The Washington herald., 1906-12-10
TO BE CONTINUED TOMORROW.
MONROE'S MUNICIPAL TRIALS.
Louisiana Town in More Enterprises
than Any other American City.

I From the Mobile Register.
/ Monroe. La. has acquired fame by its
/ experiments. so far successful. of munich
T pal ownership II is the only city in
/ America that owns a street railway. II
owns. moreover. it's waterworks its cleo
( trio lighting plant. , summer theater. a
baseball park. and a race track. The city
I has established a free bridge. built a very
large free school, and a city hall. with
market. Perhaps the most attractive fea-
ture in this list is the provision for the
amusement Of the public-the theater
and the ball park and the race track.
II is deadly dun in most of these little
towns. The people have no means Of en-
tertainment outside the family circle.
The sotel is the only club, and the post
Office the general place OF meeting The
/ churches afford a break in the monotony,
bat they are open on Sunday only.
The young mayor Of Monroe has revO-
Iutionized Monroe. He has made it a
place better to live in. The people there
are afforded entertainment by means Of
municipality-own places of amusement.
He has done more than this. however.
He has caused TO be erected several mu-
nicipal buildings, has acquired for the
city the water works and the electric
plant, formerly owned by private capital.
and has reconstructed them. The people
get their light al the same rate as before,
but the profit goes into the city treasury
and helps the city TO improve further.
The last utility undertaking is an electric
railway of six and one-half miles in
length. connecting with the public park Of
130 acres. This railway is IN operation.
1t promises TO pay, If We judge by the
receipts already had.
A great deal of money has been ex-
pended, but it is home money, and the
city has increased in size very rapidly
so that tax assessments. which were ST.
500 600 In 1895, are now $3.700,C00.
The public theater is on an island in a
beautiful lake in the park It is equipped
with every modern convenience. Nearby
are the fairgrounds, with the half-mile
track. in the same park are the ball
grounds.
These Improvements were not made
without overcoming very determined
opposition. but the young mayor was
more determined, and kept at it, devising
ways and means, and finally rallying
around himself such support that ne car
Tied his plans through. He has now the
No- tAldt Cb-uijtl luLlDAi VI tttl tilt tfdNlIlE
men. II is noteworthy that against the
water works and electric lighting PROPOSE
ton which he presented to the people,
there were only eight votes cast, and this.
too, when il was well known that the
electric plant would have TO be improved
at a cost equal to the amount Of money
paid for it. namely, S60.000 Some of the
other sums paid can be mentioned. For
the public school, $500; for the park and
buildings. $4,000: for the street railway.
Sll0,0G0. There were expended, besides
$4,000 for street paving, and $4,000 for
sewers and drains. The mayor now has
in mind the making Of interUrban electric
roads. CenteTing in Monroe, with the view
Of building up the trade of that city.
This young Napoleon of municipal own
ership may go too far and Outrun his re-
sources of his community but al this
time ne appears 10 have affairs well in
hand and be able 10 take care of all the
obligations that have been issued. The
further history OF Monroe viii be OBJ
served with great interest