Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-03-28
Sounds Like Signing Notes.


o. r.. Thomas, chairman: Your
courteous invitation reached me when
I had already accepted another APP
pointment for Friday evening but 1t Is
only fair that your meeting be given
over to others who do not enjoy such
opportunity to express their opinion
as do.
| am, as you know, opposed 10 our
city going into the commercial light
ing business 20 the extent OF $3.50, 600.
] do not believe that 1t will pay. No
bond broker will buy the bonds unless
the city council agrees To levy u tax
TO guarantee payment. As a taxpayer
| am thus asked In equivalent to sign
note for $3.50, 900 with either Pierce
or Wilson. whoever is elected mayor.
III he invests wisely and honestly and
future mayors manage successfully l
might not have the note to pay in any
taxes but II any of them should ran
I would lose Now, | have never signed
any notes with either Pierce or Wilson
| do not think L would do so for their
private enterprise because neither ono
of them has ever been tried success
in the electric light business do
not see how they could be a safer risk
as mayor than they would be In pri-
vate industry. trid
The Iennox Furnace Company has
been convinced that 1t can buy power
at city ordinance rates cheaper than
IL can produce it in its own plant
The Times- Republican has a power
boiler standing idle because 1t can ouy
power at city rates cheaper than II
can generate.
I have never had a dollar invested
in an electric light plant and do not
claim to be an expert but l would no'
advise Taxpayers OF small means TO
back Pierce or Wilson or anybody else
in the electric light business when
have never dared to invest my own
money in a private plant for my own
business.
l know that government ownership
looks good to wage workers but it does
not always meet their expectations
It very often proves wasteful and sends
rates up. However, I seem to be In
line with other factory owners TOT
every factory in this town Is buying
power at city rates in preference TO
making it's own except the Western
Grocer Mills and Mr.. McCreery tells
me that he would shut his generating
plant down if he did not have so much
live steam for cooking purposes. the
NJ. & ST. L. shop management Is in
stating motors and will buy its power
from the central plant.
At Cedar Rapids the Quaker Oats
plant, which uses more juice than all
of Marshalltown, prefers to buy from
s. t,A anu "a
Boone the Northwestern railway shop
buys it's power.
generally dig pretty deep for things
that will benefit MaBhalltown but on
this electric light venture you will have
to count me out. If we had no plant
here, might be willing to take a
chance on city plant. but the people
of this town have signed lease with
the Iowa Railway and Light Company
to do business In our town at rates
which our city council is to fix. i do
not think 1t honorable or fair to- turn
over large sums of money to city poll
ticians to fight this company's private
investment, criss-cross the town with
two sets of wires, perhaps cripple their
street car service when all we could
possibly gain would be reduction In
rates and we have the power to get
that from them as soon as the war
bonus expires. II we throw fair deal
ing aside and start rate war / be-
lieve that it would cost us larger in
vestment than $3.50 900. We would have
more notes to sign or lose the fight.
l fought the Jones & Hovey COM
pany because they would not expand
with the town and they charged IA
cents per X. w. II, for lights. When
the Iowa Railway and Light Company
offered an average net rate Of IN