Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1906-01-10

and be imperative in a large city,
but might not prove best in prac-
tice in a small city where the f.:
nancial standing of patrons is
known. It will be time enough
to condemn municipal ownership
in Willmar on this account when
it is shown that the city is losing
any appreciate amount under
the present system.
6.-Extensions of water mains
are not made by assessment
against abutting property. Why
try'to mislead the people by bare
faced misstatement of facts like
this? The water mains will be
extended as was the street light
ing system. Having provided
additional street lights and suffi-
Gent capacity for increase in
light for some time to come, we
may reasonably expect that ex-
tensions of the water mains will
be the next improvement that
will be made from the earnings
of the plant. Under private own
ership there would be no extern
sion Of water mains to the out
skirts until the business secured
thereby would pay for the in
vestment.
Z. Does the Gazette wish to
charge that the last annual state
ment as audited and published
was false or misleading as to
the condition of the city plant?
1t then behooves that paper to
produce it's figures to prove it's
contention. The next statement,
we are informed, will show that
fully six thousand dollars will
have been paid for the new i'm,
provement this year at the plant,
from the earnings. When it has
been possible to install such a
splendid improvement and pay
for it as we'll as the running ex-
penses, that ought to convince
the most skeptical that the plant
is not running behind,
If the Gazette we're not o.
posed to municipal ownership, it
would never bring up such ride
ulous arguments against the ap-
plication Of the principle in it's
home city. Its statement that
eve are not opposed to munich
pal ownership looks strange
after just reading in it's columns
that the general demand for mu-
nicipal ownership would prove
similar to the ''free silver craze, "
and would subside when the peo-
pie recovered their "sanity." In
other words the Gazette frankly
admits that it's own mental bal
ance is affected.
But we believe there is a deep
er purpose in the attack of the
Gazette upon the municipal own
ership idea in it's home city. That
the present plant will remain the
city's property is a settled fact,
and no one knows it better than
the editor of the Gazette. But
there is a live issue that will come
} up soon before the citizens of
| Willmar, and that is the tele-
phone q uestion.
In 1907 the franchise given the
Willmar Telephone Exchange will
expire. It is barely possible
that there may be some object
in creating as much sentiment
against public ownership as
possible in order to prevent the
citizens of the city from taking
| the franchise into their own hands
and operating the exchange for
J the benefit Of the city and it's
business enterprises. The alder
men elected this year will have
; a hand in disposing of this ques
ton.
The TRIBUNE believes that this
should be done. It believes it
} can be done.
So much having been said about
the attempt at municipal owner.
ship in our city, let US take a
look at what private ownership
as exemplitied in the telephone
monopoly has done for the city.
1. 1t has occupied the streets
; for more than eight years, setting