Jasper County Democrat, Volume 13, Number 96, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 March 1911 — FOR A DAY CURRENT. [ARTICLE]

FOR A DAY CURRENT.

Petition for Establishing Day. Electric Service Is Being Generally Signed. A petition to the City Council, asking that a day current be established at the city light plant has been circulated among the business and professional men of j Rensselaer this week and is being generally signed. In fact only three parties so far have declined to put their names to the petition. Thursday noon there were about 90 names on the paper, and in practically all cases each name represented two or more establishments —a business house br office and one* or more residences, as is the case with the names of partnership 1 business firms}

Of course with a day current all lights must be put on a meter basis, and it is proposed that the consumer advance the cost of the meter for his office, store or

residence, and pay the cost of installing same—which will be very little—and the city reimburse him light service, the meters to be owned and belong to the city. Each meter will cost not to exceed S 9, and it is proposed to advance this to the city by reason of the fact’that it is not in financial condition to go ahead and buy the several 'hundred that will be required. The petition will be presented to the council at its next meeting, when it will no doubt be favorably acted upon.

The establishing of a day electric service in Rensselaer has been urged recently by The Democrat in response to demands for such a service. There are many dark and cloudy days when lights are much needed in business houses and residences hours before the “juice” is turned on, besides electricity would be used for power in many instances could it be had during tHe day. If a day current is established The Democrat will probably install electricity for power to run its linotype and presses, and several other concerns using light power will do likewise, while all new business requiring power will use electricity, it being both economical, noiseless and convenient.

The Democrat recently pointed out that Monticello, Fowler, and even the little town of Brook enjoyed a day current, while we were still on a night schedule. Surely if towns as small as Fowler and Brook can afford a day current, then Rensselaer can do so. The plants In the above places are under private ownership while ours is municipally owned. Private ownership does not as a rule mean better service unless it gets paid for it, and we may conclude, therefore, that the day service at the places named yields a net revenue to the owners of those plants. As for difference in cost of lights under a meter system—the only equitable manner electric service should be sold, for then each consumer pays for precisely the amount used—there will be little difference except with those having more than three or four lights. The minimum rate is $1 per month, and you would pay that under the meter system the same as you now pay it under * the flat rate. But you could not run three or four lights all night long or six or eights lights and pay for but half that number. The meter system is equitable for both the city and the consumer. There are now several private meters in the city, and if all consumers are put on a meter we understand the city will buy these privately owned meters that are now in use at their present valfie! and pay for them in light service, the same as with the new meters.

One of the users of a meter here who has ten lights in his house tells us that his light bill seldom exceeds $1.50 per month even in the long evenings of early winter, and in the summer is at the minimum of $1 per month. Last month, even, he only had to pay 90 cents —after deducting the 10 per cent disif paid on or before the 10th of the month—an.d the real value of all the “juice” consumed in February was but 330 cents.

This man has ten lights that he can use if he wants to, but by the meter system his light bill is less than one-half what the ten lights virould have cost him on the flat rate now in vogue. Another advantage of a day service is the fact that we would be in a position to secure some small manufacturing plants if opportunity offered —for all light manufacturing nowadays is done when possible by electric power and manufacturerers do not care to locate in a town where a day current is not established. So, from every point of view, it would seem, the; argument is all in favor of the meter system and a day current, and we believe the council will accede to the wisties of the citizens as . expressed in this petition and grant their prayer. ,

We will agree to duplicate anything you can buy in our line for less money and give you better quality than any firm in the town or county. —■C. Earl Duvall.