Show MUNICIPAL OR PRIVATE OR CORPORATE OWNERSHIP WHICH next month february to be exact the taxpayers of price will say by their votes whether or not the town shall be bonded in the sum of nine thousand dollar fur an electric lighting plant at pric as everywhere else vien such plants are first thought of and plans aro arc being worked out the question comes up as to which is best tor for all the people municipal or private or corporate ownership below belov is an editorial from the sacramento cala bee wh ch will not of the advocate at this time pro prove e uninteresting to local readers there is much dissatisfaction among all classes of people in this city with the electric lighting service some of this relates to the rates charged as to which there is more or less dispute but the universal complaint for which there is only too much evident cause is that consumers are not getting as much light as they pay for no matter what the rate the ordinary incandescent lamp is supposed to give as much light as sixteen candles but frequently its feeble radiance more resembles that of one candle than sixteen this sort of sixteen to one service has long exasperated the community and the board of trustees should take vigorous action in the matter it is only late at if at all that consumers get as much light as the nominal candlepower of the incandescent lamps call or the trustees should not only fix the rates for electric lights foi fra all purposes but also 1 provide for regular evening tests of the strength of the current in order that failure to furnish the proper service may be precisely determined made public and acted upon by the authorities originally this city was noted for the cheapness and excellence of its electric lighting the initial company had a large excess of po power for all local uses and maintained a steady teady brilliancy on all ita its lighting circuits since that time th cost of lighting has been greatly advanced although the service has become inferior seemingly the reason for this change for the worse is that the local company along with a former competitor in this field has become part of an electric trust which diverts to other localities more or less of the current generated at folsom whether or not this be the true explanation and despite the fact that the trust is in a position to provide sacramento with electricity from sources other than folsom when the supply from that quarter fails or is insufficient the fact remains that the service is bad arregu lai at and unsatisfactory there is however but one true and radical remedy for this state of things and that is a municipal lighting plant not only to light the streets and public squares but also to furnish light for all pur purposes poes to every consumer in the city who may apply some time ago when the I 1 local ocal corpo corporation ration was exacting a very high rate for street lighting and a municipal plant was proposed the corporation greatly reduced its charges to the city so go that the public undertaking was abandoned at least for the time being it should sooner or later be taken up and accomplished for the general welfare there is as good reason for the city to own ind operate an ele iric lighting system as to provide a water supply AIT all public utilities in fact such as gas water electric lighting and street car service should be under municipal ownership and operation the sacramento waterworks have not only given consumers an abundant supply at low rates but have provided a large net income from which a former bonded debt was wiped out many such examples of successful public ownership and operation could be mentioned one of the chief benefits jene fits of public ownership and a sufficient reason for it everywhere is that it takes out of politics and local government the sinister and corrupting influence of self sell seeking corporations that was the chief cause of the reign of graft in san francisco franciscu md and the same is true to a greater or less extent in all cities |