The age-herald., 1900-02-08

t-+~N ui4u hlSl'SSl1oh kdlOulu De suDStlluled in It's stead
 When We have eliminated seif-interest, that too often is bo.steTed up by corrupt methods, believe We will have found the true eeonlmrc theory on which lae govern meljt of city elJould be condueted.
 Unso;ved Problems
 It will thus be seen what equipment the ely possesses and what facilities it las for eisolargrEg its duty along eaol particular line of public necessity; sucCl necessities as the property owners and taxpayers have right to expect of 1ler municipal gov errment; light, water, police and fire pro- lection, schools and regulations Ror the public health.
 For many years past the city govern ment, not of uL,orce, but of nece.city has dea1e with uts citizens on a stringent and parsimonious basis. How long w01 (nis soirot of submissive patience continue to possess our people?
 Our police department, for example, nas been hoougfit to a high degree of efficiency, yet horritte murder tn our m.dcs might awaken public attention to the fact that Lt1irty-two policemen in Birl1rngflam cannot reasonably be expected to do what. on a cGTt,sudly compiled basis C, population. it requires sdNty men to do in o.ller Amer e. n c1les. The uwenty-eight additional men at Soo t1sr month would mean $21, $40 increase Nh yearly pay roll
 on the question of lights, Birmingham would at present be the sufferer by com parlson with other cities of like size Dark ness favors opportunity for crime; and one hundred additional lights would greatly aid the operations of police force These lights would cost $10,2OO annually on the present basis. With present prohibitive rates we cannot afford this luxury.
 In the matter of fire hydrants, if the sta tistics of other cities in the United States Is of value to add to the proof of our own deficiency, Birmingham should have in the neighborhood of four hundred instead of two hundred and thirty-three. at present. and this extra bill of cost would be $9.1S5 year. Here, as before, We must wait; wait perhaps until the city operates and controls it's own water works, as TO per cent of the cities of the United States do.
 l bring these thing to your attention be- cause of results that might grow out of them.
 In an evil hour great catastrophe might ioCfan tle city, and a vexed and en- ragged public, not weighing the 6if- ference between too saving economy and criminal negligence. might raise and force you to apply a radical remedy. It Is better now to work out a compromise of these matters somewhere between what we have and what we need.
 Mui ic pJ Oyte-sii,
 Modern and enlightened evolution in
 
 government nearest our homes and fire sides, has established in the public mind one great principle relating to that sphere of government, if It's administration Is to reach the highest measure of efficiency and service to the people; and that principle is that the governing body of a city, charged with the high duty of providing necessary public service utilities should not farm out such utilities ito private corporations. I believe that this principle has so fixed it. self in thoughtful minds that it Is here to stay. Government in every branch ap- breaches nearest the ideal when it is self administrative; and there is no better point for the application of this than in that government that has to do with our homes and firesides. Water light. protection to life and property, and perhaps-but with more grounds for difference of opinion. urban transportation, are all prime necessi- ties in a populous community, and should be provided for the taxpayer at the mini mum cost.
 am sounding no false alarm when I state to you that this city is beset with the power and influence of private corpora tions. and unless we put a stop-final and effectual-to the policy of giving away val uable franchises that of right belong to the public, this generation may see the day when our control of city affairs Will be by their favor, as their birth and exis- tence was by ours. There is but one sure way to avert this. This city should take over,- operate and control all public ser vice utilities. If existing plants cannot be secured by purchase then the city should construct anew on it's own account.
 Let us say to each of the corporations operating a public service, If 1t satisfies your prudent judgment to make sale of your plant to the city at price that meets tine reasonable views of the board Of may or and aldermen, and that is acceptable to our citizens, the way of your departure is easy; otherwise our hand writing IS on the wall. If then, having eyes that are keen and shrewd in business you read it not, your blindness is your peril.
 Municipal ownership means nome rule, as against the rulership of stock and bond holders of these corporations who too of- ten control the actions of legislative bodies to the detriment of public interests.
 I am aware of the objections that oppo- nents of such a plan are ready to point out: that the list of public officials and employees would be greatly extended, thus widening the field of the political spoils- man. that public utility cannot be so efficiently administered by public and quasi political service as by the service or a private corporation: last, but not least, that the aquisition of such utilities would necessarily entail a large addition to our bonded indebtedness.
 The light and water plants of Birming- ham already have their outstanding bonds, and it is their patrons, the citizens of Bir- mingham, who must pay the interest on them just as they must pay the interest on the bonds of the city. Consequently so far as the nterest-paying public is concerned it matters naught if uhe interest has to be met whether such bonds are in part city bonds and in part gas bonds, or the en- tire lot is city bonds
 It is furthermore fact easily susceptible of proof that cities owning their light and water plants are able to float their bonds o.,.- l1.V1 1Arrvn nf if1fn cities that do not. I am firmly convinced that an Issue of bonds sufficient to give us gas or electric light works and water