The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1920-09-23
TRY TO SOLVE DIFFICULTY.
Citizens Meet and Discuss Water and
Lighting Problem.


Victoire theatre for the purpose OF
discussing the electric light, power
and water situation that confronts
the city at the present time. The
meeting was called by the city coun-
Gil which desired to acquaint the
citizens fully with the situation, and
to seek their advice concerning the
future optration of the municipal
plant.
The only definite thing done at
the meeting was the appointment of
committee, consisting of G.. R.
Brabham, w. D. Rhoad and E. G.
Hays, who were charged with the
duty of comforting with the council
in the matter of securing three COM
missioners of public works. There
are at this time no commissioners of
public works functioning in Bam-
berg, the entire commission having
resigned some time ago.
Mayor Smoak stated briefly the
purpose of the meeting, and called on
LeVerne Thomas, who was designat-
ed by council, upon the resignation
of the commissioners of public
works, to manage the municipal
plant, to inform the citizens present
of the exact status Of the plaht.
Mr.. Thomas stated that when the
plant was turned over to the council
it was in debt approximately s6,OOO;
that at the present time the plant is
costing about $1,000 a month to
operate. For the past four or five
months the receipts of the plant have
ranged from about $1,000 to about
s1,4OO, the lowest month being Au-
gust, during which month the plant
was necessarily shut down a good
portion of the time for one cause or
another.
It requires, said Mr.. Thomas, about
two carloads of coal per month to
operate the plant, and that coal is
now costing about $500 per car, de-
livered at the plant. Salaries make
up. the remainder of the operating
expense.
Various propositions have been
submitted or proposed to city coun-
Gil for the relief of the situation, but
none of these had been approved so
far, and, as matter of fact, cannot
be approved by the council, as under
the law the municipal plant is under
the management of a commission,
and the main matter now before the
council is the securing of commits
sion of public works.
It was suggested that the meeting
nominate members of the commits
sion. Several names were placed in
nomination, but all with one accord
begged to be excused. Finally the
three gentlemen mentioned were
named as committee to confer with
the council and with citizens of the
town and endeavor to induce three
thorough business men of the town
to undertake the duty of putting the
plant on business basis.
1t was stated at the meeting that
the fifteen thousand dollar bond
issue had been disposed of, and that
this money is now available for the
repair and extension of the municipal
plant, but city council is unable to
expend this money under the law,
and nothing can be done toward the
rehabilitation of the power and water
plant until the commissioners are in
Quoted into office.
Opinion at the meeting differed
as the best thing to do in regard to
the municipal plant. Some of those
present thought the best thing to do
would be to abandon the operation of
the plant and enter a contract with
another concern to furnish the town
with current, while others thought
the plant can be repaired and made
to serve Bamberg for some years to
come.
From statements made at the meet
ngi it appears that the plant is in
very bad state of repair, and that
there is no hope of satisfactory SER
vice until extensive repairs are made.