The age-herald., 1897-09-29
THE MAYORS GET
 DOWN,TO BUSINESS
Ccontinued From First Page.)

(Continued From First PageO significance and influence of the Ma tional Street Light association now in session here. In closing he introduced Henry Hopkins, of New Haven, Conn, who is secretary of the association. He read a paper on '"The proper Lighting of Cities Streets" the chief point of which was an analysis of the reasons why the cost of public lighting is in- creasing while the cost per light is de- creasing. These gave as reasons the expansion of the populated area of cities the fact that light decreases crime, the application of light to rapid street transit, the demand for improved service in old localities and the pursuit of mercantile and professional duties at night
 The National Street Lighting associa- tion has thirty-eight delegates here. but so far its deliberations have possessed no measure of public interest.
 Mayor Macvicar, of Des Moines, read a paper entitled Street Lighting: By Contract Municipal Control, or Munic- ipal Owenership; Which?" He- said when he undertook to investigate the
 question of municipal ownership he
 was about as well informed upon the subject as was the farmers good wife who asked her husband to bring home some electric plants that they might, | by raising their own lights save kero- sene. The local companies made a vigorous campaign, to defeat the proposi- ton authorizing municipal ownership of a plant in Des Moines, money and political influence being freely used, but the vote was favorable by nearly three to one. The plant is not yet built, owing to suits threatened by prominent" tax
 payers under direction and advice of the attorneys for the local companies. While we now generally concede the justice of municipal ownership of water works and are about ready to indorse municipal street lighting. we hesitate at going further and declaring for city ownership of such natural monopolies as gas and street railways However, we are rapidly coming to believe in the soundnsss of this principle. Our news papers and periodicals are teeming with intelligent information on the subject of municipal ownership. No sentiment should be allowed to stand In the way of utilizing these monopolfes for tha benefit of the whole people, although 1t be at the expense, of private gain.
 "The private lighting company. in it's efforts to retain a profitable contract, systematically endeavors to demonstrate that they are furnishing light as cheap ly as it is possible to furnish 1t. They ridicule the esbimatss of competent en- gineers and criticise the showing of mu- niciped companies. They argue the im- possibility of the city economically or honestly operating a plant because of the element of politics that enters into it's management, and the manufacturers of apparatus will frequently substan- tiate their statements. Those state ments are plausible to the verge of being convincing and cause one to hesitate before investing in a municipal plant But @ careful inquiry into the condi- tions envfroning these institutions shows watered stock unproductive inv sstments and inefficiency of apparatus which will fully explain the high cost of production. Compare such a plant with the results obtained from improved apparatus, lju- dicious selection of machinery which will insure high economy of operation that properly disigned plant With mod ern appliances can produce, and a very different result will be had"
 MT. McVicar was listened to with the closest attention throughout and at the close of the address he invited questions from his auditors. He confessed, how- ever, that he was not conversant with all the facts and problems bearing upon municipal ownership.
 The official roster of the conference as far as completed tonight contains 195 names, but many of the delegates are from Columbus and other nearby Ohio towns. Outside of Ohio the principal cities represented are: Minneapolis, Denvers St. Paul. Tampa, Fla; Joliet, H.; New Haven. Atlanta, Birmingham, D=s Moines, Peoria, Pawtucket, Detroit. Evansville. Macon, Baltimore Fargo and Wilmington, Del. The latter has twenty-two representatives here; Peoria has sixteen and Minneapolis ten. A delegate from Dayton. O., gave a ram- | bling and rather incoherent talk on mu- nicipal patriotism, and at 10:So o'clock the convention adjourned.
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