PUBLIC PLANT IS ISSUE IN FENNIMORE ELECTION FOR MAYOR AND COUNCIL
Public Plant Is Issue In Fennimore Election For Mayor and Council Denies Utility Right to Enter Columbus Case Loomis Says Diesel Application No Concern Of WPL Intervention of the Wisconsin Power...
...WASHINGTON, D. C.—A sweeping victory was won by the United Rubber Workers tCIO) as the NLRB ordered the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co...
...Hartt said the city is "foolish" to base its investment plans on the anticipation of more than 12 years as the life of a Diesel engine...
...Dixon's petitions were hastily circulated and filed about a half hour before the deadline...
...Application was made last week in Madison to the state public service commission for a certificate of convenience and necessity which would permit the city of Fennimore to begin construction of the diesel plant after bonds were floated to finance the construction...
...Prior to that time, the contest was regarded as being between Buri and William S. Edge, local dairyman and former member of the council who is opposed by the advocates of public utility ownership in the city...
...The Diesel plant would also give employment to two more permanent employes, Zeidler contended...
...The city of Fennimore is represented in the legal proceeding by Orland S. Loomis, Mauston, former attorney general, and by Attorney John N. Kremer of Fennimore...
...rather than by installing its own Diesel plant...
...The hearing opened Friday...
...Loomis formally objected to intervention of the power company as a party in the case when Ryan offered testimony by J. Samuel Hartt, Madison, consulting engineer...
...The second ward race is a three-cornered affair between Bowers, Charles Manning, and Milo Gilbert, with Gilbert getting the support of the public ownership group...
...Callahan claimed that at the end of 15 years the plant would have caused payment of $49,500 In utility taxes into the city treasury, would have a cash reserve of $163,700...
...In the first ward John Fablinger is endeavoring to unseat Dempsey, and in the second ward John Bollar, pro-public ownership incumbent, is being challenged by Albert Howell...
...The city also wishes to do away ith the bickering and controversy over renewal of contracts with the Wisconsin Power and Light Co...
...PeUican has no opposition...
...generating plants are located...
...Dixon...
...Cites Former Ruling H. T. Ferguson, of the commission staff, who presided at the hearing, permitted participation of the' Wisconsin Power and Light Co...
...The city clerkship is being sought by Bert Powers, former postmaster, and Mrs...
...Ferguson permitted Hartt to testify on the basis of the commission's previous ruling...
...He said the proposal includes installation of three heavy duty, low-speed Diesel engines...
...The warmest contests are being fought over the job of mayor and city clerk, and the filling of three seats on the city council...
...The council has approved the construction of a diesel plant at a cost of $85,000 to be financed by revenue bonds issued against the plant...
...Loomis contended that the private utility "has no authority under the law to appear in the proceedings since it is not a party under the statutes...
...as a party in the application of the city of Columbus for authority from the state public service commission to install a Diesel cenerating plant for its municipally owned electric distribution system was opposed by Orland S. Loomls, Mauston, attorney for the city, at a hearing before the commission in the assembly parlor of the capitol in Madison last week...
...The public ownership issue has been injected in the campaign as a result of efforts being made by the city council to construct a diesel generating p'.ant and thus relieve the city from paying the high rates demanded by the private power company which at present supplies the city's distributing system from its high line...
...and would have a plant worth $71,000...
...The race for mayor was thrown wide open when Mayor William J. Buri announced at the last minute that he would not run for re-election...
...The commission permitted the private utility to intervene as a party in the case, but reserved decision on the question of the power company's legal right to become a party in the case...
...Hartt contended that Columbus would save $53,000 during the next 10 years if it bought power from the power company instead of installing a Die-sal plant...
...Hart admitted to Loomis that he had had no c-tual experience In the building or operation of a Diesel plant...
...The city was represented by Loomis...
...Winters expected 20 years of life from an engine...
...Hartt said the association later received copies of the report in return for the $100...
...The contests for the city council seats is waxing warm as four incumbents, Theron Dempsey, James Bowers, Joseph Pellican, and John Bollard seek re-election in the first, second, third, and fourth wards, respectively...
...Zeidler said that if its generating plant were located at Columbus the city would be entitled to about $3,300 annualy in utility taxes which are now paid to the localities in which the Wisconsin Power and Light Co...
...Basing his statement on a study which he made of municipally-owned Diesel plants in 1935 and brought up to date in 1936, Hartt stated that Columbus would be better off by continuing the purchase of power from the Wise'-nsin Power and Light Co...
...On cross examination by Loomis, Hartt stated he made the study without outside financial support or sponsorship except for a contribution of $1°0 by the Wisconsin Utilities association to pay expenses of field men...
...On crose-examination by Loomis...
...in the hearing on ground of a commission ruling, previously made in the case...
...Bertha Pope, who is running for re-election...
...When Mayor Buri withdrew at the 11th hour for filing petitions, it looked as if Edge might slip into mayor's office without opposition, but a group of citizens prevailed upon C. C. Dixon, former Madlsonian who is now a well-known Fennimore merchant, to enter the mayoralty race...
...Zeidler also declared that construction of the plant would give jobs to Columbus construction employes because 20 per cent of the $30,000 building cost would go for labor...
...Differ on Life The consulting engineers also differed on the length of life to be expected of the iDesel engines...
...William Ryan, Madison, was attorney for the power company...
...The Wisconsin Power and Light Co., from which the city now buys its power, is opposing the installation of a Diesel plant...
...Waiters testified that the city would save $17,500 a year during the next 15 years if it installed its own Deisel plant...
...Leon Winters, Sioux City, la., consulting engineer employed by the city, said the proposed plant would cost a total of $229,000, of which $30,000 would go toward construction of a building to house the plant...
...City Seeks to Build Own Diesel Plant for Lower Rates FENNIMORE, Wis.—A spicy mixture of politics and public ownership is giving the people of this city the liveliest municipal election campaign they have witnessed in years, with interest reaching new highs as election day, April 2, draws near...
...Public Plant Is Issue In Fennimore Election For Mayor and Council Denies Utility Right to Enter Columbus Case Loomis Says Diesel Application No Concern Of WPL Intervention of the Wisconsin Power and Light Co...
...as special counsel, and by Carroll B. Callahan, city attorney...
...Frank Roob, secretary of the Columbus water and light remission, tes-tifie that the city lost 113 minutes of service during 1939 because of high line breakdowns...
...The commission took the case under advisement on completion of testimony yesterday...
...Advocates of the public ownership proposal are pointing out the necessity of electing a mayor and council members favorable to constructing the diesel plant, and are backing a public ownership ticket headed by Mr...
...Would Receive Taxes H. L. Zeidler, Columbus mayor since 1927 and city attorney there for 10 years before that, explained the city wants to install its own generating plant for several reasons...
...Opponents of the public ownership venture have been seeking to delay its construction by demanding a referendum and by a newspaper campaign...
...to cease anti-union activity and reinstate 13 workers with back pay at its Gadsden, Ala., plant...
...Hartt admitted the figures on which he based his estimate of savings were not as accurate as Winters' because he did not have all the detailed information...
...every five years," Zeidler said...
Vol. 10 • March 1940 • No. 13
