The Globe-republican., 1903-02-12
All Kinds Of Fool Ideas Seem
to Be Entertained
REGARDING DODGE CITY,
But Everybody Here Is Happy
and Property Values
Still Go Up.

The Dodge City people are raising a
big howl over their light and water SER
vice. The lights have habit Of going
out at critical moments and when they
do burn they are little better than tallow
dips, and every time they have fire the
water mains burst, and to make matters
worse the VILLAGE Is bankrupt and there
Is no relief In sight.
The above IS from the Garden City
Herald, and 1t Is a statement which II
believed would give out the impression
that Dodge City was not only a poor
place to live, but about the worst place
to make Investments in to be found.
In reading the above item few people
would stop to consider that there ls no
town served by an electric light and a
water works company where there Is not
on occasional howl, and also an occa-
siOnal cause for a howl. Hutchinson
which Is considered a very prosperous,
happy and beautiful city by all western
Kansas, has had more bowling, more
cause for bowling, and more trouble
with getting good water and light SER
vice and paying for it than Dodge City
has ever dreamed Of. .'
Not long ago a water pipe did break
during fire In Dodge City but that was
''one time" and Of course people readily
fall into lhe way Of calling 1t "every
time." That there are improvements
needed in the waterwOrks here may be
admitted even to the outside world.
Either the company is too stingy, or the
present superintendent Is trying to make
a record in economy at the expense of
the waterworks patrons, 10 give first
cIass service, the tight fsted policy pur-
sued in furnishing the plant would have
to be abandoned. Some say this policy
! Is the fault Of the company, some say
that the superintendent is personally re-
sponsible for 1t, that he wants to increase
his salary by making showing" 1t
may be true that the patrons should In.
sist upon having better machinery in the
plant 10 the interest Of better service.
Possibly they should insist upon having
a new superintendent. But there Is
nothing in the situation that should cause
Dodge City to be advertised abroad as a
hole where the lights aIe out, where
there is no fire protection, and no means
of getting any
The contract which the city has with
the company for water and lights is a
better one than most towns have been
able to secure, and the rental is paid in
cash. The company by Its carelessness
at times, 1t Is true, has lost some Of It's
private patrons and will lose more of
them If its policy is not changed. A re-
fusal on the part Of patrons to patronize
poor service ought to bring q speedy
change to good service. A general de-
maud for first class service or none would
no doubt result In new machinery, new
superintendent, or whatever remedy is
necessary. II the city Is not getting the
worth Of Its money the council should
insist on having ii, but In this connec-
tion the mayor states that 80 far as the
city Is concerned 1t IL getting value re.
ceived from the water and light COM
pany, II individuals are not getting the
worth Of their money they should insist
on better service at once, and Use other
lights ii tits not furnished.
As to the bankrupt condition referred
TO in the paragraph at the head Of this
article, it may be stated that Dodge City
has been making a far better record at
reducing its indebtedness than the aver.
age town IN Kansas that made an ascen-
sion In a boom balloon, and attempted
landing upon substantial basis without
parachute.
In the past six years the floating debt
| has been reduced over $4,000 The int
crest upon the bonded indebtedness has
been reduced from $4,000 to $24OO. At
the beglnning of these Six years the
ltown, like other towns In the country,
was going in deeper at the rate Of per-
haps $4,000 year. At present Dodge
City Is not only vastly better off than a
few years ago but has good show of
pulling out In good financial condition
with few years careful work. N
! Dodge CITY, like any fourlshlng grow
Ing city has her troubles, and her kicks,
but her troubles are enothlng to attract the
attention ofthe outside world ndcertaln-
|ly not worthy Of securing usanyadverse
advertising, Property valuespresteadlly
showing an increase, Thcsbcst posted