Semi=weekly graphic., 1897-06-23
AN ELECTRIC LINE.
A CITIZEN APPEALS TO OUR
 ALDERMEN FOR ONE.
Hold That Which You Have Until
 You Get Something Better.
Editor Of the Graphic

A Hh AEA AAAAIbAAA4AB AAAAN4A
 Editor Of Inc Graphic:
 Dear sir There is no one thing a young and growing city should more carefully guard than her per maaent or extended charters, and Pine Bluff has had lessons enough in this time to profit by It in the future
 The Cotton Belt and Valley roads could have been easily carried along the north side of the lake and thus have made less danger to fife, and avoided the constant annoyance of switching. and the noise incident to traffic and had this been done. it is idle to talk about if having had the effect to lose us the shops But had that course have been pursued it would have capitalized city inn l provements and we would have had a street ear line today, for Che hani to the business part of the city which could not have been changed. would have sustained it.
 The city street railway charters should have been so constructed that the iron and ties could not have been removed without the consent of the city and t is new eontended with much good legal authority, that such was the just construction Of the charter anyway but if so, it was notearcd for by the proper officials. Be this as itmaE, there should have been, nc doubtiH in lis language on this subject
 A city charter is a very valuable thing, and is yielded by the city for common benefit to its citizens, and should never be granted unless those benefits are so assured.
 It is often the ease that by grant ing a city charter, t endangers the possibility and probability of the city getting in force a more neces- ary if Lot a more useful character and when this is the case their issu- ances should be so blended as to re suit in establishing both
 Arbitrary restrictions in q char ter is not consistent with the pub lie good, but loose uses of this great power of municipal corporations puts it at once too much at the mercy of tho private corporation It at once removes the induction ef power and makes the mlnor con tro1 the major, the creature greater than the creater.
 Controlled by the ordinary agency of progress, there is a fine future in store for Pine Bluff if the admins tration Of her public affairs are properly watched and the just civic functions thoroughly guarded But mistakes as 10 matters ofm0ni- cipal moment are troublesome and costly to reetify. Some of our most worthy citizens arc asking for a long time charter for water and lights for the city The plea isthat it will cheapen water and light to the peo- ] pie and to the corporations. WeI have already a practicable water and light plant. somewhat inefficient and rather costly, but the city has it in its power to correct tboss1 troubles in q legitimate way and without paying out big lawyers fees. and this is decidedly better than losing the present advantage Of get ting a street railway, by simply organizing competition against the only public enterprise We have
 The patronage of the two plants is deficient for a supply plant Of clec tricity to give IS, in addition to lights, an electric street railway, and the city authorities should See i that no charter goes for one. with ! out correct obligation assuring others.
 IL is suggested that the profits of the electric light and water enter prises, will go into the construction | of a street railway. There is nosE much promises of profits in war between two competing Iplants Of that class in this eisy, and besides take care Of dividends first and inyes stments afterwards
 Steel is very cheap now, and the motive power is the oniy thirg ex pensiye about . street railways So