Waterbury Democrat., 1901-01-09
PUT OUT ITS LIGHT
Municipal Electric Lighting Has
 Smothered Consolidation.
ANOTHER MEETING FRIDAY.


 Town and City Governments-Mu-
 nicipal Ownership Bound to Come
 Legislature Now in Session Gives
 Promoters of It an Opportunity to
 Get It Before the People.
 The agitation that has sprung up over the question of municipal owner ship of an electric lighting plant has put the movement for consolidation in the shade for the time being and as a result one hears of nothing else on the streets. But people must not lose sight ot consolidation, and as the draft will come up for another airing Friday night, all who wish to say something on the subject before the aldermen should make it point to be on hand. Just what these discussions will amount to no one can tell. Many cons tend that the majority members of the board of aldermen will amend 1t to suit their own notion. regardless ot what others may think. but this,is not q fair way of looking at it. So far the aldermen have, shown q disposition to be guided by the wishes of the public in the premises and while they cOn- tinue to act up to this principle they the entitled to be credited with aiming to do what is best for the good of all. One very noticeable thing in regard to this consolidation question is that peo- pie who were very much in favor of it few weeks ago are not advocating it so strongly now and seem to ener- tain some doubts as to whether the city would profit by the change. There appears to be q growing sentiment. in favor of referring it to the people, just as Alderman Morris advised several weeks ago, and ill case this should be done and a majority favor it, then no man who believes that the people should rule will have any reason to find fault. If this had been done we would know more about the matter to- day than We can hope to gain at pub- lie hearings. for in that case every eicctor would register for or against it. while few care to appear at public meetings and discuss the good and the bad points of the draft with men whd are primed for the occasion. It is safe to state. however. that the draft will be introduced into the legislature in some form and who knows but after the committee on cities and boroughs hear@ what the advocates and oppO- nents of the measure have to say on the matter, they may decide to recom- mend that it be submitted to vote of the people. Many of the outsiders claim that if consolidation should be put to test at the polls it would be defeated by q big majority. but others think differently, so that it must be plain to all right-minded people that this is the only fair way to decide the question.
 In reference to municipal ownership it is no guesswork to say that it is sure to come, for behind the movement stands almost every wide-awake bifsi- ness man in the community, and just as soon as that class of men see that they are to be gathers by an advanced step. they don't hesitate about taking it. It is extremely difficult to induce some people to get out of old ruts Many never leave we'll trodden paths Of their own accord and the only way they can be helped is to compel them to move on and keep abreast of the procession, whether they like it or not Waterbury is paying as much now for a trif1e over 200 arc lights as would meet the interest on a big bond issue. You economists and mathematiciaMs who think the city would lose by do ing its own lighting and selling elec- tricity to anybody who wanted to use it, get out your pencils and see how large bond issue we can float at 3H per cent by turning the $23.OOO or $24..- OGO paid the Connecticut Lighting and Power r~cempany for arc lights into in- terest. Some people say that the net profit of the plant would more than meet the interest on the entire bond-s4 ed indebtedness of the city. Perhaps this estimate is too high and perhaps it is not. It may be below the mark. for all most people know. But in any case. isn't it worth Investigating? And while this is being done. wouldn't it be well to get permission to engage in the business. and if we find that it would not pay. we'll be out nothing.
 The legislature will not convene again for two years, and if it is any- thing we want to take hold of it would be the part of wisdom not to defer it. While the city boards are at loRXer- heads over the question. the corpora. tions that own the electric lightinS plants will be planning to throw ad- ditiOnal safeguards around themselves so that it might be more of an up-hilt job on the part of the city to secure favorable action upon such a measure two years from now than if it were taken up at the present time. It would not surprise some people to see the trolley magnates endeayor to get | their charters amended at the coming session of the general assmbly in such l a way that would practically prohibit competition from municipalities ,apd. the aldermen and others to whom the public look for the protection of theies interests should not be caught nappfng.i 1 It is their duty to give this question l the attention it requires and instructs 1 the city attorney to be on the ;Alerh. and inform our lawmakers at Hartford l at the proper time that WaterburE | wants to do it's own lighting. A1eAh- while no one need be alarmed. for the city will not spend . copper on 3l,6 I project until the fact has been e4tAl3. lished beyond the possibility 0f dupA l that the venture is safe. s zss 5