The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-01-21

In the Academy OF MUSIC Last
Night, L. A. Roberts, the Inde-
pendent Candidate for Mayor, De-
fines the Purposes of the League.
It Will Fight to Finish for Mu-
nicipal Water.
The first rally of the recently organ
lied Municipal Ownership league took
place last night in the Academy of
Music, when l.. \. Roberts. who will
stand as the leagues representative
for mayor in the coming spring elec-
ton, delivered Il pointed address, in
which he clearly defined the purposes
of the organization and declared also
that 1T was determined to fight the
battle of municipal control of water to
finish in the election in February.
1t was not intended. it was declared.
that Mr.. Roberts should address the
meeting, but when Thomas ]. Mona
CHAN, of the Central Labor union,
made the opening address, there was a
request from the audience to hear Mr..
Roberts. He acquieSced and gave the
talk in which he made the plain state
ments that sharply defined the policy
of the league.
Mr.. Roberts asserted the belief that
the people of Carbondale We're face to
face with the most serious problem
that ever confronted them--namely, the
casting off of the yoke of oppression
by which the Con solidated Water COM
pany was weighing them down. Vt
Is matter of asserting the rights If
citizen of free country in demand
ing that the water supply be taken
from the company in control and
placed in the hands OF the citizens
whose righS ii was to be in possession
Mr.. Roberts pointed TO the fact of
the Consolidated Water company pay
ing $40 for every one dollar represented
in the stock OF the Fallbrook Water.
company, and asked that if this water
plant. was worth so much to this con-
Germ, why was it not worth good
deal more to the citizens of Carbon
dale. This was the purpose of the
league, to fight TO a finish at this elec-
tion, for 1t must he done then or never,
for the success of the municipal water
control, which would mean this much
towards the taxes of the city, city
which is paying about the highest tax
rate in the country. This reduction
in taxes was the salvation of the peo-
pie for it would mean the bringing
hither of industries which are now kent
away by high water rates and high
taxes.
Mr.. Roberts warmly repudiated the
suggestion that the men fighting for
municipal water ownership We're look
ing for a stake in the matter of dis
posing of the Ransom tract, on which
there is an option as Il site for the con-
templated reservoir He did not want
the Office OF mayor for its emoluments;
the office would be an embarrassment;
but he wanted to become mayor i'm
order to see to it that measures neces-
sary to complete the success of the
municipal water plant would be en-
acted into law. He claimed that it this
election was lost to municipal water,
there would be no relief, for no one
else would take up the fight In con-
clusion, he indicated that the leaeue
was going to be broad in its work
and purposed looking after the inter-
ests of the city in every direction. 1t
proposed to awaken the interest of the
taxpayers to the doings of council. and
would exert its influences in such di-
rections as making street railway COM
panies pay for it's privileges and pre-
venting the city from becoming in
VOWED in unreasonable contracts for
street lighting. etc.