The courier-index., December 07, 1917, Image 1

About The courier-index. (Marianna, Ark.) 1917-current

Image provided by: Arkansas State Archives

                
•— • ■ ■ • i
■M
mm. TWELVE PACKS
•
ni
H_1 ————— *»
VOL. 49 ——— ___ _____ . i ■ .
__ MARIANNA, ARKANSAS, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1917. NO. 48
New Electric Light Company
Asks Franchise to Build and
Operate a Plant in Marianna
The Citizens Service Company, or
ganized under the laws of Oklahoma,
but operating in several towns in
Western Arkansas, has asked for a
franchise from the city of Marianna
i to construct an electric light and
power plant here to operate in com
petition with the Arkansas Light &
Power Company. It. It. Brader of
Muskogee, Okla.. was in Marianna
the past ten days talking with mem
bers of the council and with citizens
generally, and at the meeting of the
council on Tuesday night of this
week he presented an ordinance
granting his company a franchise for
a period of fifty years. Under the
terms of the franchise the Citizens
Service Company agrees to con
struct and have ready for operation
an electric light and power plant
within six months from the passage
of the ordinance granting the fran
chise. The company further obli
gates itself in the franchise to
never charge more than 12 cents
per killowatt for domestic lighting
and in its schedule for power its max
imum rate is never to exceed four
cents per killowatt.
The domestic schedule in full is
as follows:
First 20 K. W. H.. 12
Next 30 K. W. H._.__ 11
Next 50 K. W. H-10
Next 100 K. W. H_08
Next 200 K. W. H_07
Next 200 K. W. H....__06
Over 600 K. W. H_04
The schedule now being charged
by the Arkans-as Light & Power Co.
is as follows:
First 20 K. W. H_16
Next 100 K. W. H_ ...15
All over 120 K. W. H...10
Under the schedule of rates pro
posed by the Citizens Service Com
nanv 20 K W H wnnlH r»nn.
sumer $2.40, for which the company
proposes to allow a discount of ten
per cent for prompt settlement of
the bill, making the net charge $2.16.
The charge made by the Arkansas
Light & Power Company for 20 K.
IV. H. at 16 cents per K. W. H. is
$3.20, from which no discount is al
lowed for prompt settlement.
The following comparison of charg
es under the two schedules will
serve to show the difference in
cost of service to consumers:
The first column gives the charge,
less discount, that would be made
under rates named in franchise asked
for by the Citizens Service Company.
The last column gives charge now
made by the Arkansas Light &
Power Company:
30 K. W. H_$3.15 $ 4.70
40 K. VV. H.__.. 4 14 6.20
50 K. W. H__5.13 7.70
60 K. W. H_ 6.03 9.20
70 K. W. H... 6.93 10.70
80 K. W. H... 7.83 12.20
90 K. W. H... 8.73 13.70
100 K. W. H_ 9.63 14.70
The last column, which represents
present charges made by the Arkap
sas Light & Power Company, is
based on a new schedule of rates
put in effect on November 1. by an
ordinance granting a temporary in
crease to the company on account of
the increased cost of operating the
electric light plant. It should be ex
plained. however, that the council
passed the ordinance granting the
increase with the view that such in
crease would he only temporary, and
that as soon as conditions become
more nearly normal the former
schedule of rates will become effect
ive. Under the old schedule the
charges made by the Arkansas Light
* Power Company are much less
than those indicated in the table
above. In fret its charge for 100
K. W. H. is $10.70, the same as that
to l)P ph u rtruil niwlftr tho frunphiSfi
asked for by the Citizens Service
Company, with the exception that the
latter company allows a discount of
ten per cent for prompt payment of
bills. On all amounts under 100 K.
W. H. the schedule of rates proposed
by the new company shows substan
tial reductions from the old rates
charged by the Arkansas Light &
Power Company.
There is a big difference in the
power rate proposed by the new
company and that charged by the
Arkansas Light & Power Company.
The proposed new schedule follows:
Pirst 2,000 K. W. H__04
Next 3,000 K. W. H_035
* Next 5.000 K. W. H_03
All over 10,000 K. W. H_025
The power rate of the Arkansas
Night & Power Company follows:
Pirst 50 K. W. H..-.08
Next 50 K. W. H___---.075
Next 50 K. W. H.-I..1--06
Next 50 K. \V. H_L_055
Next 50 K. W. H_05
Next 50 K. W. H..._ 045
Next 50 K. W. H..--.04
Next 50 K. W. H_035
All over 500 K. \V. H_03
At the meeting of the council on
Tuesday night when the ordinance
granting a franchise to the Citizens
Service Company was presented
members of the council had not fully
made up their minds on the matter.
The council wants Information on the
■ inancial ability of the company to
carry out its contract. Two members
'lid not see how a second light and
power plant could pay here, and indi
cated they would vote against thf'
ordinance when it came up for final
action.
Mr. Brader who was present was1
asked to make a statement. He said
the ( itizens Service Company is a
subsidiary organization of the Mid
Continent Consolidated Oil and Utili
ties Company, ‘organized under the
laws of New York. That the com
pany operates under several names
in different states; that it is rated
in Dunn's and Bradstreet’s at $2,000,
000; that it has plants in Oklahoma,
lexas, Iowa, and is now supplying
current through high power trans
mission lines to Ozark, Mulberry,
Alma, Spadra, Clarksville, Paris, Su
biaco and several other towns in
western Arkansas. He offered to
i have bankers telegraph to members
of the council attesting the financial
responsibility of the company. He
stated very frankly his company had
decided to invade the territory now
; occupied by the Arkansas Light &
Power Company, and that he was
j Picking the places where he had
reason to believe the service and the
j rates were unsatisfactory. He said
if he had found the Arkansas Light
& Power Company was giving good
service at reason:*.,* rates and that
the consumers were satisfied with
what they were getting he would
not ask for a franchise. He said it
was a game of freeze-out, and that
if the council would grant his com
pany the right to enter Marianna,
the citizens here would get better
lights and power at substantial sav
ings. He told the council there was
but one question for its members to
determine; if they were convinced
the people of Marianna were satis
fied with what they are now getting
in the way of service given and the
prices charged by the Arkansas Light
4 Power Company they would be
justified in turning down his appli
cation for a franchise. If, upon the
other hand thev kneu- the neenle
were not satisfied with the service
and rates given by the Arkansas
Light & Power Company, they should
in fairness to the people whom they
represent give his company the right
tc enter the local field. He offered
to amend his franchise if objections
were found to any of its provisions.
He stated his company was granted
a franchise by the Stuttgart city
council on Monday night of this week
and that the Citizens Service Com
pany will enter into competition with
the Arkansas Light & Power Com
pany in that city.
The council decided to let the ordi
nance remain on the calendar and
will give it further consideration at
the next meeting to be held on the
first Tuesday night in January.
In discussing the matter yesterday
with the editor of the Courier-Index,
Mr. llrader said:
"I can see no reason in the world
why the city council should refuse
to let my company do business in
Marianna. I am prepared to furnish
conclusive evidence of our financial
reliability. I would be glad if mem
bers of the council or interested cit
izens would communicate with citi
zens of any of the towns or cities
in western Arkansas and eastern
Oklahoma where we operate public
utilities and find out from them how
we serve the people. I cannot imag
ine a city council acting as a guar
dian for a public utility, especially
so when I find, upon investigation,
that the public utility company in
question has been and is now giving
unsatisfactory service at excessive
rates. If another company wanted to
come to Marianna and establish a
competing ice plant, no doubt every
citizen, including members of the
o/vi.rtoil u'aiiLI ii'olonimi it* unil tltot
too in spite of the fact that the
present ice plant is one of the best
I have seen in a small city in Ark
ansas, and apparently is being ef
ficiently operated and is serving all
the local demands. Marianna has
four hanks—as many as a city this
size ought to have. Yet if outside
capitalists should conclude that this
was an inviting field for them to in
vest their money in a fifth bank
I do not doubt such investment would
be welcomed by the people. I am
here asking for a franchise—not an
exclusive franchise—just the right to
invest a large sum of money in an
up-to-date and thoroughly efficient
electric light and power plant My
company obligates itself in the fran
chise never to charge in excess of
twelve cents per killowatt for do
mestic service. We offer a saving of
more than five cents per killowatt to
seventy five per cent of the people
now using electric lights. We offer
to give the people a Commodity that
has grown to be an actual necessity
—almost as much so as food and
wearing apparel—and we are offer
ing to supply this commodity at pri
ces that mean immense savings to
a large majortiv of those using this
commodity. With this view' of the
situation l must confess I cannot see
any reason why we should be denied
the right to enter this field. If we
have made up our mind to make a
big Investment here and probably
operate at a loss until the best com
pany survives, that is our business.
Certainly we can do the citizens no
harm, i have been told that a ma
jority of the people here do not want
a competing electric light and power
company. I will place 11,000 in any!
bank in Marianna and w ill pay all j
the expenses of an election, and if
80 per cent of all the users of elec- j
trie lights and power do not vote for
granting my company a franchise to.
LIEUT. ROBERT L. MIXON
Son of Mr. %nd Mrs. R. L. Mixon of this city. Mr. Mixon is now with
the American expeditionary force in France, having sailed last August,
lie is said to have been the first man from Eastern Arkansas to land in
France with the American airny. Lieut. Mixon is twenty-two years old.
lie was in his senior year at Harvard, and joined the Harvard batallion
more than a year ago. Last summer he went in the officers’ training camp
at Plattsburg, N. Y., and was later attached to Co. G. 165th Infantry, whi< h
■ is the old Fightirtg 69th New York reorganized.
NEED MORE INTEREST
IN THE HOME GUARD
FULLY FIFTY PER CENT OF MEM
BERS FAIL TO SHOW UP FOR
DRILLS — IMPERATIVE THAT
ALL RESPOND PROMPTLY.
Officers of the two companies o<
the Marianna Home Guards stated
yesterday to the editor of the four-1
ier-Index they were very much cha
grinned at the action of many mem
brs of the two organizations over the
failure of such members to report
promptly on the two nights of each
wreek for drill practice. Failure to
drill every night makes it very dif
ficult for the officers and members
of the companies who do respond to
make the progress they otherwise
would make. To lay off several drill
nights and then report after the faith
ful ones have advanced to higher
lessons breaks into the drill work
seriously and works an unfair hard
ship on those who are taking an
active interest in the work.
The purpose of tue officers in call
ing attention to this practice is not I
to cause those who enrolled to quit
the companies. On the contrary
they insist it is necessary that .
every man who took the oath
remain loyal to the government and
to his own interests that are so
vitally served by the home guard.
The officers merely want to impress j
upon each member the seriousness i
of the situation. President Wilson ■
and all the military authorities real j
ize we are in for a long, hard war
that will necessitate many sacrifices
upon the part of all the people. ]
Hundreds of thousands of young men
are making the supreme sacrifice to
defend America, her form of govern
ment. her institutions, and the very
homes in which we live. Certainly
those who are not' called upon for
active military service can spend two
do business in Marianna. I will with
draw the application and bid you
good-bye.
“My company means business. We
are not wild catters or fly-b.v nights.
We have substantial investments in
scores of towns and cities. We know
the electric game. We are convinc
ed we can make a success in Marian
na. All we ask is the privilege of
backing up our judgment. If the
people of this growing and progres
sive city, so favorable heralded all
over Arkansas, do not want new in
stitutions here, especially one that
proposes to serve tnem with a house ,
hold commodity. I am certainly not:
going to insist on entering the field.
If they do want a competing electric
light and power company I can see |
no reason why the council, acting.
as the representatives of the citizens |
and taxpayers, should not grant my j
company the right to do business |
here.'' I
hours each week perfecting them
selves in the science of military
training to the extent that they be
come useful in looking after any em
ergency that may arise at home.
It is not always convenient for the
officers forspend an hour twice each
week drilling the companies, hut
they feel it their solemn duty to dis
charge the obligations they volun
tarily assumed. No member of either
of the companies should feel less
i serious about the matter.
Let's have no slackers In Marian
< na. Let’s be loyal and patriotic and
do our bit as becomes red-blooded
Americans. Let’s back up the boys
In the trenches, not only with our
means, but by organizing ourselves
into capable, alert, efficient, home
guards, ready at any time to re
spond to the call of the government
for home duty.
---o
ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION
MADE FOR NEW P08T0FFICE
In the list of recommendations
made to congress by the treasury de
partment on Monday of this week
is an item of $23,000 for the comple
tion of the postoffice building in
Marianna. An original appropriation
of '$50,000 was made for the lot and
building, and of this amount the last
congress made available $20,000.
The lot was acquired nearly a year
ago. It is located on the northwest
corner of Main and Church Btreets. ,
immediately south of the Courier
Index building. With the reeommen j
dation that an additional $23,000 be
made available for the local improve- I
ment, a total of $43,000 is now al
lowed for work on the structure. The |
department has not yet advertised
for bids on the building, but it is be
lieved the action of the treasury de
partment in recommending that prac
tically all the original appropriation i
he made available now means that I
Marianna will get the new postoffice j
building within the next year.
SOLDIERS ARE THANKFUL
The Courier-Index has been re
quested by Sergeant Eugene Hamp
ton and other Lee county members ,
of the 114th Supply Train at Camp
Beauregard, La., to express their
thanks to the members of the Red
Cross and to all others who had a
part in sending to the boys the
Thanksgiving boxes that contained
so many good things to eat and such
a large number 01 useful articles.
The boys deeply appreciate the '
keen interest taken in their welfare
by the good women of this city and
county.
-o—.
Watermelons may be kept some
time with a fair degree of success by
sealing the end of the stem, where
it is scut from the vine, with wax.
-o—
A new pumping plant with a ca
pacity of 20,000,000 every twenty four
hours is to be built in Kansas City,
Mo.
Land Owners in Bottoms to
* m
Form Improvement District
To Construct Model Roads
If plans that were inaugurated at
a mass meeting of Lee and St. Fran
cis county land owners at Hughes on
Tuesday of thiH week mature, a mod
el highway will be constructed from
the St. Francis river at Cody to
Hughes, a distance, of approximately
nineteen miles.
For several months Geo. Kausler
Dick Ray, J. B. Hood, J. M. Bush
Bob Kinnard and others who are
heavily interested in the bottom sec
tion' east of the St. Francis river
have been deeply interested in the
construction of a first-class hard road
through the bottoms, connecting at
Cody with the road leading to Marl
anna and at Bledsoe with the section
of the new road mat will be built
in St. Francis county to Hughes.
An informal meeting of interested
land owners was held at the Elke
Home in Marianna on Friday of last
week. Dr. O. L. Williamson, cha».
man of Road Improvement District
No. 1 of this county, was present
and assured the gentlemen the road
district would cooperate with them
to the fullest extent in placing th*
road from Marianna to Cody in
tip-top shape. On Tuesday of this
week Geo. Kausler, Dick Ray, Judge
J. A. Plummer, J. B. Hood, H. B
Pipe.1, Engineer Herring, I. C. Nickle
Dr. Pollard. Reece Porter. J. M. Bush
and H. M. Jackson held a conference
at Hughes and took up with the
citizens of that place the proposition
of organizing an improvement district
under the Alexander road law, and
constructing the road from the Lee
county line near Bledsoe, to Hughes,
a distance of approximately five
miles. The Lee county delegation
| found the Hughes people deeply In
I terested in the plans and they readily
, agreed to co-operate In the matter,
j The plan is to organize an im
I provement district embracing the
| land three miles on each side of the
! railroad from Cody to Bledsoe. Issue
| bonds and with the proceeds con
; struct a high water road parallel to
| the railroad. The surface will he
- of crushed stone or high grade road
| gravel or some other hard finish
! that will make the road bed practi
j cally immune to floods. The land
| owners in Lee county have thorough
! ly made up their minds there is but
I on., way to secure a permanent road
and that Is to organize an improve
! ment district, issue -bonds, levy a
j betterment tax on their lands and
j construct the highway under con
i tract. It is estimated that an annual
j tax of twenty cents an acre on the
I lands affected will produce more
! than enough money to finance the
improvement.
Messrs. Kausler, Ray, Hood, Bush
and others who are taking the lead
in this movement state they do hot
propose to build anything but a
model highway, regardless of the
cost. They have faith in the future
of that section of Lee county, and
very properly regard it as the richest
section of Eastern Arkansas. During
the past five years the development
of the bottom lands has been little
short of marvelous. Hundreds of
thousands of dollars have been mad0
In marketing timber products, and
fortunes are still being made in thi*
Industry. Thousands of acres of rich
land have been opened to cultivation.
The plantations are in a high state
of development, the improvement*
are in keeping with fhe wealth of the
natural resources of that section.
New towns and trading points have
sprung up. Mills are dotting the
railroad converting Into tangible as
sets the millions of feet of fine tim
ber. Long staple cotton is adding
to the wealth of Eastern Arkansas.
Enterprise, progress. Initiative, push
are manifested on all sides. Big
things are being done In a big way
by big men. They are men with'
visions who see a most wonderful
future for this rich section of Arkan
sas. They are not afraid to invest
their money in permanent improve
ments. They are convinced that if
a good standard hard road is con
structed through the bottoms land
values will immediately increase to
figures that will more than absorb
the betterment tax. They believe a
good road will build up the small
towns on the railroad, that it will
bring better churches and school*,
will cause more citizens to move to
the farms, will produce still greater
activity and development on the
farms, will bring about the clearing .
of more land to yield more and big
ger crops. In fact, they KNOW of
no single investment the land ownera
can possibly make that will result
In more substantial returns than the
construction of an all-year hard
surface road through that territory.
Not only do the people who own
land and who are directlv Interested
in that section entertain these views,
; but others who have had occasion to
i observe the marvelous progress made
bv the bottom people are convinced
the one thing necessary to put that
section on the map is a good road
Judge J A. Plummer has been en
thusiastic over the matter for several
months. He was made chairman of
the meeting at Hughes *and he as
sured the land owners he would use
his power to assist them In carrying
the protect to completion.
The citizens of Marianna, whether^
land owners or not. can well afford
to manifest keen interest in thla
big undertaking. It will open up a
, fine trade territory, will establish di
rect connection with the most fertile
section of the country, and will bring
about a community of Interests that
will be mutually helpful.
The gentlement who attended the
conference at Hughes Tuesday will
hold another conference within th*
| next week or ten davs—perhaps in
Memphis—at which time an effort
will be made to get every land own
er present for the purpose of taking
final action bn the matter of organ
izing the two improvement districts
—one in Lee and one In St. Francis
counties. They plan to spend the
winter working out the details in
cident to getting the district e»
tablished and hope to have every
thing in readiness for actual con
struction work next spring.
MOVEMENT TO ESTABLISH
MUNICIPAL WOOD YARD
In order to provide an ample sup
ply of good fuel at a reasonable
price, and also to conserve the coal
supply a movement has been launch
ed in Marianna to establish a mu
nicipal wood yard. F. N. Buiae, W.
P. Harris. It. I). Smith. Dr. O. L.
Williamson, ('has. McKee. W. B.
Mann, H. M. Jackson and T. J.
Leake are the originators of the
plan which contemplates making use
of the thousands of cords of good
wood in the country around Marianna
Suitable ground will be secured in
the city, and wood will be pur
chased and hauled to the municipal
wood yard where it will be cut in
various sizes by a gasoline wood
sawing machine. The wood will
then be sold to the citizens of Ma
rianna at a price that will pay the
actual expenses. Those who have
launched this movement destre to
have at least a dozen other men
associated with them in order that
the investment necessary to finance
the project may be made as small
as possible. It is an economic crime
to permit the vast fuel supply with
in easy reach of Marianna to go to
waste when coal is so scarce and so
high and so badly needed to operate
the industries of this country. It Is
a patriotic movement and one that
should appeal to every loyal cit
izen. Those who are interested to
the extent that they are willing to
become members of the organization
are requested to notify F N. Burke.
Within a few days a meeting will
be called, plans discussed and de
cided upon and arrangements made
to begin storing up wood for local
demands.
THE WISE MAN
There was a man in our town
And he was wondrous wise.
He bought his Red Cross Christmas
Seals
In very large supplies.
And when he sent his presents out—
As many as could be-—
Each gift wrHs pasted round about
With seals to fight T. B.
MUST FILE REQUISTIONS
WITH BILL AGAINST CITY
Maclin McClintock, secretary of tha
board of public works, stated in
council meeting Tuesday night that
many individuals and firms selling
supplies to the city fail to accompany
their bills with the necessary ra
qulstion. The council Instructed Mr.
McClintock to refuse to approve any
bill that was not accompanied by a
requistion. Complying with this
order several bills that were pre
sented at tha council meeting Tues
day night were held over until next
month In order that the firms or
Individuals presenting them might
get the requistion blanks and fila
them with the bills.
-3
Only about one per cent of the
area of Ireland contains marketable
timber.
A twenty acie tract of land has
been obtained for a boys’ school at
Guatemala City, Central America.
ATTENTION FARMERS
Give the pigs and hogs a dry
shelter where they will not be
in a draught. A pig does not
need a warm shelter a cool
one is just as satisfactory—but
he cannot live unless he is pro
tected from the draughts. A
hog is fully as sensitive to
draughts as a man. and takes
pneumonia even more quickly
than a man. A damp bed will
give him rheumatism. I
A low', wide shed, open on the
! south and closed on the north,
west and east, is ample shelter
for any but newly born pigs
when the bedding ia dry. Hogs
should have sufficient room in
their shelter, so that they will
not lie piled up on each other.
Hogs that come steaming out
of their shelter easily catch
cold and pneumonia.
H. M. COTTRELL
Bureau of Farm Development
Memphis, Tennessee