Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer., August 09, 1920, Page PAGE FOUR, Image 4

About Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927

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PAGE FOUR
TIE FREE TRADER-JOURM
I AND FAIR DCALCR
125 Wt Main StrMt ...
FREE TRADED- J0URNAL PT6. CO
PUDiitnera.
,-, TERMS! ,
Oaflj. ox4 year la adranoc by
carrier 5.0
Mly, per week. lr carrlor 10
tMlir, oie year In advanco. by
nail la L Halle County 4.00
Pally, one year In udvnnce, by
mall, outside La Sallo Coiiaty.l4.Hj
ttttared aa second ciasa matter
liar. UG, 1920, at tbe Post Otlleo at Ot
tawa, 111., under tbe Act of Oct. S, 1V17
JUtMbBH" OK THH ASSOCIATED
PRKSS.
Hie Associated Press Is exclusively
entitled to tbe use for republication
of all :iwa dispatches credited to II
or aot otherwise credited In this pa
per and also local news published
berela.
I0N(&LA!BEL
MONDAY, AUGUST 9, 1920.
MAKING A MISTAKE.
t
When the present urtiriinistratioti
took over tho iiiunagruiont of city af
fairs it was rPcoKiii.cd ly everyone
that llio members had a man's job
and that tho finances of tho 'iiy were
and would be in a desperate rendi
tion. The saloon licenses were cut
off and costs in every direction mount
ing to unprecedented figures. Trices
have been mounting higher and high
er ever since, w ith resources of reven
ue remaining much th.; same. There is
but one solution, which everyone re
roKiiizes, If the necessary work of the
ity is to be carried on, and that is
that city taxes must be higher. This
, Is all the more necessary because
many tilings were deferred with the
.hope 1hat conditions would improve
ttnd prices ami labor costs drop. The
reverse has been the case, and the
condition must be met.
It is, therefore, a mistake to en
deavor to attempt to cover up or con
ceal any of the tads from the people.
Mayor Weeks' pre-election platform
(ihoiild be carried out to the letter,
and all "secret sessions" cut out.
This does not mean that, the council
and mayor should not confer with
each other informally, especially with
regard to city appointments and ac
, tiotiH suggested by different members,
Jiut contemplated action of any tm
jioitance should be given the public
in time to fully understand and
thresh matters out; before the tiling
ijs actually "put over." And thorough
explanations should be made when
asked for, or if deemed necessary by
the people or anyone affected.
Two recent conspicuous examples of
the fallacy of this kind of action were
the passing of the soft drink license
ordinance and of the annual appro
priation ordinance, which Involved a
stfliKtantial increase, without proper
publicity and open discussion or ex
planation in advance. In the case of
the former much trouble might
have been avoided and possibly a
"belter ordinance framed up, which
iwculd be more satisfactory all around
.Regarding the annual appropriation
ordinance, its presentation and dis
cussion in open council, with an ex
planation of certain increases1, would
have naved considerable unpleasant
comment and criticism. That the ap
propriations for the coming year must
be larger was expected by any think
ing man. Why, therefore, not givp
the public the facts in advance and
'let thfin know the whys and where
fores ihefore they learned the facts
and through the "official" pu'bllcntion.
The public are accustomed to depend
upon the papers for the items of
news value from the council meetings.
It is the duty of the council to assist
the "news hounds" in obtaining the
facts in cases of as much importance
as this and not compel them to dig
thein out themselves as best they
ran after the ordinance is passed.
The news publication would be more
accurate and it would "look better"
all around.
Another example of the mistaken
policy of the council (not to say child
ishiK ss In this casei was the holding
up of the appointments of the members
of the trustees of Ileildick's library
board and referring the question as
to how they should he appointed to
tho attorney 'general) involving an
unnecessary and serious delay when
there was no occasion. The law is
explicit and calls for the appointment
of trustees by the mayor and approv
al by the council. Some alleged
"agreement" in the council .body
peeins to have been violated and the
appointments were held up. Not he
cause the 'mayor or any commissioner
had any objection to any name sab
initted. 'but because the ethics in the
case had not ln?en complied with,
I tore is a bunch of men who give
their time and energy to the man
agement of one of the most important
and farreai hing of the city's institu
tions without any remuneration what
ever texcipl to the secretary, who
does a pile of work for a mere pit
tance), and they are seriously handi
capped ln'canse these appointments i
are not -made because of no reason
except that someone's importance was
overlooked. At present of the nine
trustees who are supposed to "hold
over," one is dead, one is on the oilier
edge of the continent, one is nocesar
ily out of the city much of tho time,
leaving six members (three of whose
terms have expired) from whom to
get a quorum of live to transact the
most necessary business. If any
member happens to be out of the city
mid one other cannot be present
everything is sewed up even the
payment of current 'bills. This is
not fair to the trustees, nor to people
connected with or doing business with
the IBbrary.
It is time to "come clean." There
is no desire to criticise the council's
management, of finances or any of
the city's business. Tho commission
ers have detio well, and the conlldence
of the peple in their ability to handle
big things was attested by the large
majority given recently in voting on
the proposed bond issues, lint, they
can help theirtselveH and stand ibetter
(With the public if they lay all cards
tin the table and uhovo nil cut out
petty squabbles among themselves.
"rM OTTAWA FRE12 TKADEI1 - .JOURNAL.
MONDAY, AUGUST 9, 1920.
Rates
for
Pubic
Furnished by ih
Company of Northern
to he RsiSsed
Service
ioiofs
i
MO one needs to be reminded that beginning with the Fall of 1914, prices
for labor and material of all kinds began to advance, and this advance has been continu
ous. During this period of nearly six years, this Company has operated its properties without increasing its rates,
EXCEPT FOR WHOLESALE POWER. WHOLESALE CAS HEATING SERVICE. IT WAS ROSSI RLE TO CONTINUE TO OPERATE
UNDER THESE CONDITIONS ONLY BY THE PRACTICE OE THE MOST RICH) ECONOMY AND UTILIZATION OETIIEA10ST ECONOM
ICAL UNITS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ROTH ELEC TRICITY AND CAS.
IiN ORDER T1IATTHE( ITS CUSTOMERS, IT BECAME AP-
PARENT THAT THE POLICY OF SELLING ITS PRODUCT AT PRE-WAR PRICES COULD NOT LONGER RE PURSUED, AND THAT
THE SELLING PRICE OF ITS PRODUCT MUST RE INCREASED. ACCORDINGLY UPON OUR APPLICATION, FILED MAY 6, 1920, THE
.PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION OF ILLINOIS? BY ORDER ENTERED JULY 31, 1920, (CASUS 10569, 10570 AND 10579), HAS GRANTED
AN JNCREASEJR OUN R ELECTRIC, CAS AND WATER RATES, EFFECTIVE AUGUST!. 1920.
THE COMMISSION, AFTER CONSIDERATION OF THE EVIDENCE SUBMITTED IN SUPPORT OF OUR APPLICATION,' SAID IN
ITS ORDER:
"Principal among the ronton lions advanced by the petitioner in
support of its application for higher rales is the marked increase in oper
ating expenses brought about by the great advance in the costs of labor
and materials. In 1919 the Company used approximately 4 10,000 tons
of boiler coal, 32,000 tons of gas coal, 56,000 tons of water gas generator
fuel, and 10,000,000 gallons of enriching oil. A year ago bituminous
coal for boiler fuel cost $3.50 a ton at the plants of the company as com
pared with a present cost of .$ 1.48 a ton and an estimated cost after Aug.
1, 1920, of about $ 1.86 a ton. The company claims it is enabled to se
cure coal at somewhat less than the market price because of its interest
in the mines of the Big Muddy Fuel Company in Williamson County,
Illinois, and the Indiana Hocking Coal Company in Sullivan, Indiana.
Until April, 1920, the Company purchased an excellent quality of
Kanawha coke for use as generator fuel at a price of .$4.75 per ton at the
ovens. This grade of coke can no longer be secured, and the company is
now -purchasing Connellsville Coke at $15.50 per ton at the ovens,
equivalent to about $17.90 at the various plants.
Gas oil of superior quality which sold for 2 or 3 cents a gallon in
the period from 191 1 to 1915 can not now be secured, and the company
is forced to use an inferior grade known as fuel oil, and even this can be
obtained only with difficulty at prices varying from 10 to 12 cents a gal
lon for necessary oil purchased on the open market. s
THE POLICY OF THIS COMPAN Y from its beginning and up until the Fall of 191 1 HAD BEEN TO REDUCE THE RATES FOR ITS SER
VICE. AS SOON AS IT IS POSSIBLE TO MATERIALLY REDUCE ITS COSTS SERVICETHIS COMPANY WILL REQUEST THE AUTHROI
ilTES HAVING CHARGE OF RATES TO AUTHORIZE A LOWER RATE THAN THE RATE NOW IN EFFECT. . r
BECAUSE OF THE SCARCITY AND EXTREMELY HIGH PRICE OF BOILER FUEL AND CAS MAKING SUPPLIES, WE EARNESTLY
URGE ALL OF OUR CUSTOMERS TO EXERCISE THE UTMOST ECONOMY IN THE USE OF OUR SERVICE. IF THEY ADOPT THIS
COURSE, IT WILL NOT ON LY I IELP US, BUT IT WILL GO A LONG WAYS TOWARD HELPING THEM IN TAKING CARE OF THE INCREASE
IN THE RATES.
PUBLIC
SERVICE
OF NORTHERN ILLINOIS