The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1919-10-24
California Light Plants

Nineteen cities and towns in the
State of California operate cunicipal
lighting systems The financial re-
suits of such lighting operation arc
set forth in the annual report of the
state Controller in the Financial
Counties for the Year 1918"
The total ordinary receipts Of
these 10 plants were $1,91T,S36; the
total operating expenses were S903, e.
sos: the vet operating expenses
were S903,S06; the net operating
revenue was $1.014,030. out of this
sum was paid S237.153 for interest
and redemption Of bonds and S44S,-
2T5 for extensions and improve
ments, which last sum in cludes
S71.316 receipts from the sale Of
bonds. The net profit was s404946.
The item of depreciation would APP
pear to be amply provided for By
the sum expended for the redenlp-
ton Of bonds and for the improve
ments and betterments.-M Municipal
Journal.
The httlo city of London in On
tario, Canada. owns an electric rail-
way % miles in length, and is max
ing a profit of more than $4,000 a
year.
Milwaukee Profits
The city of Milwaukee made a
clear profit Of s5SO,136.46 on its Mu-
nicipal Water Works system last
year with rates at cents per 1000
gallons. which amounts to about
rs cents per ordinary family per
month, and no minimum charge"
or Service charge" the consumer
paying only for actual consumption.
Public spirited men in the States
of Maine have begun fight for the
state ownership Of the water power
of the State for the purpose of de-
veloping cheap electric current.
They have learned the lesson from
the remarkable success of the On
tario Hydro-electric commission,
which has reduced the cost OF cleo
tricity from cents to less than 8
cents per XVIII. by public owner
ship.
Ownership of Water Powers
The Municipal league of Georgia
is doing some real work. At the
recent session held in Atlanta, July
s, 1919, the subject of the public
ownership and development Of the
water power of the State in order
to produce cheap electric current
for commercial and municipal pur-
poses was thoroughly discussed.
The general view of the confer
ence seemed pretty well summar-
lied by the Secretary. J, P. Jones, in
the following paragraph:
IF the State of Georgia would
only develop its water powers and
sell the electricity generated there
from to the municipalities at cost
after deductine for interest depre-
citation and a sinking fund. and
would then allow the municipality
to distribute the current TO the con-
sumner, or should the State of Geor-
gia grant the municipalities the
right to collectively develop these
waited powers, il would soon be
transformed into one of the great
est manufacturing states in the
Union. for thousands of new facto-
rieS giving employment to hundreds
Of thousands OF workingmen would
be attracted here because of the low
priced power Factories located
within it's boundaries would also
profit greatly for the same reason,
and every little hamlet, village and
town in Georgia could have electric
lights. and could also have manufac-
turing plants if they had an ade-
ouate supply of labor and means Of
transportation"
Spokane is to vote on the propo-
sition for the municipal ownership
of the street car lines on November
4th.
The believers in publicly owned