Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1898-08-09
PUBLIC WEALTH GIVEN AWAY.
a Columbus Man Relates FacetiousIy TIL,
Ciuy's Experience with Corporations,

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a Columbus Man Relates FacetiousIy the
City's Experience With Corporations.
The following letter from promi-
nent and we'll known citizen of Colum
bus, o., who, having held an impor
tant office there, Is in position to
know whereof he speaks, facetiously
but none the less .forcibly describes
the experience of that city with the
matter of franchises:
Franchises are given away here
Our municipal Legislature is always
composed of large hearted, generous,
public spirited servants. They believe
in encouraging people who know a
good thing when they see it. They
are not misery and stlngy, as some
people are. Why, they built q bridge
over the railroad tracks at a cost OF
100000 and gave the street railroad
company space on it for double tracks,
which occupy nearly ell the roadway,
aud they only charged $3.50 per year.
This, you will note, is mere nominal
consideration. 1t should have been
in consideration OF 81 and natural
love and and affection
"We have just finished q fine
viaduct, carrying our street (this is
sometimes called the city of one
street, over all the railroads that pass
through the city. This has cost, as a
whole, about 100000. The street
railway has two tracks across this at
no expense whatever. 1t has not yet
put in any bill for damages to its
business resulting from interference
with its free use of the street while
building and from the change of
grade, which necessitated the length
ening of its track few feet. 1t is
probable that our municipal dads will
recognize the manifest equity of this
claim when prosecuted.
Unfortunately the writer happen
ed to be city auditor when the gas
company applied for renewal of it's
charter for term OF years-ten
years. He was one of those 'ornery
cusses' that has no more sense than
to be sticking his nose into other
folks business, and was just fool
enough to make fight against grant
ing public spirited body of capital
lists ten year franchise without a
visible consideration. But the fight
was on, and retreat would be dis
graceful. endorsements came in
from the fagtag and bobtail element,
college professors and such, and the
company accepted charter requir-
ing payment of $4,000 per year. Il
passed June, 81, 1892. Its passage was
followed by the financial panic OF
1898, and, in fact, times have not
been very burned good ever since.
He has always regretted the stand he
took in the matter, especially if it
produced the panic, and, besides,
this city would be a nice place indeed
if we had no light when it's dark.
The Electric Light aud Power
company on May 81, 1895, obtained a
franchise for IS years and did not
seem to have sufficient power at the
time to escape a 2 per cent gross
receipt requirement. How much the
city will receive from this source will
OF course depend good deal upon
how much power the company uses
aud the quantity of light it throws
upon its business, but you may set it
down as fact that our city has
dead sure thing on $3.50 per year from
street railroads and $4,000 per year
from Gas and Coke company and 2
per cent on gross receipts from Elec-
trio Light and Power company. The
street railways ballast their own
tracks at present. The city used to
do it for them. This of course indi-
Gates a growing of the spirit of mob
violence and may blow over after
awhile"