Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1900-12-13
THE CONSTITUTION "
" "OUT OF DATE"

- VI DFs
There is Il movement on foot in
Missouri for new State COnsti-
tuition. There may or may not hc
such need, we have not invcSti-
gated as To that just yet but the
following, from the Kansas City
Star, touching upon that question,
and incidentally urging the mu-
nicipal ownership of public utili-
ties in the towns, may he of inter
est right here.
when the present constitution
of Missouri was framed, " said w
{. Scarritt, the idea of municipal
ownership was practically uuhcard
of in Missouri. and | doubt if the
convention ever thought of it rs IA
future condition. That alone would
be Il good reason for revising the
constitution if there were no 9TH
ers.'
Because of the constitution the
city is i'll the position of being in
debt three million dollars for
property that Il private corpora
ton could bond tomorrow for six
million dollars on Il showing of its
income. Kansas City succeeded
i'll getting the water works plant
because it happened not to be much
in debt at the time, but it practic-
ally exhausted its debt making
power and could not repeat the cN-
pertinent of buying the gas plant,
aS it will have Il right to do in six
years from now.
The city has owned the water
works plant five years and three
months, since September |, 1893.
BY the purchase a standing cN-
pcnSc of $50 per year for each fire
| hydramt was wiped out The city
has >, ,OJJ hydrants, which, at 500
each, would have cost Sl23, 300
yearly under the old system. This
money is saved and goes into the
general fund Out of the earn
ingS of the plant SI6l 600 has been
paid for bcttcrmcntS, accommodate
ing many thousands more people,
and making Il stronger, safer plant.
The water for flushing the streets
would have cost about 500, 900 II
year under the old system. The
rates To water consumers have been
reduced II per cent below what
they were when the corporation
was in control.
The city has retired $3S, 900 of
the bonds and has on hand in the
sinking fund $3iJ, 600 to retire
other bonds when they can be pur-
chased. This fund is drawing in
tcreSt at various rates from 81 to
I per cent and brings in $l4, 900
i'll interest annually. The city
has contributed IA very small levy
to help the sinking fund, the total
amounting to 10000, or less
than is saved in one year on hy-
drant rentals.
As an investment the plant is
paying 9 per cent this year on its
cost, according to Superintendent
Longwcll. +. f. Rozzcllc, who
takes Il lively interest III city af-
fairs, made suggestions two year,
ago which brought the consent of
bondholdcrs 50 that the three mil
lion dollars which stands as mort.
gage on the city could be placed
as Il mortgage on the plant, but
> the constitution stood in the way.
\ somewhat similar condition
exists in st. Louis where the street,
are not lighted and are full ot
holes and pitfalls, Neither city
can get away from the ancient re-
strictionS undcl the present con
stitution. The same restrictions
that bind the cities and prcvcm
them from saving taxes for them
selves by making public utIIltIr'
help pay their expenses keep th'
country roads in almost the sam'
condition they were in war times,
This is an illustration that gO",
10 prove Mr.. Scarrlit'S declaration
that the constitution is out of dat"
A model lodging house, alonl
the lines mapped ont hy Mayo
Harrison for Il municipal lOdgln!
house for the temporary arcOmmO