Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1898-11-10
BUTTTNG A STONE WALL.

would require, more streets would be
provided for, belt lines would be es-
tahlished, more frequent and faster
service would be made, and all would
be run In harmony under the snme d.
rection and control.
"Besides, tho two frequent meddling
In city and town politics by corpora
ton officials and their favored and
paid agents to. control election in the
interest Of the corporation, and ad-
verse to the interests OF the people,
and tho vicious and Ubiquitous use of
money and favors in order to gain that
end, would cease by the removal Of
one Of the most efficient and constant
promoters Of impurity in our local
elections"
The editor OF the Buffalo Enquirer
in an editorial defends Mayor Delhi, Of
that city, who is a believer in and ad-
vocate Of municipal ownership, against
the slanderous attacks OF T. d. Locke,
an INSCRIPTIONS corporation lawyer.
Mr. Locke is reported TO have said that
Mayor Diehl was an anarchist because
he had always been against the corpor-
atoms and so kept capital from invest
ing In the city. Mr.. Locke made the
following remarks about city owner
ship of gas works: "The city cannot
manufacture gas as cheaply as prl-
vate corporation can and does not get
70 cents on the dollar of what it
spends"
The Enquirer answers this in the
following able and sensible manner;
"Eor tho sake of argument let us
grant that the city cannot make gas
as cheaply us the gas trust
ave beg to point out, however, that
Mr., Locke said nothing about the price
ut which the gas trust is willing to sell
It.
"In Belfast, Ireland, the city sells
gas ut 60 cents and makes u profit.
"In Glasgow, Scotland, the city sells
gas ut SO cents and makes a profit,
"If, us Mr. Locke says, city cannot
manufacture gas as cheaply rs a prl-
vate corporation the Buffalo gas trust
is making gus for considerable less
than fifty cents, but we are aware that
it is charging one dollar
"Therc 10 n great deal of comfort in
that, isn't there?
"It makes you happy and contented
to know that the gas trust can make
gas more cheaply than the city could
and that about so cents on every dollar
that it takes in is profit
"Some men might say that they
would rather have the city make it at
cost of go cent and sell 1t for 70. But
such persons would only be poor, fool
ish worms, incapable of approaching
their Indebtedness to the gas trust for
manufacturing more cheaply thun the
city can and making enormous profits
"over in Cleveland, city which in
every way Is the twin Of Buffalo, the
supplemented people forgot that it
ought to satisfy them to know that q
private corporation could manufacture
more cheaply than city. They said,
IL that is 80 It ought to sell cheaply
too. Then they made q horrid fuss
and are now getting gas for so cents
and the city gets 6K per cent of the
gross receipts of the private corpora
ton in return for the franchises.
"Mr Locke says that if you believe
in municipal gas works to DO con-
Quoted like the city waterworks, you
are like an anarchist, You are driv-
ing capital away from Buffalo
IF Mr.. Locke can show us how the
New York promoters Of the gas trust
have brought benefit to Buffalo we
should be indebted to him. Three gas
companies were in peaceful operation
here. They were bought for five mill
lions, about twice wha they cost, and
capitalized for fourteen millions. Buff
falo is now expected to pay dividends
upon the water
"Mr. Locke says that Mayor Diehl is
an anarchist because he believes in q
municipal gasworks, which will save