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Show ELECTRIC PLANTS IN THE UNITED STATES "The Central Electric Light and Power Stations of tho UnUcd States" Is the title of a comprehensive volume vol-ume Just issued by the Bureau of the Census. Tho remarkable growth of this Industry Is shown in the fact that the cost and equipment of such stations sta-tions represented $1,096,913,822 in 1907, or double that of 1902. The horse power capacity more than doubled 4.082,365, against 1.830,591, while the output of stations In 1907 was 5,SC2,-276.737 5,SC2,-276.737 kilowatt hours, agalnat 2.507,-051.115 2.507,-051.115 in 1902 The- number of incandencent lamps In uso in 1907 was 43 991.836, against 19.636 729 in 1902. and of arc lamps R35.S15, against 419.561. The Incnn ducement for the Investment of copi-merclal copi-merclal capital Consular and Trade Reports. s descent lnmp has largely superseded the are lamp for street and other lighting purposes, since It has been found that better senlce Is secured by the distribution of a larger number num-ber of comparatively small lamps. A comparison of the number of reports re-ports received from municipal stations in 1907 with the number received In 1902 shows an Increase of 53 6 per cent as compared with 23 4 per cent for the commercial companies. Tho municipal stations are practically exempt ex-empt from the consolidations that so frequently occur among commercial companies, and this fact no doubt accounts ac-counts in large part for the proportionately propor-tionately greater increase in the former for-mer elaaa of stations. Not only was there a largo Increase in the number of municipal station, but an analysis of the reports shows that althoufh thirty three municipal stations which reported In 1902 had become couamer-clul couamer-clul stations In 1907, 1R3 atitlons which were reported as commercial !n 1902 had bcome municipal in 1907. The claim haR been made, and sustained sus-tained by what appears to bo reasonable rea-sonable arpument. that the dilft of these public utilities Is from municipal munici-pal to commercial, but the results of the census do not furnish corroborative corrobora-tive evidence of this. - Q'u the,, contrary, con-trary, there appear tobo a diiuinct filed for municipal . eloetrlc stations, not only because of a foellng which may exist Id many localities that these public utilities should be owned by the cities, but because many of the places in which municipal plants are located do not present sufficient In- |