Milford chronicle., 1920-04-02
SHALL WE Sell LIGHT
And WATER PLANT
MEETING HELD LAST THURSDAY NIGHT
TO CONSIDER SUBJECT OF SELLING
LIGHT AND WATER PLANT.
AGAINST The PROPOSITION
TWO PLANS CONSIDERED. ONE TO SELL
OTHER TO REMODEL. WILL HEAR
ENGINEERS REPORT APRIL8.

An act was passed by the legislature
at its session of two winters ago,
which provided a way for the people
of Milford to either dispose of their
light and water plant to private inter-
ests, or remodel it at a cost of twenty
thousand dollars into an alternating
current system, which is less expen-
sive to operate, but either plan has to
be submitted to the people to vote
upon at a special election to be call
ed by Town Council for that purpose.
Under this authority Town Council
last week called a meeting of all cit
liens, and about two hundred taXpay-
ers attended. 1t was held in the Ar
mory, and the subject was discussed
pro and con, and from the expressions
made, there is a great majority of
the people opposed to selling the sys-
TEN.
A representative of the Kent Coun-
ty, Md. Power Co., which buys power
from the Eastern Shore Power Com
pany, which lights a number of towns
in Delaware, taking current from the
latter's large plant at Laurel, Del,
stated that it would cost about $751;
900 to rebuild the plant to work un-
der its own machinery. His PROPOSE
ton was to either sell or rebuild the
plant to an alternating system, and
then buy current from them. No men
tion was made of the water system,
and in fact that end of the PROPOSE
tion was almost ignored.
1t was brought out that the Kent
County Power Company is not a pro-
ducer of electric current, but a job
ber and seller, and therefore has moth
ing tangible back of tin fact hold
ing company, or selling medium,
which did not appeal to the people
as a good business proposition.
1t was universally admitted that
the plant would command one hun
dred thousand dollars as a selling
price-possibly more.
An electrical engineer, ]. w. Mas
chall, from Philadelphia, spoke upon
the question of municipal ownership
from his personal experience, and
stated that the system in Milford is
one of the most extravigant now oper-
ating in the country, and stated also
that the plant can be rebuilt, the pole
line changed and reconstructed to an
alternating system for $20,000-this
to be shown later by blue prints and
prices from machinery builders with
tentative contracts to do the work.
1t was the opinion of the meeting
and so expressed by a resolution
adopted by unanimous vote, that Town
Council should authorize a survey Of
the plant in Milford, and have plans
and tentative propositions submitted
to them for rebuilding the plant and
changing the system. When this has
been done, Town Council was directed
to call another public meeting of the
taxables of Milford in Armory to hear
the report, and for further considera-
tion.
In pursuance of the action of this |
meeting Town Council has had the |
work started, and there will be an
other public meeting held in the Ar
mory on Thursday evening, April Sth |
at p. m, to hear the report, to which |
all the taxpayers are requested to be |
present.
On April 18th, 1920 Town Council |
has authorized a special election to |
be held in the Armory for the pur4
pose of voting upon issuing bonds to
the extent of $4,000 for the rebuild
ing of the light and water system of |
Milford. 1t is either "for" or against"
and the people should clearly under
stand the question involved.
Water is fully necessary for the I
people-more so-than electric light. /