The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1920-11-25
Racine Mayor Declares Ke-
nOsha Gets Better Rate
for Street Lights.
OPINION IS OPPOSED
Official Statements from Books
Declared to Show Kenosha
Pays Higher Rate.

Interesting facts in regard to street
lightning costs in Racine and Kenosha
were presented to the special light
committee of the city of Racine on
last Friday evening. 1t is declared
that Mayor Armstrong contends that
the city of Kenosha has the best rate.
This is denied by members of the Ra-
cine official family who made inves-
LEGATIONS in both cities. Here is what
one of the Racine papers has to say
IN regard to the comparison.
Figures were presented at last even
ing's session of the committee of the
whole council to refute the charge Of
the mayor that the city of Racine was
getting the short end of it as far as
its street lighting rate is concerned.
1t was contended by the mayor that
the city of Kenosha is getting as good
light for far smaller rate than is
Racine under its cost-plus system of
arriving at the cost per lamp.
-, Kenosha is working on the flat rate
system of charges, the same as Racine
did previous to the adoption Of the
cost-plus system FIVE years ago.
Under that system the city agreed to
pay the company six per cent above
the operating expenses, leaving six
per cent profit to the company on its
business of street lighting.
The mayor has suggested that the
city discontinue that system and go
back to the flat rate plan of paying
for street lights. His suggestion is
not supported by the figures brought
from Kenosha by City Clerk Ryba
and City Attorney Gittins, however,
and before the council acts on his
suggestion there will be careful con-
sideration of the facts.
Kenosha is Paying More.
Figures taken from the contract held
by the city Of Kenosha show that it is
paying more for it's street lights than
is Racine. The mayor insists that the
high costs of 1920 should be taken as
comparison, but other city officials in
sist that an average cost during the
has been in force is the only fair one.
Even taking the mayors plan of
figuring, Kenosha is not getting the
best of the bargain. The figures Sc
cured by the city clerk and city attor-
ney show that Kenosha has a rate of
$4,000 year for the first 100 arc
lamps and $4,000 year for the second
100 lamps in use. If that amount is
compared with what Racine pays under
its contract it will be seen that in 1920
Racine paid $69.07 per lamp, or $500 a
year more than for the first 100 lamps
and $500 more for the second one
hundred lamps.
Those figures look all right, but
when the eight per cent surcharge
which the State Railroad Rate Com
mission has allowed the company and
payment of which the city of Keno
sha is contesting in the courts, it will
be seen that from $500 to $500 lamp
will have to be added to the above
Kenosha lamp prices. If that is done,
say city officials, there will be no diff
ference as between the high cost of
Racine lamps in 1920 and the flat rate
as contained in the Kenosha contract.
Average Price Shows Saving.
Racine city officials who are sup
porters of the cost-plus system of
charges for street lighting, assert that
the high prices for 1920 are not fair
when comparison is made. An aver
age price per lamp during the five
years the cost-plus contract has been
running, is declared to be the fair
price for a comparison of the RAJ
cine and Kenosha costs.
The annual lamp figures for the five
years were furnished the members of
the council last evening. They were
not agreeable to the mayor, however,
and he insisted that the high mark of
1920 be used in comparison. The
figures for the past five years show
the rates per lamp as follows: 1918,
$53.52; 1917, $53.7S; 1918, $685.;
1919, $65.11; 1920, $69.07. The aver
age price per lamp for that period
is shown to be 5000.
Comparing that price with the price
which Kenosha has paid during the
five year period in question it is shown,
officials say, that Racine has been pay
ing less for street lighting than Keno
sha and has had the better contract.
The city clerk also showed annual
figures for the other kind of lights
used by the city and in those cases,
also, the average price was less than
that charged in Kenosha contract