Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1905-09-25
CITY OWNERSHIP
IS DISCUSSED
Tax Payer DisssctS Reports Of the
JackScnville Board.
ALTooErHEs a BAD SHOWING

Plant Not Paying Investment Accord
ing to His Sialsmsnt-A Timely Ar
ticIs Upon TlmsIT sublset--Read and
| Ponder Well Before Voting.
Editor Gainesville Sun : At this time,
when municipal ownership versus pri-
vats corporations ls the much discussed
topic throughout che lApd, and right
now 10 before the people 81 Gainesville
10 the form Of ballOting Tor or against
the Issuing OF els, 900 10 bonds for mu-
nicipal Ownership OF an electric light
and gas plant, the constructioo OF
sewerage system, etc, the publication
last Sunday OF the article upon this
subject taken from the August number
of Service. !" Published ID Denver, Col.
oFado, was most reasonable, and lesds
a person interested financially TO In
quIre further into this subject. Quoting
from shIs article; There ,sre very few
questions which have only one aide.
Don't be too cocksure you haze the
final ISOLATION. Importance attaches TO
the subject at this time because it 10
now, and will be for some time, the cry
OF the political partisan In she local af-
falrs." Admitting for arRument'S sake
that there are no political partisans
advocating municipal ownership in
Gainesville, then coees another series
of quotations from this article which
must be seriously considered These
are the real questions Can a city op-
crate the utility iDdustrIet and sdve
money TO the people individually and
to the municipal oorporGtioR9 Has 10
q right to engage In business in com
petition with les citizens, or 20 their
exclusion as individuals or - . cor
pOraiionH" Nov TO these l wish to add
for myself what I consider most i'm
poFtant query and Que which may have
q very strong legal bearing In this mat
ter OF bond Issue.
What right has = n-proPeFty owner
to east q ballol which may add 60 she
taxation OF the man who, owning n
small home, tinds IL already hard
enough TO meet his expenses wRh the
sum he earns by the sweat Of biz brown
Such q man looks nc the subject in but
one light, that OF what he 10 liable 20
secure By municipal ownership, and
cares nothing about the cost to the tax
payer. Taking up the single matter Of
municipal ownership OF electric light
aud gas plants, which 10 Of interest 80
Gainesville people right now, Charles
T. YsTkes, one Of the great AnAneisTs
OF the day, says that "Chicago claims
"a prod electric arc lamps at about
s00 per arc per year, with her mu.
nieipal plant, bUt thls is far from the
actual cost, ~ no allowance has ever
been made for services rendered the
plant By other oity departments, sush
~ the puFOhasiog department., the ls-
gal department., che water rent. which
will amount TO about e. per PEAR on
cash lamp. no charge 10 made for id
ditioRs 10 the street wiring. the work
done by the street department. no
charge for insurance, the loss In tag
alton "a BIG scarce Of FSvenoe) or the
rrRt paid BY the city for property or
ice equivalent On interest on money
used In purehAslng property. Exper,
accountants who andiled the bocks Of
the city Of Chicago reported that IL ell
charges were properly made agaiast
The lighting department. the cost 90
The city YEA tles!s2 per arc light per
pear aud not t69.Oo. - wAs claimed I"
Presented In such . plain mAnner, u "
z ssli-sVidehi fast THAI Chicago is pAy-
ING dearly fOT the privilege Of owuias
her owp electric plant. sat ChieAgo
10 q large eiIy, . lOAg WAys %. AAd
noted Tor mismanagcment and graft
In ell departments; u would. there
fore. Be mere 20 the polna " ne look
into The actual state % ssAirs HsaFeE
home. and Tor shla PaFpOss tAks ths
JAeksonvllls elsetFie Plaal, whieA a.
ova~a ~ tAai nilr.
81 n ~ nah'irASS4 sHRusll