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Show COMMUNICATION j Editor Logan Republican: j I havo read tho report of tho au- j dlt of tho Logan Electrical Light j plant in which It Is stated that tho I plant has been run at a loss to the j city of $18,190.87 during tho last 105 months. j This loss, lr such thero has been, Is duo to one, or possibly two causes. caus-es. First, thero has been n very strong competitor which reduced the prlco for which lights havo been selling to nt least one-half of what they should have been, and that has been dono for the purpose of driving driv-ing Logan City out of tho lighting business, so that tho competitor might got It nil, nnd If possible to mako tho City sell Its jilnnt to tho other party. Secondly, tho loss may havo boon duo in part to mis-management on j tho part of those In charge of It. I With reforenco to tho loss of rev-enuo rev-enuo In tho first caso, ono point In i particular, should not bo overlooked, nnd that Is tho fact that all tho taxpayers In all cases got tho benefit bene-fit of tho reduced prices of light, and if nil tho light users were taxpayers, tax-payers, there would bo no loss at all, for what they would bo required to pay in extra taxes would bo mado up to them In cheaper light servlco. It is tho non-taxpayer In this caso that gets tho full benefit of tho reduced re-duced rates. It is useless to say that tho City plant cannot bo operated ona paying basis, it tho taxpayers would bo patriotic pat-riotic to their own institution. The people aro virtually tho owners of tho City Electric Light plant, and they would be very unwlso to not give it their support. Tho writer was one of tho stockholders stock-holders of the first electric lighting plant that was established In Logan City, and whon our first nnnual re-l port was submitted to the stockholders stockhold-ers they were very much surprised to learn that wo had made a profit of nearly fifty per cent on our Investment In-vestment In about one year. This experience shows that the plant can bo mado to pay, If this needless competition com-petition were dono away with. In tho second caso If tho City has suffered through bad business methods, meth-ods, then let us benefit by tho experience ex-perience of tho past and seo to it that tho plant In tho futuro Is manipulated mani-pulated on a strictly business basis. Whllo I realize that this competition matter Is helping only tho non-taxpayers, yet ns ono of tho heaviest taxpayers in tho city, I would much prefer to havo tho City plant run at a loss than to dlsposo of It, for wo all realize what would happen nt once if wo wero to let It go. I think tho City should try and enter Into an arrangoment regarding tho prices of electric lighting, etc., so that both tho City and the Utah Power and Light company would get a reasonable consideration for tho services rendered, for as it is now, neither ono Is getting what It should out of it. It Is of courso a business proposition proposi-tion with the Utah Power and Light company, and I do not feel to censure cen-sure them for tho courso they pur-suo, pur-suo, but if all tho taxpayers feel as I do, tho Logan City light plant will never go cut of tho hands of tho City, and should It over be sold ' I am suro tho citizens will regret ' it ever nfterwardB. Let tho officers of both plants got together nnd unlto upon n fair and i consistent prlco for tho service so ) that both will be properly remuner- ' ated. r J. Z. STEWAIIT. |