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:1 • ^ ■ -V, THE CHRONICLE Strives to be & cleiik^ newsy and reliable. % If You Don’t Read The Clinton Chronicle You Don’t Get The NEWS r V , \ VOLUME XIX CLINTON, S. C., THURSDAY, APRIL 3rd, 1919 NUMBER 14 CLINTON ‘LIGHT WATER AND RATES. The publisher of *The Chronicle is in receipt of the following article from OtfuncOinan J.' F.' .laco'bs for publication. , wit!i ‘a reqlle'St of operation ami maintenance of the plant, and whatever necessary expenses may be required by the town’s develop ment. “There has been considerable- criti cism of the high water and light rates charged by the town council of Clin ton. Our mayor, feeling that the rat are fully justified, has paid no attenti to the criticisms. ' As ,he is not ver. i much given to making explanation i and as the criticisMs are unjustified th writer wishes to lay before the people of Clinton the actual facts of the case. “The light and water rates of Clin ton have been increased 50 per cent, as compared with the pre-war period. The cost of operating the plairt has increased in a larger degree than this increase in rates. Coal before the war cost $.80 per ton. It now costs $2.60 per ton. Firemen before the war cost $17.50 per month: They are now paid $50.00 per month. “All other expenses have gone up in proportion. During the past year it has been necessary for the town to purchase additional land costing $500.00, to erect an additional ground level reservoir costing approximately $3,000 and doub ling the .storage capacity of .water, to raise the walls and put on a new roof on the power house costing approximate ly $1,000. It is the endeavor of the administration to really give fine serv ice, and keep the plant in perfect con dition at all times. The up keep is much more expensive 1 than before the war, owing to the increase in the price of oils, boiler flues, and all repair parts. “The number of street lamps has been doubled. It is the desire of the administration to operate the water and light and sewer system without creat ing a deficit. That is not practicable on the old rate at present costs. The deficit would be very heavy indeed if the old rates were still in force. It is the desire of the mayor to reduce the rates as soon as costs are so reduced as to admit of it, but that is not prac ticable at the present time. The entire taxable returns of the town amount to only about $1,000,000. At 15 mills this yields only $15,000 a year approxi mately, wdth which to run the town. Of this sum $5,100 is required to meet the interest on $100,000 of bonds. If a large deficit were created by the light, water and sewer system, there could be no street improvements. For this reason the rates are established on a basis which will admit of paying cost —“••It -hws 'been-suggested that the ad ministration might do better by taking hydro-electric power. There are two possible sources. The Southern Power Company is the biggest concern operat ing in this region. It would not bring jts line to Clinton, however, unless it could sell vastly more power tham the town uses, and unless the mills in Clin- 4 on decide to electrify their, plants and take the hydro-electric power of the Southern Power Company, there is no prospect of that company coming to Clinton for they would have to charge the town of Clinton vastly more than it costs to produce the power by steam. “The only other concern which could deliver the power, and would, deliver it to Clinton is the Reedy River Power Company. That concern desires to sell power to tjie town, but has never made a ..proposition which was regarded as a profitable one for the town to accept. All hydro-electric companies occasion ally fall down in delivery of power. For instance, at the automobile show a few nights ago power gave out in Greenville and for 45 minutes there whs no light. It is much more important to have power and water and light al ways- available thap to have cheap rates; Service in Clinton is hardly equalled by the service in any of the towns taking hydro-electric power. “ It would be necessary, in case we were to purchase hydro-electric power, to maintain our steam plant ready for emergencies which would involve the constant employment of fireman and engineer, even though the plant is not in operation. It will also be necessary to operate it occasionally to keep it from deteriorating. “Under these circumstances, the price- which the hydro-electric power company offers must be competitive with the coal and oil cost of a steam plant and not with the total cost of operation. Otherwise, the purchase of hydro-electric power, together with the maintenance of the steam plant as a subsidiary emergency system would in volve a higher cost than operating the steam plant alone. Jt is for these reasons that no hydro-electric contract has been made by. the city of ('liyton. It is the opinion of the,' administration that the people of Clinton would prefer not to accumulate' debts on the opera tion of their power, light, water, ami sewer system, that they would also pre fer to have the town constantly making progress in the way of street improve ments, that they would prefer to have a light of such quality and steadiness as would constitute the best possible serv- fce,. jsmLthat if to yield this kind of a service and operate the town affairs in a conservative and safe way, it'is neces sary to charge the higher rate, it is confidently believed that the*mass of the people of Clinton would prefer to have the higher rate. It would be mani festly unfair to sell water and light and power at a rate so low as to accumulate a deficit in the operation of the plant, which'could only be discharged by tak ing tax money away from street im provement. Consequently, people who do not buy light power, or even water from the town, would have some of their tax money paid in to cover a deficit resulting from selling at too low- a price to the users of those commodities, This would be manifestly unfair. “It is hoped that conditions will so improve within the next year as to per mit of a reduction in the rates; but that will depend upon the cdst of operation. “J. F. JACOBS.” CHAUTAUQUA ENTHUSIASTS MEET SATURDAY. Miss L. Jeannette Totten, the clever organizer of—the- Com munity Chautauquas who was in Clinton a while back in’the interest of Clinton’s Chautauqua, is re turning to Clinton to meet with all the guarantors and thole in terested in the Chautauqua, Sat urday, April 5th. At the meeting all of the guar antors and friends of the Chau tauqua will meet for organization. There a manager or president of the Chautauqua Association will he elected, as well as the chairman of the various committees that will have the arrangements for the Chautauqua in charge. It is expected that there will be a full meeting as a great deal of interest is being shown in the undertaking. ' The general public is invited to attend. The meeting will be only a short one and a busi ness meeting solely; A great deal of interest is being displayed in the probable pro gramme of the Chautauqua and announcements in.this respect will probably be made at this meeting. The date, another interesting sub ject, will also be discusseftT^ * The big Chautauqua >vill appear in a large tent in which will be comfortable seats for a large audi ence. The Chautauqua manage ment furnish the tent and erect it. A few accessories are necessary, however, and a committee will probably be elected to be called the grounds committee to co-op erate with the Chautauqua in thfs respect. There will also have to be ticket, advertising and other com mittees. • The Chautauqua for Clinton is headed by a large number of Clin ton’s most influential business and professional men as well as a num ber of ladies. The list below in cludes the names of all who have agreed , to act as guarantors for the Chautauqua. Others have in dicated a desire also to become pfiLa.runtors andjwill no doubt be added to the list. ~TtTrHtst--iiL_us follows: ii. H. Boyd, \Vm. 1\ Jacobs, Jack H. Young, M. G. Woodworth, I). J. Brimm, L. Ross Lynn, A. E. Spencer, John 1). Bell, W. W. Har ris, J. Lee Young, Crawford Clapp, Mrs. W. J. Bailey, Simpson*Gro. Co., W. C. Bailey, C. M. Bailey, R. H. Hatton, John T. Young, E. W. Ferguson, J. H. Stone, L. A. Barrow, James Brethes & Co., John Sprat-t' L. F. McSwain, (Miss) -Clara E. Duckytt, Jas. R. Copeland, J. 1. Coleman, Edgar Todd, Adair Furniture Co., E. B. Sloan, E. M. Gillespie, W. H. Simpson, L. 1). McCrary, 11. B. Vance, G. W. Young, Mrs Jacobs, Sr., Milling Gro. Co Pitts,. J. F. Jacobs, Jr., Stone, J. F.-Jacobs, Sr. The mebting will be held at Copeland's Hall. Saturday morn ing at 10:d<) A. M., and all who are interested are urged to be present. FINALSETTLEMENT Take notice that on the 28th day of April 1011) 1 will render a final account of my acts jtpd doings as jblministrator 6f the* esdAToor Th<mTitrrsrTerdwpasettr in the office of the Judge of Probate of Laurens county, at 11 o’clock, a. ni. and on the same day will apply fora final discharge-from my trust as Administra tor. : r " . Any person indebted to said estate, is notified and required to make payments on that.date, and all persons leaving claims against said estate will present them on or before said date. Duly pVovon or be forever barred. E. B. Sloan Administrator March js, mil). , • Sweet Potato Plants I have contracted for 75,000 Nancy Hall and Porto Rico Potato Plants and can get them any time desired on 3 or 4 days notice from now until June 15th. Please give me your order. I. C. BOLAND. THIRTY YEARS EXPERIENCE IN FITTING GLASSES tnnoT if f And the Nation Will Show That It Stands Behind Them in the Victory Liberty Loan Drive. More than a miHIon of Uncle Sam’s boys are “over there" looking after the common good of the world. And they will have to stay upon the job until it is done; until things are right ed again; until order is brought out of chaos. - While they are overseas they must be taken care of adequately; they must be clothed and fed. and lodged comfortably. Uncle Sam estimates that it costs $423.27 a year to equip and maintain a soldier in Europe. Part of the proceeds from the com ing Victory Liberty Loan will be de voted to caring for the “doughboys.” Part of it will go into the rehabilita- -Lon fund Tor putting the - injured-sol- E. B. GARY/IN ' OPTOMETRIST Okkick Uoukh: 8:30 a. m. to 12:50 e. m. 1:50 i*. m. to (! i*. m Offlee Commercial Bank Building J. F. , J. M. (’. W. For Sale—300 bushels pure Mexican lug Itoll Cotton Seed at $4.50 i>er bu. Also a few Cleveland big l«)ll at the same price. T. J. BLALOCK. FOR SALE—Japanese Ribbon Cane Syrup. Also Cane Seed for sale. ANDY Y. JONES. diers back upon their feet* Part of it will go for insurance claims. The rest of it will go to meet the hundred and one other demands for this green est of world emergencies since the dawn of civilization. Every mother’s son of them did his part, helped insure liberty and justice • for the world at Iqrge and restore Uncle Sam to his rightful position in th.) estimation ' of the nations of earth. ' They did their duly fully, these boys who won. They fought to the eijid. through fire and flood. They never talked about letting up. This is no tun*. fer A.uevieans to think of lettingftoip. Th" nation must stand bv il's guns, l y its records; by Uncle Sam and mm t make the next loan another big sneep. s. See our display of Aluminum ware. S. M. & E. H. WILKES L CO. GEO. H. ELLIS J. K. HATTON It is with a great deal of pleasure that the Ellis Motor Company announces to the public the‘connection of Mr. J. K. Hatton of this city, he becoming a firm member and devoting hisentire’timetothe sale and service of automobiles. Our repair department we hope to make second to none in the State, we have secured the services of Mr. W. E. West, an expert mechanic of sixteen years experience in automobile building and repairing, and hope to give the public efficient service on all repair work intrusted to our care, and we will appreciate a trial. - - , ■ •• ■ . • ' Mr. West arrived yesterday, and is now at your service. A complete stock of tires, tubes, auto accessories, gasoline and oils will be carried at all times, our filling station will soon be seen on West Main Street (“It’s a Beauty”), which will in the near future be our new home. COME SEE 5$ Motor Company Clinton, i - DISTRIBUTORS South Carolina