Durango semi-weekly herald., 1906-10-11
POLITICIANS GRAFT ON
PUBLIC UTILITIES

ceived at political headquarters here
indicate that Bryan's declaration In
favor of government ownership has
suggested to politicians in many
states that municipal ownership
platform would attract voters, and in
consequence. in many communities,
unscrupulous politicians are advocat-
Ing 1t in the hope OF catching the pop
ular vote and of making themselves
power in office II elected. They
care nothing for the dangers to the
municipality; they ignore the fact that
many cities which have acquired their
own plants for furnishing public utili-
ties are eager to be rid. of them; and
that in many cities and towns they
have been an utter and costly failure
They find, however, that the cry for
municipal ownership is most valuable
TO them, for 1t can be presented in
such an attractive manner that it
gains the support of thoughtless vot-
ers who will not realize what they
have done in supporting 1t and its ad-
vocates until they are called upon, as
taxpayers, to pay heavily for their
folly.
The Columbus, Ohio. municipal
lighting plant has already eaten up a
fortune and proved failure. An orig
inal Investment of $4,000 has had to
be increased to half million and now
the plant greedily requires $140,000
more for which the city councilmen
are afraid to ask the citizens. AS II
is the city is now paying private com
panies 5000 night to light streets
which the municipal plant cannot
light
La Porte. Indiana which acquired q
municipal water plant has defaulted
on the payment of It's bonds and in
terest since 1904 and suit has been
commenced asking that the property
be sold and a receiver appointed.
The citizens of Seattle last month
after careful investigation of mu
nicipal ownership plants voted against
the city acquiring its own street rail
way.
Boston, Chicago, Omaha, Muncie
and Marion, Ind, Richmond, Va.
Wheeling. West Va, and many other
cities have all had experience with
municipal ownership which they re
gret and which cost them heavily.
Mr.. Dalrymple. the Scottish expert
on municipal ownership after an ex
animation of conditions here, declared
that municipal ownership could not be
made a success In this country be.
cause of the dominant political condi-
tions.
Experts recently reported at a con
vention of Illuminating companies
that at this moment municipal own
ership in this country Is a mere polit-
lcal expedient."
Other experts who have made in
vestigations for cities contemplating
the purchase Of private plants and con
yerting them into municipal plants de-
clare that in numerous instances of
municipal ownership appointments to
the public service are made on a basis
of political, favoritism with no ade-
quate regard for the efficiency of the
employees; that the administrative
bodies are honeycombed with graft In
the purchase of supplies; and that the
public funds are not guarded with the
same sense OF economy as the funds
of private corporation.
President Roosevelt yesterday is.
sued proclamation giving 12 O'Clock
noon on the 29th inst as the date for
the opening of the Walker River In
dian reservation in Nevada to settle.
ment.
are heavy sufferers.
Charles A. Stix offered $50 to be
divided into first, second and third
prize. for the best child gardeners in
st. Louis, In the contest thirty-five
were marked perfect. Two dollars
and half were added to the $50 and
each child was given S1.50.
Judge r. ]. Lea of Little Rock, Ark,
in his instructions to the grand jury
as to its inquiry into the lynching of
H. G. Blackman. a negro. Sunday
night, in Argenta, said every member
of the mob was murderer and should
be hunted down.
A posse at Columbus, Ind, yester.
day caught negro, Jesse Coe, wanted
for the murder of Policeman Russell
He was caught in the woods anu was
disguised as woman. He compelled
a farmers wife to give him wrapper
and bonnet and she notified the
sheriff.
1t developed Sunday that the Van
derbilt cup course at New York dur
Ing the race Saturday was infested
with pickpockets. More than 100 OF
them were arrested near the grand
stand and locked up In a cottage near.
by until the race was over and the big
crowd had departed.
As the result of a drunken quarrel
o. -