Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 61, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 March 1920 — LIGHT AND POWER SITUATION [ARTICLE]

LIGHT AND POWER SITUATION

ENGINEER CHAMBERLAIN SUBMITS CAREFULLY PREPARED REPORT. The Republican undertakes the publishing of the report or Engineer Charles Chamberlain 'to the city council of Rensselaer relative to the needs of the city in. added facility in the way of electric current. The report is of considerable length and will appear in installments. It will be of vital interest to every citizen and tax-payer of this city. The following is the first of Engineer Chamberlain’s report: Ao requested by you I* will respectfully submit the following two plans for consideration for the betterment of our City Water, Light and Power Plant. I do this .with the view of maintaining our present good service and also good service for the future at reasonable cost to our citizens and patrons. The fast increasing, load on our station by the demand for electric power and lights, and also the immediate demand for electric current for cooking purposes which is being asked for by many of our citizens, and recommended by the Public Service Commission of Indiana makes more current generating capacity, necessary. I feel that it is time to recommend and suggest making plans the purpose qf installing some new, large and more modern machinery iff our present plant. Or the installation ■of -the largest and most efficient machinery that latest engineering practices will permit, by building a new central station on the line of the Monon Railway. One of the two plans must be decided upon at an early date by the city council and the citizens of the •city, if we expect to meet the demands for current which is being demanded of us. I will give you some facts and figures., of the two plans as I find them at present and for the future as near as one can tell at this time. Our coal at present prices is costing us $2.25 per ton more now than it did when odr present light and power rate of 8, 5 and 4 cents per killowat hour was scheduled with the Utility Commission a few years ago. . We will never again see the days of cheap coal, so let us get ready to economize on the most expensive and most valuable article that will be used in either of the two stations. • , , . Being able to make electnc current at reasonable prices should be one of our strongest elements in building in a small city. Labor conditions in the large cities will force the establishment of small factories or branches of the large factories into outlying small cities. The branch factories will probably be small institutions, and it does not pay to operate power plants m them. Such factories will gladly become power and light subscribers of the central station. And the ability to get this kind of service should influence the location of many factories of this character. Electric Range Date, „ (Compiled from Several Authorities). The Pacific Power .and. Light Company report a detailed investigation into the cost of cooking by electricity. The results obtained by the investigation indicate that the average family can cook electrically for about $3.00 per month with electricity selling for 3. fl cents per killowat hour. This company now has a total of 201 electric ranges connected with its lines. Milwaukee Electric Railway and

Light Co, shows the average consumption of current for cooking to be below one killowat per person per day. Others show the cost of cooking at 3 cents per killowat hour to the first two in the family, 31.50 each per month, each additional person in the family >I.OO per month. The Advantage of Electric Ranges. The possibilities of using electricity for cooking purposes are rapidly being recognized by the public service commissions and some utilities. •

The gas, gasoline and oil stoves in many places, are being replaced by the electric staves and undoubtedly the electric range will maantain its superiority over the gas and oil range, as it is more sanitary, no smokes or gases and does better cooking due to the fact that there is less shrinkage. Food does not dry out in electric ranges, and the results are more like to cori over gas, oil or coal for purposes* It ur convenient. All that is necessary to start the coo*ing operation is to snap a switch or press a button. It is cleanly, no smoke, soot, ashes or dirt. Km a labor saver, in that it eliminates I । dirt from pots and pans. It ». safe. There is no danger from I 'E& to* produce a eteady, even I sr having three , control., each giving

are manufactured and can be placed on electric ranges are desirable as well as economical. The clock thermostat, and fireless cooker arrangements enables one to place the meal in the oven at their convenience, setting the dock and thermostat. The electricity will be turned on at the proper time, and continue until the oven is of the desired temperature. Then the thermostat will stop the current flow and the meal will be prepared by the fireless cooker method at the proper time, though the housewife may have been away or busy with other duties for some hours. Four principal reasons have been the cause for delay of the electric range. I will enumerate them as follows: v ... 1, High first cost including purchasing price and installation. 2. Anticipated big operating cost. * 3. ' Statistics with present method lof cooking. , \ 4. Loss in disposition of old ‘ equipment. All of these reasons will be gradually overcome, and the main reason will be overcome rapidly with a central station that can furnish current at reasonable prices and in quantities to. satisfy the demands of our citizens. (To Be Continued).