Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1897-05-20
III Coming.


timent in favor of those government
reforms first enunciated by them in
the Omaha platform and reaffirmed by
each succeeding national platform
1t is undeniably true that there is a
widespread tendency on the part Of
the public and also on the part of a
few prominent papers to look with IA
vor on at least two fundamental prin-
ciples of the populist party-the estab-
lishment Of the postal savings banks
and the municipal ownership of street
railways.
1t may surprise the readers of the In
dependent to learn that right in the
hot bed of goldbugism, the city of New
York, steps are now being taken look
ing to the municipal ownership Of its
street railways. Seems queer and cur
ious doesn't it? 1t is true nevertheless.
The New York Mail and Express in
commenting upon the attempt of the
city to secure possession of the Sixth
and Eighth Avenue surface roads in ac-
cordance with the provisions of the
franchise granted fifty years ago, and
the offer of 100000 by the Third
Avenue company for the lines il re-ac-
quired by the city, has this to say to
the worth of the franchises as shown
by the offers that have been made for
them;
"They show that in its street rail-
way franchises, whether already grant.
ed or not, the city possesses an assoc
which should pay for considerable
portion of the city Improvements and
lessen materially the burden of direct
taxation. In its water front and its
docks the city has another possible as
set, which if utilized to the utmost, as
in Liverpool, would alone almost pay
the annual budget. Under an admin
istration which spends the city moneys
honestly and economically our citizens
are waking up to realization OF the
hitherto latent resources of the munic-
ipality. The city railway franchises
constitute one of the most important
of them"
Nor is the Mail and Express alone in
its opinion as to the great value of the
public streets to the city. The Chicago
Record, in editorially speaking of the
New York matter, says:
Chicago will do well to notice very
carefully the steps New York is now
taking looking to municipal ownership
of its street railways. 1t is needless to
say that the present owners Of these
valuable franchises, like those in Chi
cago, are very much disturbed at the
prospect that they will have to restore
to the people this valuable property
after having had the benefit of it for
half century"
Chicago, however, is present great
ly handicapped in any desire it may
possess to re-purchare the franchise Of
its.street railways, as it has no author
ity under the law either to raise money
to re-purchase or to operate them after
securing them. This difficulty was
met by the introduction by Senator
Ford in the Illinois legislature of bill
giving Chicago authority to issue bonds
to purchase the roads, and another bill
was introduced comforting power to
acquire, operate or lease" the roads,
but their introduction came too late in
the session to be considered fully.
The people are waking up They
are just beginning to realize that they
have an inexhaustable source Of great
revenue in their city streets, revenue
which grows with the city's growth
In Chicago the sentiment has been
rapid in favor of municipal ownership
because of the introduction of the
Humphrey bills giving to the street
railway magnates control Of the streets
for the next fifty years. We believe
they failed Of passage, but their con-
sideration, even, was sufficient to
alarm the citizens of the windy city.
Elsewhere the grasping greed Of the
corporations will help to crystalize
sentiment in favor OF municipal owner
ship, and the day is not far distant
when the present so-called "vagaries"
of the pops" will be no vagaries at
all, but will be recognized as the eff
forts of party to lessen the onerous
exactions of corporations and trusts of
all descriptions. Nebraska Independ'
emit