Bisbee daily review., 1905-04-13
THE FRANCHISE ELECTIONS

position to grant a gas franchise u
 a Los Angeles capitalist A majoritl
 of the Council have voted in the ai
 firmative and the matter is in stat,
 quo. awaiting a deposit of s20O.OO or
 the part of the applicants which de
 posit is for the purpose of defrayins I the expenses of a special election ant
 the publication of an ordinance calling
 the election for a period of thirty
 days prior thereto.
 In making the application for the
 franchise the petitioners state that
 they will not charge consumers at a
 greater rate than s2.50 cents per thou.
 sand for gas. but this is the only in.
 ducement offered the people of Bis.
 bee in exchange for the franchise.
 This was the offer on the part of the
 petitioners. and before the matter is
 presented for the adoption or rejection
 of the voters of Bisbee, steps should
 be taken by council to ascretain how
 this rate compares with other charges
 Tn cities in Arizona where costs of op-
 eration are comparatively the same.
 Again 1t appears to the Review that
 the City should have incorporated in
 the franchise proposition some remu- neration to the City in exchange for the franchise. The lighting Of the City is at present no small item of expense and it might be well at this time to exchange the proposition for fl an- chise for free street lights.
 This much is certain. unless some | one speaks up and endeavors to > tain from the petitioners concessions in remuneration for the valuable privilege, the Los Angeles capitalists | will not make any free will offerings. We believe that 8 gas franchise will f carry in Bisbee provided it can be shown that the company will charge a | reasonable rate for gas for fuel and I lighting purpores. over a certain number of years, and at the same ! time the City become the beneficiary | in the matter of a cheaper lighting ! bill for the streets. Properly safe k guarded, the coming of gas company to Bisbee would be benefit If the |, rates are not exorbitant a saving |, would be made .o every family il their fuel bill to say nothing of lights. But before the qualified voters of Bis. f bee can be expected to pass intelli- s gently on the proposition, these ques- c lions must be satisfactorily answered. In
 The street railway and sewer fran f chise appear to have been temporarily e laid aside. It is just as we'll The granting of right of way in our mar row streets for a street railway is not a practical and the turning over of a c sewer system in Bisbee to a private l company would be the most serious h mistake ever made by any municipal :. corporation. The Council seems 10 c have arrived at the conclusion to pre- sent a proposition to the voters of Bishee for a municipal sewer. A mu u nicipal sewer proposition intelligently F presented can be carried in Bisbee. It d has been demonstrated by the phy- h 5icians in Bisbee that the amount Il lost on account of sickness in wages n this community annually amounts to thousands of dollars. most of the T diseases coming from unsanitary condi- lions which can only be remedied ef- il by the installation of sewer | system. 1t is conceded that Bisbee b needs a sewer system. The only ques- lion, then. that remains to be solved ntelligentIy is, now shall the sewer D be put in operation Shall the peo- o pie own the sewer and pay the mini ]! mum rate for connections, or shall 5we K urn this public utility over to a prs- x vate company and pay any old rate hey see fit to charge.
 The Health Board of Bisbee should f, begin at once to gather statistics and h necessary information about cost and c operation so that the question of lle sewer system can be pre- tented intilIigently to the people weeks n advance of the proposed election u or bonds for this purpose D