The labor world., 1921-12-03
TY.CAN, BUILD.
| HEATING PLANTS
TO SUPPLY ALL
No Room In Duluth for Sectional
Heating Franchise; All Need
Public Benefit.
(Continued from page. ~

Continued from page 1.)
little blasting of rock to be done as
the pipes. can be laid just below the
surface, and once laid there is prac-
tically no cost Of maintenance.
Range Cities Prosper.
A number Of range cities have pub
licly owned heating plants and since
their installation the cost of heating
in the homes and buildings has been
cut in two. Virginia, a city Of 49,
900 people, furnishes heat to it's peo-
pie at cost. Mountain Iron and Eve
leth tell the same story. Divide Du-
luth in six or seven sections, build
that many unit heating plants and ex-
cessive coal bills will disappear as it
by magic.
Indeed it may not be necessary to
build very many heating plants, In
the central portion Of the city there
is the plant Of the Duluth Edison Elec-
trio company which is now furnish
ing heat to the wholesale houses along
Fifth avenue and on Commerce street:
The company keeps up steam in the
event OF a break down at the water
power plant. 1t is an emergency sta
ton with plenty Of capacity during
its waiting period to heat all Of
the downtown section. No doubt the
city could make satisfactory arrange
ments with the Duluth Edison people
to furnish steam for a city-owned
heating system as we now buy gas
from the Zenith Furnace company. II
the capacity Is not there It can be
easily installed. In any event such
an arrangement would be an advan-
tage to both the city and. the COM
pany.
Use The Incinerator.
Below Tenth avenue west the city
owns an incinerator. A new one is
to be Installed. It is not too late
now to install one with suitable boil
ers that would furnish heat. to the
entire west end of the city at q mini
mum fuel cost. ::
Plants in the extreme western por-
ton OF the city could be utilized in
the same manner. The Zenith Fur
mace company, for instance, might
supply West Duluth, and the plant of
the Minnesota Steel company, where
they have steam to spare, would sup
ply Morgan Park, New Duluth and
Gary.
Two or three unit stations could be
built in the East: End, Lakeside: and
Lester ark, with smaller plants on
the hillside, and Hunters Park and
Woodland. There is nothing to it,
but just the will to undertake. the
proposition, just the kind OF will and
confidence the promoters Of the pro-
posed franchise possess.
The People Can Do 1t.
= What John j. Dwyer, Jr., Francis
]. Daoey and John A. Newcomb. the
promoters Of the company, can do for
the building owners and residents of
the central portion of the city. the
people can do for themselves and
they can do it better and cheaper.
We know that much from our expert
ence In the water and light plants,
But" it is said, "the city hasn't
the money" Neither have these pro-
moters. They havn't a dollar to put
in the proposition, not until they are
granted franchise, and with that
franchise they expect to- borrow the
money to build their plant. Has not
the city as good, credit and better
than these wise and far-sighted men?
The city charter vests in the COM
missioners the authority to submit to
the people proposition to issue
bonds for the building Of public
heating plant, and that il the thing
they should do. They can make
steam ths poor mans heat. Radia-
tors and piping, the cheapest items
in a. private. heating system. would
displace stoves and furnaces. and they
can be paid for from the money that
would be saved from the present ex-
cessive cost Of hard coal.
The time. is opportune for just. such
city move. It will do much to re-
duce the cost Of living in Duluth.
It will add to the comfort and con-
;yenience Of home life. It will give 4
more even heat in homes, lessen SICK
ness and promote health.
Lets have public heating plants for
all the people and not for q special
few, principally building owners and
agents who would not permit their
tenants to share in its benefits.