The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1900-03-08
THE GAS SITUATION.

for the last time to-day, and the fran
chise will probably come before the
council for adoption or rejection al
their next meeting. The prospects
of early gas" are doubtful. 1t IL
not known at this writing what the
effect of the social democracy meeting
last Saturday will be, if there is to be
any effect at all The meeting was moi
very largely attended, there being be-
tween forty and fifty present K. w
Burke, president OF the social democracy,
acted as chairman of the meeting and
seemed to dominate it, He made an ar
gument in favor of municipal ownership
in general, and was followed by Z. w.
White and Mr.. Raeuber along the same
lines II was decided to hold another
meeting next Monday evening. A petit
ton was prepared to be presented TO the
council asking that the matter OF hav-
ing municipal gas plant be submitted
TO the vote of the citizens. The petit
ton was worded rs follows:
ITO the Mayor and Board OF Aldermen
of the city of Manitowoc, Wisconsin
Whereas, an application has been
made by John Maggie, Henry Wits, julius
Lindstedt, Emil Teitgen and Michael
Dempsey, for the grant of franchise to
them, to construct and operate plant
for the manufacture and sale OF gas in
said city; and whereas such application
has been ordered published in accord
ance with section $40 b. of the Wiscon-
sin Statutes Of 1893.
Now therefore, we, the undersigned
electors Of said city, respectfully request
that said application be submitted to the
election of said city, in accordance with
section $50. subdivision 80 of the Wis
consin Statutes Of 1893.
1t is difficult to see what tangible re-
suit would follow an election held on
this question Even if majority OF
those voting on it called for city gas
plant, how would the city get itY 1t
can't build or buy plant without mon
ey, and still more money would be
needed to pay operating expenses during
the years that income does not cover ex-
penses. This money would have TO be
raised by taxation or by borrowing The
former method is necessarily slow, and
the latter is out of the question unless
we wait until the present bonded indebt-
edness has been largely reduced. In the
meantime we go without gas, which is
needed at once. The merits and deper-
its of municipal proprietorship OF light
and water have aroused much academic
discussion here and elsewhere. and the
question has been decided both ways
hundreds Of times But we are confront
ed here with condition and not the
ory We want gas at once. What are
we going TO do about it? Go without
the commodity for a term of years at a
loss to ourselves, waiting for the city to
get in shape to supply the want or get
| IIlt wv oii'N ~ S'"''
ing limited franchise to private par
tiesY 1t would seem that the instant
saving gas plant would bring to hun.
dreds of consumers of light and fuel
would decide the question easily III ia
vor of the latter alternative.
The storm beginning Saturday night
and lasting through to Tuesday morn
ing with practically no let-up was GER
tainly shorter. Our long-delayed
"old fashioned winter seemed to strike
us all ut once. A great deal OF snow
fell and much of it was badly drifted as
the wind was high most of the time.
Trains were seriously delayed. The
Ashland limited that should pass here
at ) a. m. pulled in slowly at S15 Tues
day morning with two engines in front
Some wires were down, but not enough
10 cause much inconvenience. The
snow on level was probably over foot
deep.
julius LINDSTEDT. secretary OF the
Industrial Association, has entered into
an arrangement by which the county
fair next September will have better
line Of attractions in the speed depart
ment than ever before. A circuit has
been arranged including New London
Plymouth, Manitowoc, Appleton, Green
Bay. and Weyauwega The dates OF
the fairs ut these places have been fixed
in the order named so that none viii
conflict, and horsemen can attend them
all in rotation This will insure larger
number of entries than usual and each
association will be able to offer larger
purses than heretofore.
| THE Goodrich Transportation Co have
nearly completed the assignment of Off
GERS for the coming season. Those an
nounced are as follows:
Christopher Columbus, Robt Smith
captain; George McLauglin, engineer
J, NJ, Fiheld, purser.