Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1903-11-28
Communicated.

the attention of the voter may be given
to the personnel Of the candidates, and
other issues in the present campaign, to
the exclusion of the more important one
the authorizing the sale of the electric
light plant to private parties | earnestly
desire Mr.. Editor to utter note of warm
ing.
Believing as | do, that all such public
utilities should be owned by the people
and operated for the benefit of the people
would stullify my conscience were to
remain silent and see our fair and prosper
GUS little city deprived of its rightful her
itage, and have thrust upon it the neces-
sity Of electing between going in darkness
or adding to its already heavy debt bur
den an expense of 5000 to $1,000 annually
for street lighting, as well as being for
term of years (the life of the franchise to
be granted with the sale) afflicted with
one ofthe worst forms of monopoly known,
as judged by the experiences of other
cities.
cago, Nov. 24th, 1904 had this to say
Mayor Harrison today declared that the
city would enter the electric lighting
field at once in competition with the gas
trust and the Chicago Edison and its sub
sidiary companies. The mayor believes
that he has found a solution of the prob
LEM of regulating and reducing the prices
Of light to the householders of Chicago
The attempt to enter the field by selling
to corporations and private individuals
current made i'll the municipal plant will,
1t is expected, result in an appeal to the
courts by the big lighting corporations.
This, Mayor Harrison declares, is what
the city wants, as it will determine its
right to deal in public necessities.
The cities of Chicago, St. Louis, Min
neapolis, Grand Rapids, Detroit, Mil
waukee ct al have all had, or are having
their troubles, in which the granting of
valuable franchises have played an inn
portant part.
How much better it would be- and
with how much better grace, if those
charged with its management, by virtue
OF office, would seek the betterment, of
the plant, rather than most undesirable
disposition of it.
| am informed that Collax parties have
been negotiating for the purchase of
plant, and gift of the franchise; l pre-
sumo it would be quite proper to style
the would be owners philanthropists, in
stead OF investors, especially so as long
as they come from the tribe of Colfax,
as 1t is we'll known that Colfax has an
abiding interest in our welfare. Why
not include the water system in the pro-
posed sale? 1t would be Just as reason
able. | have no doubt the time was,
when some short sighted individual
looked on this as the reasonable thing
to do, just as some are doing today i'll re-
gard to the electric light plant.
Both enterprises are revenue getters,
and from their very nature ought to be-
long to the people. If it is good to sell
one 1t is also good to sell the other.
The facts are, both have an earning ca
pacity; as an evidence of this, parties
looking for good investments are ready
to purchase the property, and this is
why we are asked to authorize sale.
While opportunities for good investments
were never better, experienced men in
lighting business are so anxious for our
plant, they have persuaded some of our
city officials, surely against their better
Judgment, that it is bad, very bad, SO bad
Indeed, 1t must be disposed Otto them
selves
Our city has increased its population
about 1000 within three years, (partlv ac-
counting for that Colfax interest J giving
us at present about $500 people, leading
us TO conclude that our hope to some day
nave population of 1000 or 5000 people
Is to be realized before the next federal
census year
Why should investors not look our
way, ignoring a hundred good oppor
tunltes OF investment, if we are fools
enough to give away a franchise easily
worth 100000?
make this statement on my reputa
ton as conservative business man, and
want only time enough for the new trust
to present its first bill for street lights to
satisfy the most skeptical mot in the
deall of its correctness.
As means to make people distrustful,
and with cool deliberation to prejudice
citizens against the plant wrong stories
have been started about it, one of the