Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1906-12-21
STUDENT TALKS OF
PUBLIC UTILITIES
TRAVELLER GREATLY ADMlRES
LOS ANGELES
Man Who Has Studied Conditions In
Many Chimes Has Strong Belief
That People viii Do the
Correct Thing

A mining man who won't talk shop
is certainly a novelty, but there is one
at the Alexandria. Frederick H. Chal-
fin, who travels for a Chicago mining
machinery firm and goes almost all
over the world where men delve in
the earth for minerals of commerce
or coal for fuel, and who Is probably
the most versatile man in the United
States when it comes to talking mining
machinery, refused last night to talk
shop.
ct have just returned from Mexico.
previous to that l was in Nevada and
California. The mining business never
was on such sound and assured basis
as now. | am a drummer, but 1 carry
no samples"
Invited to mount his hobby and ride,
Mr.. Chalfin quickly disclaimed owner
ship of such a convenience, but in a
few minutes one could plainly see that
he had keen insight into things in
general and if he had a hobby it's
name would be public utilities"
II have been coming to Los Angeles
twelve years and upon each return
am astounded at the marvellous growth
and improvement. Your public utili-
ties are almost a model-that is nearly
all of them. l don't say that your
municipal water system is q marvel
because l hear too many kicks about
the greed and neglect interviewer with
the method; the burden Of the mini
mum rate; the wantom waste that
minimum rate causes because the city
department charges alike 81 for cents
worth of water, or SO cents worth.
Can't you see the eight-cent man will
get a crouch and run riot? He will
waste the other 80 cents worth and no
one on earth will benefit by it. That
Is sheer stupidity, but it's municipal
ownership of the water system. A pri-
vate corporation would not allow such
waste. The consumer would quickly re-
adjust such slipshod system.
Is Not an Interested Party
81 have never owned a dollars worth
of stock in a corporation in my life,
but I believe in fair play.
81 was astonished when 1 passed
through Los Angeles two months ago,
at the noise a so-called public owner
ship candidate was making. / could
not believe that a city like Los An
geles, with the most wonderful electric
car system in the world, excellent
service on all it's interurban lines I'M
paralleled prosperity and marvellous
growth, should strike such a blow at
progress as to elect mayor pledged
10 tnelr PUBIC ownership nonsense. L
might have saved myself alarm. The
people did the right thing and that
form of lunacy will not soon bob up
again here.
eff Los Angeles people keep in the
middle of the common sense road there
is little danger. Americans who have
Travelled abroad have little patience
with this municipal ownership fad.
They have seen public ownership in
Germany. am going to Oakland to-
night. If this was a trip on the con-
tinent I should dread to depart, but
as it is, 1 will take a comfortable
sleeper, have a pleasant nights rest
and arrive there refreshed.
Your city charter gives the council
full power to curb the over-eXuberant
corporations. You elect these men in
whom you have confidence, and they
will not or can not allow anything to
harm the peoples interest. The glori-
GUS future of California is assured If
the people will but keep on a level
keel and not allow themselves to be
led astray by false pilots.
81 have confidence in the people,"