The Tucson citizen., 1902-01-04
ABOUT MUNICIPAL LIGHTING.

No one will question the sincerity
of Mayor Schumacher nor the worthl-
ness of his motives, but many will be
apt to doubt the wisdom of his pro-
position to establish a city lighting
plant Municipal ownership has fine
resonant sound, and it invariably finds
favor with the politicians as tending
TO provide more and fancy offices for
tho support of the faithful But Mayor
Schumacher is not a mere place-hunt-
ing politician who seeks office for
what there is in it. He is rather a
pubic functionary who assumes the
labors and responsibilities of Office to
discharge a duty as public spirited
citizen. Though adherents of different
political parties. this newspaper and
Mayor Schumacher find very little to
disagree about in the conduct of muni-
cipal affairs Party politics have really
little to do in properly conducting the
affairs of the City of Tucson. and
party politics should be rigidly ex-
cluded from the consideration of ques-
tions affecting municipal economy and
public utilities.
We do not believe that government
should do anything for the citizen
that the citizen can do for himself,
and we believe with Grover Cleveland
that the people should support the
government and not the government
support the people. The ownership of
water and sewers by the city is no:
only proper but essentially necessary.
The people cannot live without water
and the public health cannot be main
tanned without sewers. 1t is different
with light, transit and the other
essentials of civilization and comfort
that enter into the realm of municipal
ownership. Every person can establish
his own light. He can use a candle or
a lamp. electric nght or gas, acetelyne
or piece of pine wood-anything that
suits fancy or convenience. Only what
is necessary should be provided by the
city: individual effort or private enter
prise should do the rest
If the City of Tucson should estab-
lish an electric plant for the purpose
of lighting the city. it would not be
many years before those people who
are always in favor of making grand
mother of the City or State, would in
sist that the plant should be extended
so as to run a municipal street car
system Others would advocate selling
light to private individuals, in order
TO increase the city's revenues, and it
would not be long until in the natural
course of development the city would
insist upon owning a monopoly of the
power and light, and would exclude
from the field all private competitors.
This kind Of thing Is not function
of government, and the establishment
of a city lighting plant. would, we
believe, be a hazardous beginning We
admit that the service now rendered
by the Electric Light and Power COM
pany is an outrage not only on the
city, but on individual patrons. But
the present company has by no
means a monopoly and there is no
reason why a more enterprising COM
pany should not enter the field and
compete for the public patronage. We
are disposed to admit that the present
company has encountered many diff
culties and obstacles and would even
be generous enough to accept their
promise for better service in the fu-
ture We know that a city now days
without electric light is away behind
the times. The electric light is the
most brilliant. the most convenient
and the least dangerous. TO secure an
adequate and efficient electric lighting
system for the people the city ought
to be willing and ready to extend some
encouragement to the company pro-
viding It, We fear that system of its
own would in the end be a costly
enterprise for the city, and that 1t
would be more prudent guardianship
on the part of the city fathers to safe
guard properly the city interests in
dealing with a private corporation
than undertake the experiment of GO
ing into the business of lighting on
its own hook
-O--