The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1921-01-27
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THE PARTING OF THE WAYS

1t was my pleasure to attend a meet
ing at the city hall Monday evening,
January oath. The meeting was called
by the city dads for the purpose OF
getting an expression Of the property
owners of ~Brookings as to whether
our power plant shall remain where
it is or be removed to a new location
on the railroad track. An expert enCi-
neer was in attendance who gave on
exhaustive talk on steam engineering
and steam heating plants and gave
us many valuable pointers, and In fact
greatly interested the whole bunch
(and the room was full), and really
got some of Brookings voters and prop
erty owners TO think, and a few to
express their thoughts. However, no
one was convinced of but one particu-
lar point and nobody really arrived at
an opinion regarding the prime ques-
ton before the meeting. But every
one without exception came to one
anu llIt Sdlllt NOlSiuSIoh lSSdidAiS I'm
particular point above mentioned, and
that point was this: That something
must be begun at once looking to-
wards the charging Of the capacity
of our power plant, as it was very forci-
bly, brought out by the expert (Mr.
Pollard) that we had reached the limit
and that it would be impossible to
heat the new school building with our
plant in its present physical condition.
The boilers are worn and the en-
gines are inadequate, and on this &C
count we are using thousands of dol
lars too much coal for the power we
get each year.
The question also came up whether
it would be advisable to sell our public
utility plant to a private concern and
thus throw up our city ownership prop
osition.
Some very guarded remarks were
made and some not so we'll guarded,
and as the meeting closed nobody
seemed to be much wiser. In fact |
really surmise hat Mayor Flittie and
Messrs Ray and Mathews must have
lain awake all night trying to figure
out what pointers they really got from
the meeting to help them formulate
any definite plan of procedure.
Now it is the writer's very humble
opinion that Bookings has come to a
very critical place in her career, or as
We might say to a parting of the
ways" and Bookings now has the
chance to decide in a practical bust
ship is a paying proposition, and when
that point is decided it is an easy mat
ter to formulate our program and thew,
to the line"
But how many property owners
know whether our city is really max
ing money, or losing money? | am
know whether BrOokings has made or
lost money through municipal owner
ship for the period of time since it
came under said rule?
1t is my thought that now is the
opportune time to get this knowledge
and let the stockholders have it from
first hands. Banks make statements
each year which tell to a penny how
much goes to dividends and how much
to surplus. and the value Of the stock
is regulated by these statements and
the stockholders know whether the
corporation is making or losing money
and how much.
Why should the stockholders in the
city of Brookings which does a bust
ness of nearly a quarter million dol
lars not get this statement each year?
feel that it is my duty and every
taxpayers duty to assist our city
commissioners in arriving at the right
conclusion in these matters for | feel
than DESTROYS of guiding our ship
through safe waters and to the tax
payers entire satisfaction.
In order to get quickly under way
would it not be a good plan to secure
an expert accountant to go over our
city's books for the whole period since
the city took over the telephone plant
and make u a statement covering
the whole period showing up the
whole transaction. Let this statement
show the value of the plant (every
public utility at the beginning and
on January l, 1921. Let 1t show what
Wa have paid out for upkeep, improve
ments and new machinery and how
we paid the bills, whether by earnings
or by bonds or notes. 1t may be pos
sible that when we are posted on this
matter We would no sell out for a
million dollars, and on the other side
W. fellows who voted in this municipal
ownership scheme may feel like stink.
ing away and crawling into some dark
hole.
The question Is, shall we go it blind.
l1l