The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1905-03-04
When You Refuse to Permit
Them to Determine Whether
or Not They Shall Go Into
the Electric Lighting Busi-
ness You Assume a Dicta-
torial Attitude.
This Is Positively Your Last
Chance to Save Duluth from
Its Enemies, Who Are Turn
ing Every Stone to Prevent
the Progress of Public Own
ership.
People the Final Tribunal.

04oAAAp'
People the Final Tribunal.
Should you be induced to give us the
right to issue bonds as asked for in the
bill, that does not end the question.
The city council can not rush pell nell
into the matter. Before final action is
taken the people must be consulted. and
their judgment must be rendered.
Have you any fear about the judgs
| ment Of the people? Possibly you have
sometimes, and we do not blame you
when you ask yourselves how some Of
you came to be elected to represent
them in the great law making body of
this state.
But, as we have stated. the people
of Duluth are capable of the most
complete self-government. While their
tax rate is altogether too high, the
people of today are not responsible for
1t. The bonds and heavy Indebtedness
upon which we pay interest out Of our
general tax levy were secured in the
old days of private ownership and pub
lie graft. The issue Of our water and
light bonds is no way responsible for
the amount of our tax rate, except in
the case Of the one-half mill levy for a
| sinking fund. The interest is being
| paid out of the earnings of our water
and light plant.
There is no possible way of reducing
our general bonded Indebtedness ex-
cept through the most complete sys-
TEN of municipal ownership. When the
people of Duluth own and control all
the public utilities it is expected that
the net earnings. from the combined
institutions will be sufficient, not only
to- ductsouf general bonded s1ndebt-
I edness, but to reduce the annual tax
levy.
Can't Afford to be DictatoriaI.
Your delegation cannot afford to as
sumo dictatorial attitude on this
! question. The people are the best
judges of their wants. and you are
simply their servants, not their dicta-
tors. If you ignore their request at
this session Of the legislature, they will
be compelled to make the question an
l
When they, in their desire for munich
pal ownership, discover that the State
: Legislature holds the key to the situ-
! alton, they will quickly see that only
friends Of municipal ownership are
sent there, just as they are careful
about the election of friends of munic-
ipal ownership as Aldermen in their
city. The question Is to be fought out
sooner or later, and the more arbi-
trary your position is, the quicker will
the people be moved to action in your
campaigns.
You say that you have letters from
prominent and public spirited citizens
in opposition to the proposed bill. Pray
who are these citizens? An open and
honest enemy Of the bill is to be ad-
mired and respected. but those who
work tn the dark are dangerous foes
to any community. If their names
were known here, possibly their posi-.
ton might be analysed. We would
probably be able to ascertain whethe,
1t Is selfish motive or desire fol-
private gain that inspires their Sc.
cret correspondence
| P0opio to oe neArd from.
Within the next two weeks you will
be presented with petitions from your
constituents asking for the support OF
this bill. We ask you in all candor
whose wish you will serve, those who
move in the light and are prompted by
an honest impulse, or those who work
In the dark, and who fear to permit
their real position to be known?
1t is true that the newspapers do not
| give the proposed bill the publicity it
deserves, but every public official in
Duluth, and many of it's citizens know,
of the reason for the apparent indiffer-
ence of the daily press. The people
have no means Of expressing them
selves except through their representa-
tives in the city council, whose opin-
ion you have before you. :?
! Your argument that the gas lixhtins
plant is a sufficient club to demand a
fair contract for street lighting Is weak
and fiimsy. The gas plant does not
extend to the full settled limits of the
city, and hence it is not Of SUFFICIENT
size to serve the purpose you propose.
The only weapon that will give tn
city absolute protection is an enabling
act for the right to issue bonds, and al
representatives Of this city you ara
urged to come to its rescue. You have
an opportunity to do your people good
or evil, and your attitude will be oh:
served with interest. !? rs
|
AaE NOT alJapEMnEn Z.