| Show MUNICIPAL OR PRIVATE PRIVAT r OR CORPORATE OWNERSHIP WHICH next month february to be exact the taxpayers of price w will say by their votes vites whether or not the town ton shall be bonded in the sum of nine thousand dollars for an electric lighting plant at price as 12 almost everywhere else when nhen such plants are first thought of and plans are being worked out the question comes up as to which is best fc for all the people municipal or private or corporate ownership below 10 is an editorial from the sacramento cala bee wh ch will not P prove 1 uninteresting to local readers of the advocate at this time there is much dissatisfaction among all classes of people in this C city 1 with the electric lighting service some of this relates to the rates charged as to which there is more or less dispute but ahe e universal complaint for which there is only too much evident cause is hat that consumers are not getting as much light as they pay for no matter what the rate the ordinary incandescent lamp 13 is supposed to give as much light as sixteen candles but frequently its feeble radiance n ore re ambles that of one candle than sixteen this sort of frix teen 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 night if at all that consumers get as much light as the nominal candlepower of the incandescent lamps call for the trustees should not only fix the rates for electric lights for all purposes but also provide for regular evening tests of the strength of the current in order that failure to furnish the proper service 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 pow er for all local uses and maintained a steady brilliancy on all its lighting circuits since that time the cost of lighting has been greatly advanced although the service has become inferior seemingly the reason for this change for the worse is that th the e local company along with a for forner fomer ner comp competitor in this field has become part of an electric trust w which aich 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 quartet quarter fails or is insufficient the fact remains that the service is bad irregular 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 purposes to every consumer in the city who may apply some time ago when the local corporation was exacting a very high rate for street lighting and a municipal plant was proposed the corporation greatly reduced its charges to the tile city so 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 and operate an electric lighting system as to provide a water supply 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 W wiped led out many such examples of successful public own ownership ersh p an and operation could be mentioned one of the chief benefits of public ownership and a sufficient reason for it everywhere is that it takes out of politics and local government the si sinister dister and corrupting influence of self seeking corporations that was the chief baube of the reign of graft in san francisco and the same is true to a greater or less extent in all cities |
