Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1921-03-04
LET us HAVE
WELLLIGHTED
MPAIGN
Also. Let Us Have Municip-
al Owned Electric
Plant

lust now there is great contro-
versv among the citizens of Cham
naign as to whether or not Champaign
should be better.lighted city. The
plan of the city commissioners To i'm.
prove the lighting system has brought
forth n storm of protest, based upon
the expense, which the directors say
will not stop with the initial cost, but
will also add considerably TO the taxes
each year in the way of expenditures
for Juice" and maintenance.
II Is the opinion in labor circles,
that the Improvement should be made
II is desirable for two reasons, first
and most important. because the city
needs the improvement; second, be-
cause the workers need the work.
Directors, II is said. have secured
a large number of signatures protest
ing the improvement, by misrepre-
sentation OF facts. 1t Is said, and pro-
pose TO block the progress of the com
missioners, and, II is said. will call
for the recall of the entire admins
trative force Of the city.
There Is no doubt In labor circles
that the cost of electricity will be con-
siderably more than at present under
the present system of paying pri-
waite corporation for services rendered
to the public Private ownership OF
public.serving utilities is rapidly on
the decline. II Is another of these
dark-age practices that must give way
to the new order of things by which
the public owns utilities. Champaign,
as a progressive city, must take her
place with those cities that are taking
their affairs into their own hands,
and running their business for the
benefit of their citizens instead of for
the benefit of a corporation whose sole
purpose is to make profit.
The Review has, from time to time,
cited instances of the savings OBJ
tanned by cities throughout the coun-
try owning the public-serving utilities,
and further illustration Ii cited in
the case of Springfield.
In 1915, with commissioner at the
head of its water and light department
who had in mind the interests of the
people rather than the interests of a
corporation, the city embarked on a
modest scale in the electric light and
power business II not only lighted
its own streets at a great saving to
the city, but IL undertook to furnish
electric current to private consumers
at material reduction In price.
But the private corporation at
Springfield resented this invasion OF
the electric light and power field by
the municipality, regarding 1t as an
invasion OF private rights, and 1t re-
sorted to every means possible to pre-
vent the operation OF the city plant. II
filed suits for obstructive purposes.
and II even appealed to the people of
Springfield to save It from their own
electric light and power plant. and
there were three contests at the polls,
in which the head OF the city water
and light department was sustained
by popular vote It took three years
of fighting through elections and court
fights to get the present plant In oper.
alton in 1915. the effort having been
begun in 1912. And altogether there
have been fourteen injunction suits
intended to prevent or obstruct the
operation of the plant. But In spite
of all this the municipal plan con
tinued to expand with increased bust
ness Besides, during that time, ths
company is known to have engaged
in some unethical practices to keel
business from the city plant, muci
more, IL would seem. than to get bust
ness for itself.
Now comes the following repor
from the Federated Press:
Springfield, lll.-After a running
fight with the Hodenpyl-Hardy Syndi
cate of New York for six years tn
company has offered to sell its cleo
trio light and heating plant here I,
the city, and three arbitrators hav
been selected to fix the valuation o
the property. The limitation OF tn
bonded indebtedness of the city doe
not permit II to buy the plant of tn
private company outright. so hold
ing company Is being formed to pun
chase the property and lease 1t to tn
city for a number of years"
A referendum vote Is to be takel
soon on the question of extending tn
franchise of the private company
few months, by which time II Is ex
pected that the city will have takel
over the plant, the referendum beins
necessary by reason OF the fact tina
under the commission form of cit,
government, under which Springfield,
is operating, no franchise of any ma
ture nor for any period of time can b,
granted without vote of the peopl,
endorsing it.
w. J. Spaulding, the city commits
sioner who is at the head of Spring
fields water and light department, has
become nationally known, not only To-
his devotion to the principle OF mu
nicipal ownership, but for his abilit,
in handling Springfeld's municipal
o.-fp l.rl, MI nh ntb al
has saved the people thousands of dol
lars annually because of the lowe
rates, and even when the war cam
on, and the prices Of nearly everything
else went skyward, he kept the prize
Of electric current in Springfield a
the same low rate by means OF care
full management.