The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1919-02-12

paired at an expense of hundreds of
dollars simply stand and rust out.
They ask our city commission 10
write to Minnesota cities to ascertain
the kind of service they render, but
make no similar request that we con-
suit the business interests of Sioux
Falls and get testimonials. They ask
us to make minor repairs to their
line outside of the city which minor
repairs may prove major and involve
huge added expense. This is only
part of the game. Now, citizens Of
Madison, do you concede to this?
The Northern States Power COM
pany demand in their. contract an an
nual minimum charge of $4,000.
which means literally that should
current users need but $4,000 worth
of current to operate lights and mo-
tors. the difference, or $1,000, must
be handed over to the outside cor
us for that sum. Our bill would be
far in excess of $4,000. Normal /;
we would probably use $4,000 or
$4,000 worth of outside current.
Now add to this $4,000 per year up-
keep for the system within the city
limits and you have 100000 per
year going out of our city to build
up some other large municipality
Multiply that $4,000 by five, which
represents the number of years that
a Diesel engine is good for, accord
ing to the statement of the Northern
States Power company representa-
tive, and you have the huge sum of
500, 600, which would purchase two
Diesels of the type we now have and
those two would actually last for 40
years If carefully handled. This
would mean that every five years we
would be sending opt of town enough
to build and equip a modern plant
that would suffice for every need
for years to come.
The electric light plant has always
made money for the city. This a
be proved by the auditors books.
The electric light fund has been Dip
ped into many a time to prop up 9TH
er funds and to make extensive i'm
provements, and the well deserving
plant has never been given credit for
what it's earnings have done. The
upkeep of the streets and the water
extensions have all come out of that
fund. If inefficient handling and
improper are of the plant together
with poor supervision over it have
piled up expense, that is no fault of
the plant itself. The thing to do, if
we happen to be blessed witt a new
plant of our own, is to secure the
services of an expert who is capable
of conserving the new plant Gift
cheney through proper oversight and
this secure figures which are exact
costs us to produce current and just
how much the plant can turn in as a
profit to the city. The plea has been
put up that through ine~fficiency the
old plant lost money for the city.
Madison has reached a size where
her many lines of Industrial business
will require current for "a hours per
day in spite of such contingencies as
storms, breakdowns, strikes and
what-not, and the only way that she
can depend upon that 24-hcur serv-
ice is to produce it from a plant mu-
nicipally owned and controlled
South Dakota's winters often run to
extremes. Heavy gales and sleet
storms at times sweep our section,
laying low telephone wires. Tele-
phone companies have had this to
contend with for weeks at a time and
such conditions result in great loss
and suspension Of service. AANorth-
ern States Power company line
stretched from this city to Sioux
Falls would put us in a position
where to be safe it would be neces-
sary to equip and maintain in Mad
ison a large, expensive plant to or-
crate in just such times as a guaran-
tee for continuous service. While
maintaining a large plant against
contingencies would it not be far
wiser to go the whole way just as
the people have voted and erect a
complete plant capable of meeting all
of our needs at all times Of year.
There is one thing absolutely GER
tain, and that is that IL the Northern
States Power company succeeds in
foisting upon this city an undesired
and indispensable service ii will re-
suit in the installation of dozens of
individual plants. 1t would mean a
rich harvest for the manufacturers
of small unit systems similar to the
Delco idea.
The city should be commended fol
the ease with which it made its trans.
formation the other day from two te
th~ree-phase. This was accomplished
quickly and with little loss of tins
oi inconvenience. Once we set il
settled that we are to have our owr
plant the erection will be got under
way in a similar easy. smooth fash
ion. The point is We are able tt
equip a plant and look speedily after
Irapo;rS and upLaop with ou ynunh 40