The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1923-07-06

that would eventually have made its
citizens sweat in January Mayor
Koehler has had engineers investigate
thoroughly, men who are competent,
and they readily advise that the city
build its own plant and make it's own
current.
At the meeting Monday night of the
citizens advisory committee, Charles
Marshall, superintendent of the Ham
iiton Service Company, said his COM
pany could furnish current cheaper
than the city can make it.
On the other hand the engineers
employed by the city to prepare an es-
timated cost of municipal plant here
claim that the people can save money
by the erection Of plant over and
above the price that would be charg
ed by company furnishing the cur
rent
Here is a queer thing. and a point
that was brought out at the meeting
Monday night, and one which it is
believed weighed heavily with those
fayoring the building Of a plant. The
same company that wants the CON
tract for furnishing this city current
now supplies it in Middetown. In
Middletown this company makes a
maximum charge Of 10 cents kilo-
watt, while in Hamilton its maximum
charge is only z cents kilowatt.
When Mayor Koehler buntly asked
why this difference, Mr.. Marshall
frankly admitted that it was because
of the city competition through its
own plant. Thereby admitting that
where his company has no competi-
tion it takes advantage of the situ-
alton. And the Hamilton plant fur
nishing its citizens at a maximum
rate of cents a kilowatt is on a
paying basis; this according to the
last report of the city auditor
Hamilton has approximately 1000
consumers. Suppose each consumer
pays $500 per month at the maxi
mum rate of Z cents per kilowatt. At
10 cents per kilowatt, as they pay
in Middletown, ones bill would be a
little more than $40O per month. or
roughly figuring, more than $1,000
per month for the 1000 consumers.
This would mean that under the z
cents per kilowatt Hamilton's con
sumers would pay approximately 1884,
600 year less than if they paid the
same rate charged Middletown by the
same company desiring to get the
Hamilton contract. And is there any
one to gainsay that this company
would spring the price at any oppor-
tunity arising? You're right!
While the first cost of building a
new plant seems like a big sum OF
money, yet in the long run, the Press
believes, it is going to mean a big
saving and at least independence, to
the taxpayers of Hamilton, and will
prove to be money well spent Es-
pecially does this appear true when
Mr.. Marshall admits the only reason
! for the lower rate in Hamilton than
in Middletown is because of the com
petition here through the local plant
One of the local daily papers on the
subject in its Tuesday issue had its
article headed in glaring type, "Ham-
ilton Taxpayers Face Additional Mil
lion Dollar Bonds" leaving the i'm.
preston that another million dollars
would be neeoed to build the plant il
addition to the $650,000 already voted
by the people. Whether the writer
was little bit confused, or whether
| he meant to convey the idea tina
| the total cost would be million dol
lars, or whether it was because some
one was disappointed at having a pc
hobby spilled, the heading was mis-
leading, in inference it was unjust, i
was unfair. 1t may be that the nev
/ plant in the long run will cost near ;
] million dollars but no one, at thi