Smyrna times., 1919-03-26
ESPECIAL ELECTION To Be
HELD IN SMYRNA APRIL 8
CITIZENS WILL VOTE WHETHER
TO IMPROVE LIGHT PLANT.
Present Plant is Worn Out and Town
Council Wants to Standardize it for
Continuous Current Revenue.

Late Wednesday night last, Senator
Prices bill authorizing the Town of
Smyrna to borrow $4,000 to improve
its electric light plant and water
works which had already passed the
Senate and was being held up on ac-
count of the strike" passed the
House and is now a law. Smyrna
Town Council Immediately settled up
on Thursday, April 3rd for the
Special Election" Bills have been
posted and the officials notice is ad-
vertised in another column. The polls
will be open from , to p. M, and all
taXables are eligible to vote at said
election on the basis Of one vote for
each dollar paid in taxes to the town
treasury for the year 1918. There. is
every reason to feel that the bond
issue viii be approved by a majority
vote. The improvement will cost less
than $4,000, maybe s25,000. Aside
from the fact that the plant is badly
in need Of being rehabiltated and that
the time has arrived when something
must be done, progressive citizens and
property owners want to see the plant
standardized and brought up to date
for both light and power and contin-
uous current. As one of our public
spirited citizens says: "One of the
supposed blessings of municipal own
ership Of public utilities, and it may
be truly said the only logical reason
for municipal ownership is the pre-
sumption that a municipality owned
utility will be operated in the interest
Of the public: j, e, That it will give
better service at less cost than pri-
vately owned public utility.
Smyrna Should Standardize Its Plant.
Therefore, coming direct to the
subject matter 70 wit: Why Smyrna.
should standardize its electrict light
plant and render service to its citi-
liens and customers. Why? because
the present plant is practically obso-
lete, leaky and wasteful, and cannot
possibly be put upon q paying basis
The present 133 cycle is not adapted
to commercial purposes the chief
source Of revenue. For instance sup
pose every consumer, or user of gas
in Smyrna were to be notified to-
morrow that in the future gas would
be restricted to Illuminating purposes
and that cooking with gas was pro-
hibited What would the people say
Yet that is precisely what the present
electric plant means to every indus
try, and home in Smyrna. 1t Is 9
well known fact that gas could not be
furnished at a normal rate and meet
1 expenses if its use were restricted tc
illumination only. Yet Smyrna, has
always restricted its electric current
to illumination, completely ignoring
the commercial or profitable source Of
revenue.
Many Commercial Uses fOrCurrent.
There are so many varied uses t
which electric current of STANDARD
cycle could be applied such as motors
fans, irons, vacuum sweepers, sewing
machines, washing machines etc, tha
the commercial side would, very soon
exceed the light in the amount of re
venue returned and all this extra bus
mess is right here waiting to be serv
ed. Let's get out of the rut, AM
step forward. Standardize our elec
tric light plant and give service. Hell
: Smyrna Don't hold her back. Vot