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Show H CANjTHE PLANT PAY? H Logan owns tier power plant and water- H works, and while no effort has been made to H secure surplus revenue from tile latter, the H installation of the former was authorized large- H ly on the strength of the belief that the power H plant would pay for Hi operation and bring Id H surplus revenue sufficient to pay other expenses H of the city. Complications have made It Im- H possible for the Logan plant to do all that was H hoped for, and some, perhaps have begun to H doubt whether the plant should be cipected to H meet promises made before the bond Issue was H voted. What has been done along similar lines H in other cities ought to throw some light on H this matter, and for the benotlt of the doubters H we here reproduce a statement as to the ex- H perlenco of Alexandria, W. Ya, in municipal H ownership. The article reads;. H "Under the management of Major Turner H the municipal electric light and1 water plants H every year earn a sufficient amount not only to H Illuminate streets and furnish an excellentsup- H ply of water, but also a sufficient sum to meet H the total expenses of the paid Arc department, H which Includes not only salaries, but the cost H of the new equipment. H "The strict enforcement of the law, and H s the faithfulness of the police courts to duty In H additlon.net to the city In paid lines an amount H sufficient in size to' meet every expense of the H police department, Including court officers and H Ju-ige. Tills reduces the cost of water, lights, Vfl tiro apparatus and men and pol Ice to absolutely H no outlay from tho treasury of the city. It H gives the city council an opportunity to use the H money which would otherwise have to be ap- H propriatcd for these purposes to the paving of H streets and'equlpments of schools. H "Mayor Turner, a thoroughly practical and , H honest business man, has kept the affairs of H theclty of Alexandria upon a purely business H basis, and as a result the city hasdevelyed won- H derfully In the last few years the natural ad- H vantages given It by nature. H "There are living within the limits of Alex- H andria about 10,000 people, and these people H own their own sewerage, water, electric plants, H obtaining the purest kind of water from wells H and disoharglnt sewerage Into Red River, be- H low the city. Dui log the last rive years special H attention has been paid to the sidewalks of the H city, a most necessary addition to the building H up of a olty. .There are now about twenty miles H of paved sidewalks, and recently the city coun- H . ell ordered an additional two miles to be done H once. H "The pavement of the streets has 'followed H close upon the completion of the sidewalks, H and now Alexandria compares most favorably H with any city of Its size In the south. Asphalt H or brick Is used In paving the streets and gra- H vel la-used on the avenues leading in from the H "During the last year a paid tire depart- H ment has been substituted for the old volun- H teer organization. A standplpe of 140 feet in H height, which gives a pressure of 100 pounds to H the square inch, has been erected. Tho ma- H chlnery of the water works Is so regulated that H the plDe can be cut off In case of a large tire, H and thi supply rushed to the mains direct from 9M the pumps. Owing to the extreme pressure se- m cured, steam fire engines are not necessary. H Hose carriages alone are sufficient to supply H ' ample water for any building." |
