The Cairo bulletin., 1904-03-18
THE MAYOR AND CITY LIGHTING

THE MAYOR AND CITY LIGHTING
In the rather spirited dispute over
the subject Of lighting the city which
eliminated Wednesday night in a
vote by the city council to make q
fiye.year contract with the existing
companies at a reduced price, The
Bulletin has taken little part. 1t pre-.
ferred to let the representatives CT
the people in the city government
fight 1t out and reach their ccnclu
sons through Investigations of their
own. Some very severe criticisms
were directed against the mayor by
some Of the aldermea, in the course Of
the meeting, as reported In yester
days Bulletin. They were not OF a
personal nature, but, il seems, were
very properly called forth by the Sit.
uation as il presented itself
AT the mayors request a sub-eom
mittee had been appointed to confer
with the Cairo lighting companies, to
see what kind Of q contract could be
made with them, when this report
was presented. the mayor requested
that action be deferred until he could
make investigation as to the rates
charged for like service in other
cities. The council believed him to
be in good faith and took his conf
dent assertion that better terms could
be had as sufficient to justify delay.
Weeks passed and the mayor made no
report. He made several trips
to other cities, taking with him
men who had no official coz.
nection with the city, instead
of the councimen who had been
appointed on the subject; several
meetings of the council were held but
the mayor made no report The time
came when something had to be done
The annual appropriation bill had I'd
be passed, not only to provide money
for next year, but to provide money
against which anticipation warrants
could be issued for this year. 1t was
necessary to know how much to an.
propriate for city lighting purposes.
but the mayor still had no report and
the government was put in a position
where it could not issue warrants for
the ordinary running expenses Of the
clty-had to stand or its street la
borers, and its land lord for rent
and its grocer; the coal man and the
Ice man--and all the rest
Is II any wonder that councilmen
who felt a proper degree of response.
bility for the good name Of the city
lost patience? They consented TO
lay the lighting matter over again
II his honor would make a report at
special meeting to be called for the
purpose. He made his report to a
committee and it came before the
council. 1t was, in the main, merely
an electioneerlng letter Issued By the
candidate for mayor Of Nashville to
influence the people in his favor at
the coming election, supplemented by
a list of cities in which lower prices
were given for light service than
those charged in Cairo There was no
statement as to conditions in these
places upon which an intelligent judg
ment could be based: the mayor had
no plan to submit: he could not ans.
wer important questions as to details
connected with The sub iect he had no
assurance To present from any ono
that Cairo would be provided with
light If the resident companies fslod
TO do 50; he was utterly unprepared
10 meet the rightful expectations OF
the aldermen in any important par
iicnlar; he could offer no suggestions
that promised results4still he asked
the council TO believe that be knew
what he was talking about and 10 ac.
cept his assurance that all would be
well--demanding further delay at the
risk of throwing the city into dark
ness for an indefinite period should
the resident companies decline to pro.
vide light under conditions that
were manifestly unfair
Is il any wonder that aldermen.
who had stood by the mayor before
and were ready to second his com
mcndable efforts had they given any
promise Of practical results. lost con.
fidenoe IN him? L II any wonder that
they hooked upcn his demand foF
further delay with suspicion and DC
ncsineed his purpose TO continue the
agitation On the subject as mere
s'e'eefsones ring huncomb' intended %
influence the voters at the coming