The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1898-02-11
DIR. j. w. SCOTS OPINION.
Clifton. o. t., Feb. l, 1893.


thought. the good people of lola had
abandoned what regard as a most
dangerous experiment.
Having carried the election on that
issue, presume the next move will
be an effort to secure petition of two
fits of the tax payers for a vote on
the question of issuing bonds TO carry
out the project. In ascertaining the
whole number of whom two-fifths
must, according to law, sign the
petition. l would like to know if nom
residents tax payers are to be counted.
As they would be obliged to pay tn cir
share of taxes resulting from the issue
OF these bonds, and receive no benefit
whatever from the gas, it seems to be
only fair and reasonable that they of
all others should be consulted. But
doubtless the law settles this point
one way or the other, and right or
wrong, we must abide by it. l
suppose, however there is no law to
hinder me from having my say on the
subject, and entering my protest, as a
nonresident taxpayer, against a
scheme which / am thoroughly con-
WINGED will result in adding enormous
ly to burden of taxation alreadynear-
ly up to the limit of endurance,
especially since other non-residents
seem to have had good deal to say
on the other side.
l object to the scheme for more
reasons than l have time to set down,
or you would have room to print. but
L will mention few of them.
In the first place 1 don't think a
city ought to engage in any such bust
inithese days to govern too much.
The true functions of city or any
other government are few and simple,
To secure to the citizens the right to
liberty and the pursuit of happiness,
and for that purpose to keep the peace,
protect life and property, and The
ence ought to cease. The city of lola
has no more call to furnish the people
with gas than it would have to furnish
them with coal or cordwood or kero-
sene oil if those things were needed.
But more serious objection is that
the experiment if undertaken would
unquestionably fail. The city cannot,
in my judgment, successfully con.
duct business of that kind. 1t has
been often tried, and failure is the al.
most invariable result. And the
reason is obvious. about such plant
there are places of ease and emolu.
ment, superintendent, plumbers, gas
filters, and what not. On this ac
count the property at once becomes 6
bone of contention between warning
factions, each striving to secure the
patronage and make places for friends
and hangers on, and the natural re-
suits follow-City in perpetual up
roar, frequent changes, careless anC
incompetent employees, public inter
est lost sight of-in word failure.
But suppose, for moment, that lola
should prove mirical of municipal
wisdom, and should be able to furnish
to the people gas service approach
ing in cheapness aud efficiency tina
which they now enjoy, there remains
another objection which addresses
itself especially to those of us whC
receive no benefit from the gas, anC
that Is the mathematical certainty
that the plant can never be made t
pay the bonds either interest o.
principal, but that from the time thu
first coupon is clipped till the las
bond Is cancelled, the money to redeem
them must come out ofthe pockets o
the tax payers. l suppose nobody
Will deny that all such enterprises ar,
more economically and successfully
managed by private parties than by
the public. This is simply the state
ment of an automatic truth which ad
ihito vi hp tASVpNiOh' iSuN Nho
bers of the company, as 1 have reason
to know, have yet received little o.
no return from their investment, thu
extensions and expenses having alb
sorbed the entire proceeds of the bust
ness, up to this time. Iftherefore thu
present owners of the plant have failed
to do more than keep the plant vi
with the town is ID reasonable t.
suppose that the city can do better
Is it not absolutely certain to do worse
and be compelled to either raise thu
price of gas or tax the people to make
up deficit?
Looked at from this distance, apar
from the noise and excitement of the
battle, and considering the question
simply as a business proposition, 1t il