Mexico weekly ledger., 1903-01-15
FAvoRs MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP
J. N. Cross Details His Stand For City
Ownership of Light Plant-Says
Diffusion Of knowledge In
snres Success.

SohSsC ehuo 1tA Jul tdAfaJCAo WtoA
to take that course which will give us
the best service for the least money.
2. A city will build, equip and OPP
crate a plant with less expense to its
taxpayers than a private corporation
because the city does not car to
make profit and the private corpora.
tion must have a big margin.
.. The question, then, is narrowed
down to this; "Can a city manage
such an enterprise In a business like
way?n
The first attempts at municipal
ownership were, In sone cases, expen.
sive and unsatisfactory; but these in
vestments were made fifteen to TWEEN
ty-fve years ago. WI have a great ad-
vantage over those towns. With i'm
proved machinery, methods, and, a
greater diffusion of knowledge on the
subject, nearly every city, town and
village will own their public utilities.
Within twenty years from this time
Mexico will then own its lights, wa
ter, ETC., and there will be none to say
aught against it, publicly. This ques-
tion has passed the experimental
stage. Mexico will not be required,
under any circumstances, to make an
experiment. Other towns have done
this for US, and, by investigation, we
have and know the exact requirements
for success.
To break down municipal ownership
is in the interest OF the independent
companies, and, being already estab-
ished, 1t is not surprising that they
are making an obstinate fight, and
that many can be found to support
their contentious. However, | would
call especial attention to the fact that
few, If any, Of those whose letters have
been given in the LEDGER, as evidence
by the opposition, have committed
themselves as opposed to municipal
Ownership Of electric lights.
The LEDGER, of January I'd, says:
shat the citizens OF Huntsville, by a
vote Of 24s to-, voted to sell their cleo
tric light plant"
The fact Is, they never had an cleo
trio light plant to sell. They had a
little gas plant, built more than TWEEN
ty years ago. Letters have been pub
llshed from Mayor Bright, B. II. Ash
com and w. H.. Hubbard, but neither
Of them say a word about ownership
Of electric lights. In order to get q
sale for the gas plant an electric light
franchise was thrown in.
Mr.. Bright says: "Now, in conclu-
sion, l will say that we do not claim
that a city cannot run an electric light
plant or a gas plant and make IL pay,
but we do not hesitate to say that Il
did not pay In Huntsville"
The LEDGER says that MI. Coe, ed
itor Of the H~Igglnsyille Je6ersonian
mas always believed In municipal own
ership, but yet his letter is supposed
TO prove the faiiacy Oh tns argument
for municipal ownership. Dear sir,
you make the man stultify himself
DIR. Bragg's friend, Il. p. Weaver, o.
oneioina, writes; =" are Iunna
al night now and every night. Gu
soreeoilghts cosu .ne Guy aoouO 90
last year. out ! = ol your SIG on
sure you couiu gel your s0,,eo ~
anu Vheh nase paiaiioe ~ -
y year II your PAM 10 na''eu p'Op
nv. rn,ua o,vos letter of I'd
~itor y q Drnmmond of Odessa. Al
aoainst municipal ownership. but MI
Drummond saws: "At the outset
will saw n Won hat I am a believer il
municipal ownership
bear LrparR. it is a mystery t.
/, sour readers how MI. D. can be il
favor Of municipal ownership will
such AN example before him. He /
Icertainly more culpable than we fol
holding spch a belief. The LEDGE
Of Dec. slst says: "If we could hav
a man like S. j.. Buckner to manag
an electric light plant for Mexico, !
would be a success We will fin
such a man. How does u Stat
administration find a mar to manag
successfully the plant at Fulton, 0
the plant In the p~enltentiary, wnic
by an expenditure OF so,0oo stopped d
annual payment VI eo'ooos LUG
seems to be no trouble In hnding me
10 manage these ana sca'
plants.
From the report OF the city auditc
, of Hannibal, for the year 1901, he find
that 102 street lights cost the cit
1880 each. From the report Of l9t
the same number OF lights cost I'll
city nothing with a balance OF y
!. doIlars In the treasury.
The city OF Elgin, ILL.,, has 220 al
lamps, which II run at an estimate
cost of s55 each, left in the treasui
last yea $3.50.
Macon C,tv last year rot its Al al
Q lights for practically nothing. Cha
D r Fayrar. the CITY clerk, SAYS: "N
have the lowest rate OF my electr
y light nlant in Missouri
T.a.m, I, c,.tor with 1000 non
4 sas,,n~, ,s o,tv thronvb Il
iavlo,, % cost ~ s1lb
n,
d m" ,p,,,or ,av,ea n am