The Marietta journal. (Marietta, Ga.) 1918-1944, 1920-08-27
The Peoples Light and Water Plants


a corporation, created by law, with its powers an
duties clearly defined This Board operates thes
public utilities and fixes the rates and charges to b
paid by the people of Marietta for light and waite
service. The present law specifically provides tina
this service shall be supplied the people of the cit
AT a FAIR AND EQUITABLE RATE
The operations of this Board are kept separat
and distinct from those of the city proper, it ha
its own treasurer its funds are subject to it's dis
bursement alone and not one dollar of money which
1t collects from the people of the city for light AM
water service find its way into the city treasury
Such money can be used by the Board only for tn
purpose Of operating, maintaining, and improving
the light and water plants which it controls AnC
it should be.
A municipality has two classes of powers-on
Legislative, public, governmental in the exercise
which 1t is a sovereignty and governs it's people
the other, proprietary, partly private conferred
upon It, not for the purpose of governing it's people
but for the private advantage of the inhabitants O
the city and OF the city itself legal personality
In the exercise of the powers of the former class
1t is ruling It's people sovereign But in the exer
clse OF the powers of the latter class it is controlled
by no such rule, because it is acting for the private
benefit OF It's inhabitants. In maintaining and oper
atlng municipal light and water plants the city il
not exercising its governmental or legislative pow
ers, but It's business or proprietary powers Thu
purpose of such operation is not to govern it's in
habltants, but to obtain for them private benefit
namely, light and water service at the lowest possi
bic rates. The fundamental principal underlyin.
municipal operation of public utilities is that sucl
operation is primarily intended to furnish service
nponla at
operations shall be money making scheme for TIT
city. The light and water plants are the people,
properties, paid for with their money and it is thu
duty of those controlling such properties to operate
and maintain the same economically as possible
and to charge only such rates will yield revenues
sufficient to cover the actual operation and main
tenance expenses. AS has been shown, these funda
mental principles carried out under our present
law
How About the New Charter?
Section ~ abolishes entirely the Board of Light
and WaterWOrkS and cOnferS upon the MAYOR and
council and the city manager all the power and
authority now vested in the Board. The present
power and duty of the Board is to fix FAIR AND
EQUITABLE RATES But Section IS of the new
charter changes this. Read it as published on the
front page No limitation, no restriction no REQUIRE
ment that rates shall be fair and equitable no pro
vision that they shall be measured by the cost of
operation and maintenance. 1t simply gives the may
or and council absolute power and authority to fix
electric and water rates at any figure that they may
see TIT Then read section 81, also published the
front page Now, what does it all mean? Simply this
that if the mayor and council cannot raise all the
money they need or want to spend, by direct tax
alton, all in the world they have got to do to gel
more money is to RAISE WATER AND LIGHT
RATES and then use the money paid by the PEG
pie under these increased rates over and above tina
which is required to operate the light and water
plants for any purpose that the mayor and council
may see fit
THE JOURNAL vigorously objects to any sucl
changes. 1t necessity for the same. The pro
posed plan is directly contrary to the Fundamental
principles underlying municipal operation of publ
utilities, which principles we have set forth above
The light and water plants the property of tn
people; the people paid for them with their money
they ought to be operated for the people benefit
and mayor and council should have the powe
and authority to arbitrarily force the people to pa
increased rates for light and water service in orde
to provide money to Oe spent by the mayor ant
council for other city purposes. The present charte
was intended to, and does prevent, this very thn'
being done. Why change it?
Census figures show that the cities have grow
the country districts The population for this reason
has increased much more rapidly in the cities than il
the country sections. The number of consumers i