The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-09-12

Is the poorest part OF our town Wal-
until We get up to the residence por-
ton"
SALOON PRACTICALLY MISSING.
We have said by our law that we do
not consider the saloon a necessity Of a
civilized city life And in a very large
degree-large when compared with the
actual saloon as it actually exists in
other cities-yve have practically ban
ished the saloon as institution Why
should We have a smoky row in city
like this2 Is it necessity that there
should exist IN any part OF our city
any condition that threatens the moral
health Of our children2 There is 70
necessity for these things. It is con
fession of our lack of responsibility, not
of our lack of power when we accept a
situation of moral danger which we
would not tolerate one moment if it
were physical
HOW TO DANISH VICE.
If the men and women of this city
who have the means would cOnsecrate
q fraction of them to the moral regen-
Grafton of whatever part of the city
is dangerous we could boast with right
ful pride of a practical freedom from
vice If the church members and bust
ness men and the city officials all united
as they might to cleanse the city of i'm
moral conditions, there is nothing i'm
possible OF accomplishment. 1 say it
with great affection for the city which
1 am proud to call my home. but with
profound sorrow at the small amount
given by US all, that if we spent
tenth part of what we spend on our IN
necessary luxuries and amusements in
helping to redeem some of the needy
districts Of this city we could work
miracles in the way of banishing vice
and ignorance and sin
RESPONSIBILITY A STERN WORD.
There are intelligence and money and
power enough in any civilized city on
earth today to wipe out of existence
every foul human blot like slum and
tenement district if only that intel
ligence, money and power We're directed
toward that end. Let us learn to say
that the sfprnest word we have re
spOnsibility is the best word we have
in our civic life; for without its exercise
our cities Will never be cleaned, our
homes and our institutions viii never
be preserved
BUSINESS PRINCIPLES, NOT POLL
TICS.
The history of the management of
cities shows that from the earliest times
they have been the places where politl-
cal highwa ymen have held up the peo-
Pile This is SO overwhelmingly proved
by the fact that we do not have to
dwell long on the fact itself, but only
on the way of escape from the evil And
it is a rapidlygrOWin conviction
among all good citizens that in order
to have honest economical admins ira
ton of the civic family affairs they
must as fast as possible be taken out
of party politics and put within charge
of the best men in the municipality re
2aGQIeSS OF Partisan cOIlGGllOIS- IlAG
business of a city ought to be run on
the same basis that any honest useful
business is conducted The putting IN
to responsible places of public trust
of men who are unfit and dishonest and
incompetent because the SpOils system
of politics demands rewards to the cam
paign workers is monstrOus perver-
sion of all ideas of citizenship. 1t mas
been the rule with a great many good
men to vote for the worst man in their /
own party rather than for the best man
arid 1xrt
dra wing near when such a blind fol-
lowing of blind idolatry Will no longer |
be endured.
MUNICIPAL WATERWORKS.
I do not need to say that / believe III |
the municipal ownership of public utili- /
utilities are Will be given later on
just word concerning the history of I
the growth of the municipal ownership |
idea.
In 1900 there were Is waterworks IN |
the United States, all built and owned |
by private parties except one in Win /
chester Va. Fourteen of the 15sprivate /
plants have since become public, and I
from 1900 to 1896 the public works went I
up from 1 in 16 to 1880 in 3179, or I
from 6.3 per cent. to 55.2 per cent OF I
the total. OF the so largest cities in the I
United States q originally built and I
now own their waterworks; 20 have I
from private to public owner
ship and only nine are now dependent
on private companies.
The growth in public lighting IS
shown by the figures. In 1882 there was
one public electric lighting plant In /
1898 there were nearly 400. ('The City
for the People" Frank Parsons.)
The history of the telephone and tele-
graph show great progress in foreign
The only countries now /
without government ownership of com
mercial telegrap hs are Bolivia, Cypress,
Honduras and the United States 1t
may be said that approximately for the
same service we in America pay from
two to three times as much for teie-
graph and telephone service as Eng
land France and Germany pay, where
both telegraph and telephone are un-
der public control.
Here are some recent facts in regard
to public ownership:
Under private ownership Sacramento,
Cal. population $4,000, pays 1923 for an
annual rate for each street arc. Water
power is used
Kas.. population $4,000, pays 1878 for
the same service, which includes per
cent for interest and depreciation
charges. Coal. s. per ton
The new municipal telephone system
now being installed by Glasgow is in
operation on the fair grounds. Already
600 citizens have applied for telephone
service at the low rate of S26 per year,
the old company charging S4S yearly.
OvERW FACTS.
The whole trend of movement toward
ownership is so marked and
The facts are so many that only few
out of the great number can be given.
But here are a few of the facts UP to
date
The question of municipal ownership
IF municipal services is being discussed
almost continually all over America
and Europe. and the actual progress
he idea is king is We'll shown in
GENERAL summary made by Edwin Bar
it Smith in Self Culture He says.
"Of the 50 largest cities in the United
States but nine now depend on private
vaterworls, these being san Francisco.
Na.E OrIaans 0naha. Denver. Indian