The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, May 3, 1917, Page 5

‘Public enterprise is compelled to fight its way against the organized power of associated big private enterprises which are in no hurry to give up their privilege of harvesting huge profits. The advertising club keeps the press from supporting public ownership. In the view of a sub- sidized press public ownership is always a failure. public ownership of big utilities by cities, port districts and states is saving the people millions and freeing them from the grip of monopoly. Falsehoods are being told about it, because the press is not free to CARRY THE TRUTH TO THE PEOPLE. That view is false. All over the nation never cost the taxpayers a cent, for no tax has ever been levied to build any part of it or to pay any interest on bonds or operating expenses. It is saving the people of Seattle hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in light and power charges through the reduc- ed rates it has put in effect and forced the private corportion to meet. The original bond issue voted by the people for the city light plant was $590,000 in 1902. The growth of the busihess was such that it became necessary to vote more bonds for ex- * tensions every two years since then, " until at the present time over $4,000,000 has been voted plus an additional $1,000,000 to be used only for purchas- ing additional water power sites. The people have thus by their ballots ex- pressed their approval of public owner- + ship and its benefits six different times, by voting six separate bond issues for the project at intervals of two years. It has been this loyal support of the people. that has made “city light” in Seattle the success it has been. Be- sides the $4,000,000 from bonds put into the plant since 1902, nearly $3,000,- 000 has been put into renewals, better- ments and extensions out of the plant’s own earnings, so that it now repre- sents an actual, cash investment of about $7,000,000, though its real going value at the present time is perhaps twice that. The $3,000,000 from the earnings have been put back in the plant after paying all operating and fixed charges and reducing rates every few years. No more than this is need- ed to show how public ownership can be a success financially. But the de- tailed figures of this plant are so in- teresting that I am going to quote a few. HAS TAKEN BUSINESS FROM PRIVATE CONCERNS The city -began business in compe- tition with the big Stone-Webster corporation in 1905. By 1908 it had 7500 customers buying its current. It had 18,000 customers in 1911, and the number had grown to 42,000 custo- mers in 1915. At present it has over 43,000 customers. The private corpo- ration, originally serving all the city, at present has only 18,000 customers against the city plant's 43,000. The company now- serves 8000 residences, against 37,000 residences served by the municipal utility. 'On business light- ing and power, however, the company still leads. It has about 10,000 custo- mers of this kind, against only about 6000 served by the city. These comparative figures of the city’s and company’s business at pres- ent are especially interesting because they show that the rank and file of the people of the city, the house hold- ers,’are nearly all patronizing - the municipal plant, while the stores, facto- ries, and other consumers of large amounts of electricity, the “business interests”, still as a whole prefer to patronize the private plant, probably because they are opposed to public ownership “on principle”. They could- n't be opposed to it for any other rea- son in Seattle, for it has been a great and complete success financially and in giving cheaper service. The earnings of the municipal plant in 1915 were $1,063,730.02, and in 1916, 1,205,534.09. The total expenses in 15 were $850,692.22 and in 1916, $793,973.55. This makes the net earn-- ings or profits of the plant, despite its bed-rock rates, $213,037.80 in 1915 and $411,560.54 in 1916. Not so bad for a publicly owned venture that has never cost a cent in taxes and which started 15 years ago with a small bond issue of $590,000. “SUBSIDIZED PRESS” HAS MISREPRESENTED CITY PLANT The success of “city light” in Seattle has been due jn a large measure to the work' of J. D. Ross, present superin- tendent of lighting. He has been with the municipal enterprise since its in- ception, first as designing and con- structing engineer, then as operating electrical engineer, and finally as superintendent, which position he has held since 1911. That Seattle has been . able to retain the services of a man of his ability, promoting him from time to time until he has been put in su- preme charge, shows that public ownership can be kept out of politics and be efficiently handled by men re- tained over long periods in the service, just like efficient private corporations retain expert service. “A subsidized press has misrepre- sented every effort of Seattle’s munici- pal plant and published articles that are purposely false and misleading”, says Mr. Ross. “As the success of the department has increased, the opposi- tion has proportionally increased, but the steadily increasing success of our plant during 12 years has demonstrated beyond a doubt that a municipal plant has as good a chance of success as any privatély owned plant under similar conditions. “The people of Seattle have made the success possible by continued loyalty and support for the enterprise, manifested in the most substantial manner possible—by the use of ‘city light’. Success has been achieved in the face of the hottest competition with a powerful and aggressive company owning and operating, in the Puget Sound district, four hydro and five steam plants having a combined power in .hydro plants of approximately 55,- 000 kilowatts and a combined capa- city in steam of 26,000 kilowatts”. The Seattle plant is now preparing to issue $3,390,000 more in bonds for The Lake Union auxiliary steam plant, part of the publicly owned electric light and power system of Seattle, which the people have supported loyally by their patronage, despite the fact that a big corporation is also in the field to serve customers. the erection of a new steam unit to generate 7500 kilowatts, and a new hydro plant to develop 13,000 kilo- watts. The present plant consists of the following units: ~ Main generating plant at Cedar Iralls, Cedar river. This is a hydro plant with four generating units. Lake Union auxiliary steam plant. Thé ‘main gon;mting station on the Cedar river of Seattie’s publicly owned light and power plant that has reduced Seattle electric rates from 20 cents to 5% cents per kilowatt hour, in the face of bitter competition with a powerfu] private cor- poration, which also supplies Seattle with electricity. ) FIVE Lake Union water power auxiliary plant. 1 The three stations together have a rated capacity of 19,400 kilowatts, with an over-load capacity of 25,000 kilowatts. There is, of course, a great dis- tributing system serving every part of the city, together with the necessary substations. Besides its private cus- tomers, the plant lights 920 miles of streets for .the city, of which. 28% miles are served with cluster electro- liers of ornamental design. An idea of the size of the distributing system is gained by the statement that it takes over 30,000 poles to carry the network of wires. ENEMIES HELPING US Amidon, N. D., April 4, 1917, Editor Nonpartisan I.eader: Stay on your present course. We are a-bunch of silent watchers ‘out this wa¥, and no one is losing interest. Governor Frazier is doing fine. The League is growing stronger. Our ene- mies are helping us by their tactics. W. D. BUINGTON, CAN'T BUST THE LEAGUE Mohall, N. D., April 16. Editor Nonpartisan Leader: Am pretty busy these days but not too busy to read the Leader from cover to cover, as soon as it comes. Say, ain’t the bunch of Old Gang politicians anxious about the welfare of the peo- ple? But to me they look to be more anxious’ about where their “graft” is drifting to. If they were engaged in some honest employment they would be better citizens. Don’t you think so0? “Go to it” and be sure that “We'll stick”. There will be some traitors in the League but they can’t break it up. Hoping to ses that “bunch” exposed right along I am, for the League for- ever. JAMES KING, JR. e & S S e T o e X REBias B TN