Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, January 11, 1903, Page 15

AHA DAILY BEE: SUNDAY ELECTRIC LIGHTING BY CITIES P ogress of the Movem nt for Mun cipal Ownership, FACTS A'D FIGU FS OF EXPERIENC An Interesting Topic by Vi printed Discassion of a Live or Rosewnter Re- trom the New York Independent. rhe eurre @ependent a paper on “M isstie of the v York In- 1g other features presents a nicipal Ownership of Eleotric Lighting," en by Vietor Rosewater of The Bee, giving some results of a study begun many years ago. The article follows It is now more than twelve years since The Independent published my first article on the subject of municipal ownership of eleetric lighting. That contribution re- viewed the statistics presented in an offi- elal report to the common council of Bcranton, Pa., drawing from them such forcible arguments in favor of municipal control that it was reprinted widely in the @:lly papers and precipitated a heated controversy with the champlons of private Mghting corporations that for a time verged® on abusive personalties. Ten years ago many ardent advocates of munieipal ownership were firmly convinced that an irresistible movement had been started, that was surely and swiftly to wipe out all private electric lighting plants supplylng Amerfean cities with street fllumination and make way for a serv- fce owned and operated by each mu- nicipality. They thought this the most promising part of a larger movement for the early municipalization of all the tranchised corporations depénding upon special concessions. How have those ex poctations been met? What forces have operated to promote or retard the progress of muni¢ipal ownership? What results have been produced by the experiments undertaken? What the Figures Show. Some answer to these questions can now be gathered from the compilation of mu- nicipal statistics recently completed by the Department of Labor under direction of Commissioner Carroll D. Wright, and made public in the monthly Bulletin for Septem- ber, 1902. This report, the third of an an- nual series, the value of which to the stu- dent of municipal affalrs can scarcely be overestimated, covers all the citles in the United States having a population over 80,000 by the census of 1900, which dlsclosed exactly 135 cities of that class. The period covered in the Inquiry is the fiscal year of 1901-2, 8o that for the purposes of com- parison the fgures are as nearly satistac- tory as could be had. Yet it transpires from these returns that only thirteen cities with more than 30,000 population, in all the United States, are today operating their own electric lighting plants for the common benefit of thelr citi- rens. Selecting the figures bearing on this phase of municipal activity and grouping them to bring out the salient features, we bave the following tables: ing men themselves; yet, on the other | hand, the service was sometimes supplied {at rates far below the actual cost of pro- duction as a consideration for the franchise | or to keep out competition in the fleld of | commercial lighting. To secure an unob- | structed license to exploit the commercial business, the street {llumination was fur- nished as a by-produet without reference to market value. At the same time it dae dis- covered that the cost etatistics of publle | plants were for the most part worthless, | because of inadequate accounting, neglect to figure interest on investment, wear and tear, and general depreciation, and also useless for comparative purposes, owing | to the utter lack of uniform methods of municipal bookkeeping provements and new inventions in the fleld of electricity, on one side cheapening the processes used, and on the other, succes- | sively forcing the installation of new In place of antiquated machinery, tended both to bring more reasonable atd more uni- | form charges for street lighting contracts and to require greater initidl capital | vestment for an up-to-date municipal plant equipped with modern machinery. Depends on Commercial Business. Realizing the conditions before them, the private corporations Interested in profit- able electric lighting - franchises in our larger cities have been constantly active to obstruct all efforts in the direction of municipalization. Making common cause with the correlated corporations, they have lost no opportunity to block legislation designed. to authorize or facilitate munici- pal undertakings. The success of the private electric lighting concern depends upon the juncture of commercial and street sorvice, yet few clties operating their own plants have been allowed to séll to private consumers. The Department of Labor In- quiry developed the fact that only four | of the thirteen cities enumerated recelved any revenue whatever from the electric Iighting installations, only two of them doirig business on a commercial basis. But | these two examples offer the most convine- ing proot of the economy of municipal ownership. The clity of Tacoma 18 credited with re- ceipts from sales of electric light aggre- gating $80,485 for the year. Its expenses of maintenance for the same period were $69,251, 80 that the city secured all its 335 street lamps without cash outlay and had besides a surplus of mearly $10,000 to oftset the interest on its investment and the de- preciation of its plant. The plant of Taunton took in a yearly revenue amounting to $29,747 paid for com- merclal lights, while its expenses of maln- tenance were $290,247, leaving a difference of $500 as an offset against Interest charges to | be balanced against the 247 arc lamps used for street {llumination. Obstructions in the Way. It tampering with enabling legislation constituted the only obstacle set up by the privileged corporate powers, the movement tor municipal enfranchisement would pro- ceed at a quicker pace. The. corporation influence 1s more. or less potent with the authorities In overy city in the United States. One strategical device is for the companies to make small concessions in charges for contracts ccvering a period of years with steadily incres nsus) -*paagabon usym JuBlg :*sdurer oam - wopendod Isquinu (oL -+ -gupew SN Chicago Detrolt . Allegheny Columbus Bt. Joseph Grand Rapids Wheeling Little Rock. Galveston Tacoma ......... Springfield, Til.. Topeka . o Taunton . * Not reported. t Buflt 1887, B25...... SaBERERE 538233 PERE 8 81,038 § Bullt 1894 -yunid o 1824 303 Lepno ey -9 uopesado PUE SoUBURIUTER ++3uwid 3o 3505 ---gdure] 1998 3310 40) PapuIdXH B EYEPEEEH snEES FEEPECT BRE: E3w : BoRBE = : 3 1.5 2 B g L 5 Ed P = The first question that suggests itself is, Is it fair to confine an inquiry of this na- ture to cities of 30,000 inhabitants? I be- lleve that for general deductions we can hardly afford to take smaller towns Into consideration. While hundreds of suc- cessful municipal lighting undertakings may be found in all parts of the country outside of these thirteen cities, local con- ditions affect them more than In larger places. The value of the land occupled by the buildings, the area lighted, the schedule ot hours, the smaller salaries and wages and, above all, the direct supervision of the taxpayers themselves—all make for better results from electric lighting plants in- etalled on a small scale for town or village purposes. It municipal ownership is a practical problem of municipal government, it must relate to communities of urban pretensions, organized on lines of a large business cor- poration and manned by officers compelled to shoulder responsibility for the public affairs, Some Points to Be Emphasized. Before discussing the causes that have led up to the present situation, let me em- phasize the following polnts. First—Only two of the thirteen cities un- der consideration purchased the property of existing lighting companies, the others bullding their own plants. Second—While the original investment is not particularly large, the capltal outlay for the year is a considerable item ‘Third—The expense of maintenance and operating is in all cases decidedly moderat without outward indications of extravagance or jobbery. Fourth—Most of these cities rely on their own clectric lighting plants for their sntire street illumination, spending little In addition tor street lamps, and that for gas and oil Fitth—Only four of the thirteen cities re- turn an income from salés of electric light to private consumers. Sixth—Commissioner Wright carefully ab- stains from venturing on average cost sta tisties or reducing expenditures to & per lamp basis By reference to other exhibits In the same bulletin we find that of the 135 American cities of over 30,000 population, 99 own their own water works plants, while 36 are served by private corporations, 5 own their own gas works, while 130 depend on private corpora- tlons. Of the thirteen cities owning their own electric lighting plants, three—namely, Bt. Joseph, Little Rock and Topeka—are still supplied with water by private cor- porations, while only Wheeling owns water works, gas works and efectric lighting plant. This exhibit, while it must be in & meas- ure disappointing to sincere advocates of municipal ownership, seems to me to indi- cate that at the start too much stress was laid on the financial saving to be effected by the municipal undertak- ing and too little account taken of the powerful forces to be overcome before the private franchised corporations could be uprocted First Dis rity of Cost Reduced. The disparity in cost, comparing public and private ownership, so striking and even startling in the early days, has to a great extent been bridged. This disparity existed not only as to electric lightiug by public and private plants, but also as (o lighting in different cities under different | private services. That the charges ex- acted through the comtract system were in many cases exorbitant and extorilonate will now be sdmitted by the electric light- jing numbers of lamps, and then be- fore the expiration of their agreements cleverly to take time by the forelock to have_the contracts steathily renewed, with- out affording any opening for municipal ownership agitation to become effective. Another thing that has retarded progress along these lines is the apparently unques- tlonable demand for enlarged municipal ac- tivities in every direction. The pressure upon municipal resources to keep abreast of constantly increasing requirements in the exercise of long-conceded functions— pavements, parks and parkways, charitable institutions, public schools, libraries, fire and police departments—has forced a choice between demands of relative urgency and tmportance. Citles, like individuals and corporations, have debt limits they cannot safely overstep, and it has often become a question whether better pavements and im- proved streets should take. precedence of city water works or municipal electric Hghtin Perhaps, after all, municipal ownership has been making as great headway as con- ditions have warranted, although not as great as was expected. The steady course of consolidation by purchase or by com- munity of interest plans, by which the con- trol of these franchised corporations in each clty is belng gradually concentrated, makes the problem of protecting the public against exorbitant exactlons and f{nsuring to the | community the financial returns to which it |18 entitled all the more pressing. Every growing American city will have to face this problem during the next few decades—many of them during the next few years. Mu- nicipal ownership s still the only satis- | tactory solution. [SAYS ANYONE CAN BE HAPPY Scientists Say it 1s h Can Be Aoquir. We Kunow How. | Fre (Copyright, 198, by Press Publishing Co.) PARIS, Jan. 10.—(New York World Cable- gram—8pecial Telegram.)—Dr. Paul Valen- tine, leading specialist in nervous diseases, will visit America soon to lecture on psychological sclence. At present he Is glv- {ng @ series of lectures In Paris on the peychology of the modern woman from the normal and the pathologic point of view He was the manager of the Revue de Psy- cologle Clinique et Therapeutique for five years and is the author of numerous scien- tific, philosophic and critical essays. Dr. Valentine says: “Definite knowledge of the female organ- {sm and brain allow us to assert that the evolution of the woman of today tends to- ward the more perfect utilizing of the marvelous resources with which nature has endowed her. The most recent develop- ments of peychological sclence enable me to arrive at the practical conclusion that happiness is an art in which all could be 's If we understood the elements at our very door and kmew how to adapt them to our special abilities and varying of our environment." Valentine is widely known in Parls soclety, and ber receptions are popular. She writes under the pseudohym of “Gene- vieve Lanzy.” She will accompany her hus- band to the United States. Don't be a “Jim Dumps.” If you have force, come sell high-class books, an ex. cellent profession. Call 631 Paxton block. The constant im- | in- | SMART SET HAS A GAY LARK 8tory of & Ohristmas Party Which Was Not Intended teo Leak Out. WOMEN DRESS AS MEN AND MEN AS WOMEN dies Cut a”Fine Figure in and Demonstrate They Conld Make Good In the Chorus, (Copyright, 1908, by Press Publishing Co.) LONDON, Jan. 10.—(New York World Cablegram—Special Telegram.)—The facts are slowly leaking out about an extraordi- pary entertalnment gotten up at Lord and Lady Howe's Christmas party at Gopsall. This consisted of a fancy dress ball con- fined to members of ‘he house party, in which all the women appeared as male characters. Lady Hnwn,dress'd as a Knights Templar, with a Jong black cloak, with a white cross, a two-handed sword, bright steel armor and helmet. Her sister, Lady Sarah Wilson, more daring, appeared as Prince Chaflie, in kilts, and made a very attractive, well-shaped young man. Princess Henry of Pless made an ex- tremely graceful Romeo. It was generally voted that she would make the fame of any chorus. But, histrionically, the success of the evening was Mrs. George Cornwallls West, tormerly Lady Randolph Churchill, who came as a roystering Spanish cavaller. She wore black silk tights, doublet and hoss, a dark crimeon velvet cloak trimmed with £old; had a sword, a great diamond blazing in her black sombrero, with its drooping features; dlamond buckles on her pretty shoes, and a black mustache, waxed and ferociously curled like the kaiser's. The women were at first rather shy about entering the room in thelr unaccustomed but most becoming costumes, and shrink- ingly tried to hide behind the skirts of their companions. But this feeling soon wore off and everything went gaily as pos- sible. It was odd to see what appeared to be men dancing with men partners. The affalr was not to be talked about, it was understood, but it has come out, never. theless, and excites the greatest Interest. Countess Howe, Lady Sarah Wilson ana Mrs. Qeorge Cornwallis West (Lady Ran- dolph Churchill) are aunts of the present duke of Marlborough. Princess Henry of Pless Is a sister-in-law of Mrs. George Cornwallls West. Barl Howe, whose great wealth may be gauged by his ownership of 33,700 acres of profitable land, belongs to ome of the proudest families of the United Kingdom and {s prominent in what is called the “smart” set. One of his an- cestors, the third Viscount Howe, was a brigadier general in the French and Indlan war and fell at Ticonderoga. Another, the fitth Viscount Howe, had the chief com. mand of the British troops in the American war_for independence, led at Bunker Hill and captured New York. LAWYER SEPARATES LOVERS Exigencies of Divorce Court More Potent Than Convention- alities of Soclety. (Copyright, 133, by Press Publishing Co.) GENEVA, Switzerland, Jan. 10.—(New York World Cablegram—Special Telegram.) —The crown princess of Saxony and Andre Glron are separated for the time being under the advice of Lawyer Lachenal, who, in pursuance of his view, as expressed in the cable dispatches in last Sunday's World, peremptorily informed them that they must follow his advice while the legal proceedings are pending or find another lawyer. He absolutely shut down on all further interviews and directed Giron to withdraw to Lausanne, where Giron is now estab- Itshed in Hotel Beausite until the divorce case 1s concluded. The crown princess goes out as usual, and it s belleved that every afternoon the lovers have a clandestine meeting at Nyon, a quiet little place about half way to Lausanne, for the crown princess is away from 1 to 6 o'clock each day. At first she talked with Giron through the Botel telephone, but as it is placed in the office and her words were audible in the hall she has given up using it. The scandal is now in a fair way to be abated, at least in its more flagrant aspect. But the crown princess etill turns a deat ear to all propositions to separate herselt permanently from Giron. Her husband has offered to her a chateau on Lake Gmunden, in upper Austria, with the privilege of having her children with her every other month if she will abandon Giron. She refused. A dispatch from Dresden reports that the crown princess’ mind has been turned by the reading of problem novels and plays. 1t is significant that Giron recently bought for her here Ibsen's plays and a set of Tolstoi's novels. Giron, too, is a confirmed Ibsenite. He tells his friends that he has been engaged three years on a novel In which he treats the eex and marriage questions from an entirely new standpoint. He has a high opinion of his literary possi- bilities. The dream of the princess and Giron is to settle among the literary Bohemian set tn Paris. MRS. POTTER REJECTS OFFER Previous Contract Compels Her Decline a Fine Proffered Enj gement. (Copyright, 1908, by Press Publishing Co.) LONDON, Jan. 10.—(New York World Ca- blegram—Special Telegram.)—Mrs. Brown Potter had an offer of $1,500 & week to play the leading part in the United States in Tolstol's “The Resurrection.” But she al- ready was under contract for a tour in Great Britaln to give recitations under novel conditions, as the recitations are to be accompanied with music. She led off with & great success in London last Sunday. Mre. Potter was sorely tempted to ac- cept the American offer, but was deterred by recollections of grievous trouble she incurred at the outset of her career by breaking a contract to play Jullet fn Mr. Miner's company for the more enticing role of Cleopatra with Henry Abbey. TURKS OUTDO THEMSELVES Macedonians Punished Whether They Have Firearms Not. (Copyr! Press Publishing Co.) VIENNA, Jan. 10.—(New York World Ca- blegram—Special Telegram.)—The Turkish soldlery in Macedonia, on the frontier, have been distinguishing themselves by un- common brutality. Some Bashibazouks and regulars lately released from service began a sort of foray on their own account among the Christian villages, ostensibly seeking for arms. When no weapons were forthcoming they flogged the owner of the house for secreting them’ when the weapons are found be 1s flogged for possessing them In the Serbinovo district all the women were driven into the barracks and scan- dalously ili-treated. Some were strangled The 10-year-old child of & peasant named Gorgl Gliew was chopped into pieces. In the same village several persons were tor- that to Formerly Shiverick Furniture Co. Our change makes it imperative for us to reduce our stock before our February inventory and we fully realize BAKER FURNITURE COMPANY, present the fact Reduce a Hundred Thousand Dollar stock to our limit will mean some smart selling for the next twenty days. Notwithstanding the fact that we anticipated a change of management -January Ist opportunities have come to us to buy several consignments of Furniture at Our Own Price (WHICH WERE SHIPPED TO ANOTHER FIRM) We have been house cleaning this week, Every floor and ware- house has been ransacked for all the odd lots and pieces of 1, 2 and 3 of a kind; chairs, tables, sideboards, etc,, and marked at prices where quality or cost was not considered. No furniture, rug or curtain buyer can afford to overlook the advantages of this sale, Curtains at Greatly Reduced Prices tured in the most terrible manner by having cords twisted round their heads and tight- ened with a tourniquet. WARDS HAVING SERIOUS TIME One Seriously I Asphyx md Another Almost ted by Escap- ing Gas. (Copyright, 13, by Press Publishing Co.) PARIS, Jan. 10.—(New York World Cable- gram—Special Telegram.)—Countess Ward, who was divorced reecntly from her hus- band, Count Ward, sometimes styled ““The Copper King" in London, is critically 1l in Mentone, in the south of France. She is attended by two medical specialists and four nurses from a hospital. Captain Cyril Blackburne Tew and his bride, the sister of Countess Ward, have re- ved numerous congratulations on their recent narrow escape from suffocation by coal gas in Count Ward's Paris flat, on Rue Leo Delibes. The bride is out of danger, but 1t will be some days before she s tully restored. This case has called attention to the fre- quency of such accidents in Paris apart- ments, owing to defective ventilation or structural flaws, and has caused something like & panic, providing a busy time for the architects. Tenants now refuse to take pos- sesslon of apartments without a certificate of satety from the architect. The practice of sleeping with the windows closed, al- most universal n Paris, greatly increases the danger from defective flues or gas pipes. Countess Ward, better known in America as Mrs. Reginald Renshaw Ward, is the daughter of H. Victor Newcomb of New York and a kinswoman of Ward. She got a divorce November 15. Count Ward for- merly lived in Boston, but afterward became a member of the firm of Clark, Ward & Co., brokers and bankers of New York. For years he has made his home In London. It is gossip in London that Ward will marry the Dowager Countess Howe next May and that his divorced wife is betrothed to Nathaniel Griggs Ingraham of New York, the wedding having been set to take place February 16 in San Remo, Italy. “Love lightens 3 labor,” the say- ing runs, and in a sense it is true. 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