Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1898-02-24
MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP.
rERsE AGREEMENTS SHOWING
ADVANTAGES AND BENEFITS.
Many Man Claiming Obe ''Practlcal" OPP
pose GIl Propositions OF ublio own
ership, yet PRtrOnl1o Public Schools,
POBIOtiiceS, Fire Departments, etc.

A"o'O"oesf AE0 DophFtnoAtAb GU
The Coming Nation, from which the
following is taken, devotes all of last
weeks issue to Arguments and public
ownership.
What can you say for the benefits
of private ownerships of electric-light-
ing plants after considering the follow
ing facts:
Bangor, Me-, under private owner
ship paid $3.50 per lamp last year; I'M
der public ownership Bangor pays $4s.
Lewiston, Me-, under private owner
ship paid 1882 per lamp; under public
ownership Lewiston pays S55.
Elgin, ILL.,, under private ownership,
paid 1886 per lamp; under public own
nership Elgin pays S43.
Fairchild, Ia, under private owner
ship, paid 1878 per lamp; under public
ownership Fsirchild pays $40.
Marshalltown, Iowa, under private
ownership, paid 1925 per lamp; under
public ownership Marshalltown pays
scr.
In nearly every instance the service
under public ownership is better than
private corporations give. But you
don't believe in the public owning any
thing You be.ong to the practical"
men, who are willing to pay private
corporation three times and ten times
as much as any service is worth, for
fear somebody might call you Social
list. o, but You are deep, friend; you
are deep.
In many cities throughout the Unit
cd States may be found large number
of corporations. claiming to be hard up
and unable to meet expenses. 1t is
true they control business that the
people ought to own; it is true they
have special franchises worth millions;
it Is true they are paying small wages
to their employees and big dividends to
their stockholders; it is true they are
insolent and overbearing with the peo-
pie who support them, but they are
"hard up" and unable to meet expen-
ses." We suggest that for the relief
of these corporations the city councils
everywhere pass ordinances doubling
the tax which the people shall be CON-
PEELED to pay them, or leave town.
Thus, where the five.cent street rail-
way fare prevails, make it ten cents;
where the people are paying So thou
sand feet for gas, make them pay 81;
where the people are charged so cents
month for the use of q gus meter,
double the price and make them pay
the cost of the meter besides. These
corporations must be maintained. We
can't afford to have corporations i'm
poverished while the people are having
such good times"
The practical" men, the "hard-
headed" and common sense" men. the
men who declare that anything they
never thought about impracticable-
you have some of them in your town,
no doubt-believe in the public post
office, and the public schools, and the
public fire department, and public
streets, and public waterworlss, and
public ibraries-becanse we have
them, because they are here, and have
demonstrated their fitness to stay. Did
you ever know one of these practical"
men to refuse to walk on the streets of
your town because they are ''public?"
Or fail to avail himself of the library
because it is ''public?" Or 60 thirsty
because the water pumps are ''public?"
Or let his house burn down rather than
call the fire department because it is
''public?" Or abstain from using the
postoffice because it is 'public?" Men
who are really practical, and have
common sense, do none of these things
What suggested the building of the
great Brooklyn bridge? The annoy
ances that grew out of the individual
list system of ferrying between that
city and New York. Boats were mad
equate to the traffic demands and the
bridge was necessity. The bridge
having been built by the people, with
money drawn from tho treasures of
two cities, belongs to the people. The
people have continually reduced the
cost to themselves of the use of the
bridge, and, besides, have paid their
own employees higher wages than pri-
vate corporations do These are some
of the proved results of public owner
ship the wide world over. The right
settlement, and the only way to settle
monopolies, is ON the line of public
ownership.
The advantages of public ownership
Of the means of transportation and
communication are established by ex-
pcrience and chain of arguments as
solid as those on which the truths of
mathematics are based; the people are
ready for such ownership of these
utilities, just as they are for public
ownership Of the indispensable re-
sources OF natU-H; but political legisla-
tors are no.. Give the people the
chanee to express tl,eir will by direct