways
and means to run the plant on the
present rates, and we have offered
them space in the Star to set fortE
their ideas, but so far they have noi
offered their solution of the problem
/ We would be glad to have them do so
i The Star uses a great deal of curren
and raise in rates will materially
increase its expenses. We would b.
very glad to see the present rate con
4 tinued.