The Advocate and news., 1899-03-29
TOpeka's City
WaterWOrks.
Campaign on Which VIII Lead to Cen
eral municipal Ownership In
the Kansas Capital.
SOME ARGUMENTS FOR 1T.

Topeka is just now in a municipal owner
ship campaign which shows the strong
growth of this sentiment of late years.
There are three candidates in the field for
mayor-C. j. Drew, Republican; G. G.
Clemens, Populist, and DR.. A. Taylor, Dem
ocrat. Each of these men has pronounced
himself in favor of city ownership of the
waterworks, which is the campaign issue.
Mr. Clemens is of course widely known as
an advocate of public utilities, and his chief
opponent, Mr.. Drew, was nominated by an
overwhelming majority at the Republican
primaries because the voters felt sure of his
professions in favor of city ownership
There is no doubt of what the people of
Topeka want. The history of their con-
flicts with the water company as well as
some strong arguments in favor Of general
municipal ownership was told i'll an inter
esting manner by L. 7. Yount, commits
sioner of elections for Topeka, in the fol-
lowing paper, read before the Topeka coun-
Gil of the American Labor Union:
- :: ::
For the purpose of the discussion of the
public ownership of public utilities and the
ownership of the waterwOrks by the city
of Topeka, it becomes necessary to examine
for moment the foundation upon which
this theory of public ownership rests, and
to name few of the successes in this line
which have been thoroughly demonstrated
in other parts of the country.
Companies are not formed nor charters
demanded to build and maintain water
works in the forests or out upon the prai-
ries, but only where there is a settlement"
or mass of people collected in a small ter
riority, as in a city-a concentration OF IN
habitants.
The people who build a city because OF
community of interests must own all OF
the things necessary to their comfort, con-
venience and profit, and by right are owned |
in common by all the people so associated.
The benefits accruing because of the close
association or compactness of the commu-
nifty should be and in reality do belong to
the public.
A pOstOffice is necessary to every country
neighborhood, and there is not one among
YOU who would sanction the keeping OF
said Office by any private corporation.
WaterwOrks are not necessary in country
community, as every man has his private
spring, well or clsteTn free from cOnCamlna-
tion, and no corporation asks fOT fran
chise there because it would not be profit
able to the corporation.
In cities it is different The people want
water from pure and uncontaminated
source, and because it is profitable a cor
poration is formed, not for the public good,
but solely for profit, to build waterworks,
and the people are charged dearly for the
necessity. Corporations would be formed
to sell bottled air to each city if there was
danger of congestion, and it was known to
be profitable to the corporation.
Municipal ownership, or public ownership
by municipalities, stands out boldly in op-
position to private ownership or owner
ships by private individuals Public own
ership implies an inherent right to the ,
ownership of its public utilities, and were
t not for such inherent rights, it would be