The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1894-12-27
MANITOwoC, Wis, Dec. 22nd, 1894.


Editor Of The Pilot:
After reading your article In the last
issue of The Pilot pertaining to the cleo
trio light plant, [ cannot refrain from
asking several questions.
1st. You say: "It will be one of the
most expensive investments it (the city,
ever made" What other investments
has the city ever made, excepting the in
vestment, engineered by our present
mayor and his assistants in 1871 [ refer
to the purchasing Of the S75,00000 rail-
road bonds.
2nu, You say "Whatever is managed
by the public for the public is terrible
expensive"
How about providing for our insane?
At the time our unfortunate were taken
care of, under contract, by private enter
prlses, the county paid from three dollars
upward per week for each, but since the
management is done by the public for the
public it has become terrible inexpensive
as the County Insane Asylum is selfsus-
tang and sayes to the tax payers what
vas formerly paid to private concerns
and Of late 1T is accommodating property.
3rd. You say; The affairs of any
municipality in this state can be managed
by private enterprises for half of the pres
ent cost and with nice profit left for the
investor" Beneficial or detrimental to
the public?
Are municipalities formed to furnish
profitable investments for individuals,
private enterprises or monopolIes or are
they formed to further the welfare Of
all its citizens? Ii it is only essential for
municipalities that private enterprises
can make profitable investments 1t would
now be in oder to advocate the turning
over to private enterprises our public
schools, our fire and police departments,
our bridges, our streets, sewers, etc, col
lect toll and rent instead OF taxing the
people composing a municipality, keep
on in such direction turn over to private
enterprises our courts, our state govern
mont, our Z. S, War Department, our
.. S, treasury (they are at it now in fact
our whole Z. S. government for individual
profit. A monarchlal government will
crown the effort IN that direction or slave
owners and slaves, but no public spirit
ness will be developed.
4th. You say: There is waste and
lavish expense in everything managed by
municipalities as the city council has
good reason to know"
Now will You please point out any
such occurrences, excluding all that oc-
Cured which were the direct results of to
much economy, further does not such
waste and expense happen under pri-
yate enterprises? When they happen
under public control the public pays for
them once but when they occur under
private control (watering stock is fire.
quent occurrence) the dear public pays
so much more interest.
9th. You say: IF the city was larger
ohHo0 us NhISE "OThS anu ELECTRIC llR0I
plant so that 1t could afford to supervise
both, there might be some sense II the
movement such as Is contemplated and
which should never be consummated?
There are smaller cities than Manitowoc
that own and operate profitable to its
citizens an electric light plant independ-
emily of water works, for instance, Chari-
ton, Iowa of $500 inhabitants, operates
plant by steam and its yearly profits after
paying running expense, interest on capt.
tai invested, repairs, etc, is $4,000 and
has its 100 street lights free.
L can give you the names of 20 or 30
other cities that own and operate an cleo
trio light plant profitable. II you know
of city that owns and operates plant
at loss please publish the name.
9th. You say: ut will cost the city
three times what it does the present
management to conduct the electric light
plant"
Do you claim that the city would have
to pay three times as high price for
coal or would the city use three times the
quantity?