Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1926-01-14
RATES LOWER in JACKSON
WILLIE WITH. STEAM THAN IN
ATLANTA'S PRIV ATELY
OWNED WATER POWER PLANT
(From Atlanta JournaD


unusually low rate scale cleared ovel
$500. 900 last year and held dowr
taxes by turning this large sum into
the city treasury for the payment OF
general bills, is most interestingly
told by George H. Dacy in an article
in the December issue of Sunnllano
Magazine.
Mr.. Dacy's article, which is headed
.'For and BY the People, a Great
Public Utilities Champion Whose
Business Record is One of the Mar
wells of Jacksonville's History" shows
that during the last thirty-one years
the municipal electric light and power
plant at Jacksonville has accumulated
a net turnover of $7,757,5OO IN
bankable assets"
With exception of bond issues ag-
gregating $1,1O2,500 it has financed
itself from it's earnings In fact, &C
.cording to the article in Sunniland it
has each year paid all interest and
sinking fund on it's bonds and its OPP
Grating expenses out of its earnings.
Treasurer's Report
The city treasurer's report on June
30, 1925, showed IAN accumulated as
set of $4,410,000 as the readily ne
gotiable estate of the municipal light
and power plant. The establishment
had deposited in the Golfers of the
city's general fund sum total of
more than $4,OOO,000. In addition,
the existent inventory of the plant
lists in gross valuation at S4,410,-
900 as mentioned above. Hence, the
total value of the plant and its sur
plus earnings figures up to the i'm
pressive amount of $8,810,90O. De-
Quoting the ST ,052,500 in bonds, the
net return of the project above all
operating expenses is $7,757, 500"
Further discussing the achieve
ments and service of the Jacksonville
utility Mr.. Dacy says:
"After paying all operating ex-
penses, jacksonville municipality
owned electric light and power plant,
located on one of the dominant water
fronts of the St. Johns River will
turn back to the taxpayers an estl-
mated $625,00O out of its gross earn
ings of $1,500,0O0 for the current
year. This estimate is based on the
fact that the first six months showed
net profits in excess of S466,OOO.
Eyes, it is indeed an extraordinary
condition, this light and power mat
ter in Florida's most northerly city.
To begin with the consumers are sup
piled with an abundance Of light and
power at materially lower rates than
those which prevail in the majority of
southern-and for that matter north
ern cities. And, notwithstanding the,
minimum rates, the utility yields
large profits. These, in turn, are
tossed into the municipal exchequer.
Which logically means an additional
benefit to the ultimate consumer in
that his individual taxes are mater
tally curtailed.
''Private ownership of electric light
and power plants stops a knockout
punch on the solar plexus as you re-
view the Jacksonville situation. Here
is a municipally-owned and operated
plant which provided an adequacy of
light and power over long term of
than those of the best privately
owned projects. For example, the
average production cost per kilowatt
for the last two years has been but
1876 cents. This very low production
cost enables the municipal fathers OF
Jacksonville to dispense light and
power at rock-bottom rates. Cheap
electric power as "a magnate which
lures industry is working overtime
south of the Georgian border.
Operated by Steam
Jacksonville's municipal plant is
operated by steam power produced by
burning fuel oil. The annual con-
sumption of crude oil, brought by
vessel from Mexico, amounts to $780,,
900 barrels. A comparison of rates
charged by the Jacksonville concern
with the Atlanta rates charged byI
the Georgia Railway and Power Com
pany, whose power is generated byI
hydro-electric stations which is gencr-
ally regarded as the cheapest method
of power production, will prove of
interest.
Power rates in Jacksonville are
given by Mr.. Dacy as follows: Two
cents per kilowatt hour for the first
10000 kilowatt hours and on down
to Its per K. w. for all over 49,
900 K. W. per month.
Retail rates of the Georgia Rail
way and Power Company for power
are: First 100 XXX. W., six cents; next
400 K. W., five cents; next 500 X.
W. 4.50; next 1000 K. w., 3.75; next
5000 K. w., 1926; and all over 5000
K. W., 2.75. A ten per cent discount
is allowed on all bills paid within ten
days after presentation.
Primary industrial rates in Allan
ia: First 10000 K. w. per month,
LA; next 10000 K. w. per month,
1922; next 10000 K. w. per month,
one cent; next 10000 K. w. per
month, 0.80; next $4,000 K. w. per
month 0.70; all over 100000 K. w.
per month O.6O. A ten per cent dis
count is allowed on bills paid within
ten days of presentation.
Jacksonville: Seven cents for the
first 35 K. W., five cents for the next
40 K. W., and all over the first rs
K. W. two cents.
Residence lighting rates in Allan
ia: First 100 K. W., nine cents; next
100 K. W., eight cents; next. 100 K.
W.. seve ncents; next 200 K. K, six
cents, and all over 500 X. W., five
cents These rates carry ten per
cent discount on all bills paid within
ten days after presentation.
In Atlanta the flat rate for the
heating and cooking is 1888 per K. W.
with sA+ten per cent discount which
max Me net rate three cents per
K. WM
New Plants AS Result
Mr.. Dacy contends that the cheap
power rate in Jacksonville has been
responsible for that city getting 434