The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-08-03
Business Leaders Charge
Neglect on Part of
City Officials.
VOTE DRIVE LAUNCHED
Municipal Ownership Ticket
Will Be Put in Field
at Election.
BY CHARLES E. CARLL

This city and its municipal lighting
plant soon may be parted.
Facing that possibility, business
leaders today prepared to fight what
they consider an encroachment by
the insult utility interests and
neglect on the part of the city
government here in signing a con-
tract which gives the Insull-owned
utility the job of lighting the city.
Thursday afternoon a step in the
wrafare which is intended to enlist
the aid of all the citizens of this
community, was announced by
Charles Mouch, president of the
Farmers and First National Bank,
who predicted a municipal owner
ship ticket will b. launched in
next years city election.
Remonstrance Is Filed
Mouch stated he was certain that
a municipal ownership ticket would
carry. With that, he said, eventual
Iy will come ownership of all New
castle utilities by the city.
One effort to stop the Interstate
Public Service Company, the insult
utility, from gaining control of the
) electric supply to the city already
has been taken.
At the instance of Mouch, Sam
uel Cory and Arthur B. Ayres, re-
monStrance has been filed with the
public service commission against
the contract being carried out.
If this had not been done Wednes-
day the interstate company would
have been lighting the downtown
and residence streets of this city.
AS it is there will be hearing be-
fore the commission Aug. 8 befol4
the f1ve-year contract is permitted
to go into effect.
Five Year Contract
Although copy of the contract
could not be obtained here, it was
pointed out the city ordinance
passed by the common council and
signed by Mayor Strobe Hays, also
president of the council, contained
most of the pertinent facts. Survey
of this document shows that it was
typewriter in March, but was not
passed until July II, so the type
written date was penciled out and
the new one penciled in.
Here is what the city and the
Interstate are to do;
"The company agrees to sell and
the city agrees to purchase all OF
the requirements for street lighting
for a period of five years to start
within four months of the signing
of this contract.
THE company is to give
alternating electric current OF $500
volts at approximately so cycles.
These rates will be paid: For the
first $4,000 k. W. hours per month
$.O175 and for all over this amount
$.015.
This rate is considered cheap by
the opponents Of the proposition,
and they admit it.
But the company could afford to
give away the power to light those
street lights just to get our plant
out of the way" one citizen said.
The present light plant, operated
by the city, is run, together with
the waterworks plant, municipality
owned, in one building situated near
the edge of town.
There are about $50 street lights.
The mayor estimated 313 in the
downtown district
Hard Fight Ahead
Hays and Mouch, proponents and
opponents of the insult contract,
will have a hard fight ahead of
them.
Ninety per cent of the people are
for it," said Hays,
Most of the people are against
it." said Mouch.
Hays went on to say: ITO buy the
power will save the city about $4,000
a year. Cory is against it because
4 he is an electrical engineer and
] wanted to sell engines to the city
for bigger plant. Ayres is against
it because he has gas wells in Rush
County and he wants to get in here,
and Mouch wants to stop it because
well, because he had trouble with
the waterworks department.
There will be no loss to the city
under this contract because at the
end of five years we can either re-
open our own plant or renew the
contract"
But Mouch feels that some OBJ
stacle will be thrown in the way OF
the city ever getting another chance
to carry on municipal lighting If
the Interstate once gets the contract.
Tied Hand at Feet
II am against any kind of a
merger" he said. THE people will
be tied hands and feet inside of five
years. insult wants in and this is
the way. This a growing COM
munity and with all these factories
and the increasing population this
is great territory for the utility
serpent.
1--WE can build our own plant, big
hOugh to light all the homes, busi-
Is houses and for every other
pose for $4,000. Why not do it?
en- we are rid of the utility evil.