Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1921-04-26


Editor Times-Recorder: AN COM
meuting otG MIR. W. 4. Dodson,' s
speech before the Kiwanis Club, it
was not my purpose to start an eX-
tended newspaper controversy but
simply to point out some of the hall
truths and inconsistencies in his
statements. | notice that he replies
with more generalities and big talk.
expected Mr.. Dodson to come out
like a man and acknowledge that he
was wrong, when | proved by the
Lighting Companys own figures that
they could not possibly have used
$7,04405 worth of coal during Jan
uary and February of this year,
which he led people to believe was
true, but that it was 3 or months
supply that they purchased. HIS
only answer is to resort to his Old
subterfuge "my proposition Is open
for him or any reliable expert to eX--
anime the books Of the company,
which has no bearing on the ques-
ton The company could have
bought a years supply during those
two months and their books would
still show, and correctly so, that they
spent lot of money for coal and
they would probably still announce
the fact that they spent that much
for coal during those two months
and lead people to believe thaI I"ey
used that much.
1t is these same infalllble books
carefully prepared and audited by
experts and kept in BALTIMORE, that
thev used to prove to the railroad
commission at the hearing for raise
in the street lighting rate that their
cost Of operation during 1920 was
: 8c ner XVIII. without interest or
nrofit and that the cost Of operation
this wear would be about as nigh az
last wear, | used this figure 10
show that with our demand OF al
least 100000 XVIII. per year Tor
pumping the city water, the com
panvs operating cost for TINS Worh
would be at least $4,000. MI. Doa-
son is again flabbergasted ana at
tempts no explanation as to Wha'
method of business management per,
mits them to make a price OF $lZ'oOV
on a service they have demonstrated
will cost them at least S29,O WIN
out interest or profit. A..
with his usual disregard Tor Jh2
of figures, Mr DodsoA
rms rough shod over the city Dud-
get, including i'll the cost 9t .opera1cc
jng the pumping station the item o. o.
general supplies and repairs @l'oo9
which does not apply to the pump
ing station but is for the upkeep or
the mains and house services; ana
also the item of incidentals $luV'
which is To cover such small things
&c express on water samples, etc. AS
I have already stated, the only items
the CITY would save, if the Ameflcu5
Lighting Company furnished curfehS
for pumping, would be the cost OIL
fuel S1O,500 and the wages OF two
fireman S1,825 out of the item ol
wages or a total Of $3.50 as was
the case during 1919 when the ilghC'
ing company furnished corrent'
would also explain that these tIS-
1res have not the finaity OF the
sworn statements of cost of the
A merfeus Lighting Company but are
only AN ESTIMATE OF TIE RE
01IifIRFMENTS FOR THE YEAR IN
TENDED TO FULLY GOV hk
THEM AND THAT WE HAVE Al
READY CUT WAGES BELOW The
4 MOUNT ESTIMATED AND CON
TRACTED FOR COAL AT A saw
ING.
# Mr., Dodson thinks for MIN
ute that the city Of Americus "ou'a
DO anything as suicidal as to turn
he complete operation of the water
oIant over to the Americas Lighting
Company, he should stop and cogi-
tate some more. There is an old
saving to the effect that wise man
can learn from the experience OF
others but a fool can not even learn
oy his own experience. If, after the
past experience with the service OF
-hc Americus Lighting Company, the
city council should turn It's plant
over to them again, they ought to ap~
Dlv for Ounce caps Just as one IN
stance to bear this out, take the fol
lowing extract from a special report
of former Supt J. B. Ansley,- bear
ing on the water shortage of Octo-
Der 81, 1918. This is the thlrd
time that this condition has existed
the negligence of the Amer
icus Lighting Company, within the
past four years of our connection and
on them for operation of
our plant; something that happened
hut onpe IN twenty yearS during the