Bisbee daily review., 1905-04-07
T1s Review is delivered by carriers
FRANCHISES AND MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP.

Three franchise propositions have been presented to the City Council of Risbee during the past week. One calls for a sewer privilege. another asks for gas franchise. and still an- ether desires to operate street rail way.
 None of these franchises can be granted until the question has first been submitted by the Council to a vote of the people of Bisbee at a special election. and so long as these of the people directly, there is no fear that they will not properly pro tect their own interests.
 The most important of the three propositions is that of sewer fran chise. having for it's purpose the lay ing of sewer mains in Bisbee and then charging each individual prop erty holder a stiff price for the privi- iege Of connection. The small prop erty owner in Bisbee can not afford to allow a private company to abso- lutely have control of the sewer sys- tenn of this city. It simply means that each family will pay a rate of three dollars per month, or perhaps more, for the sewer connection, a sum .-equal to s36 per annum for each house.
 Less than one-third of this amount, assessed to each family in Bisbee per annum, will pay the interest on bonds, Eufficient to build municipal sewer, and at the same time put aside a tidy sum in a sinking fund for the pay ment of the principal. aN
 There must be no private sewer company operating in Bisbee. It is a public utility to be regulated and controlled by the City Council and as such it should be cwned and operated by the people Bisbee at least can afford to own it's own sewer system.
 In Chicago, on Tuesday, the election of Dun1e was in a great measure due to his position on the question of mu- nicipal ownership. It has been long ago proven that municipal ownership of public utilities is the one thing to be desired iii city government. But 2 small city cannot shoulder all such utilities in the beginning. It wese Better that Bisbee owned it's water lighting and street railway enter prises, but to attempt all these things at once wuld be stuffing Bisbee with sss. good things t;;;s.f. wc could prop erly digest.
 The City Council, in the matter Of franchises, are the chosen representa- lives of the people. They are Inere in the first place to drive a good bar gain in our behalf and the granting of franchises, or an order submitting franchise privilege of any nature to 8 special election, without includ- ing in the proposition some remuner- ation for the city would not be consid- cred good bargain in our behalf.
 4 gas company in Bisbee would be an enterprise calculated to reduce living expenses, provided the com pany came in under certain restric- lions regarding rates to be charged and guarded against a combination with the lighting company at present in existence Electric lights. and fuel are exorbitantly high in Bisbee. and competition along this line would be of some benefit to the people; at the same time the city has franchise for sale. not gift.
 : The franchise for a street railway need not be considered seriously. A proposition for ten cents fares, even if the street railway were already in existence. would fail flat of it's own weight Not ten per cent of our peo- pie would pay at the rate of six dol lars per month for transportation to and from their work. As business proposition on this basis. the enter prise would be failure.
 Again. Bisbee cannot afford to turn ever its principal street to street railway company. The congested con dition Of the city will not permit, and she laying of street rag=ay tracks iu